The 2025 WNBA Finals tip off today as the\u00a0Phoenix Mercury travel north to Nevada to take on the Las Vegas Aces Friday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n
A vast majority of players competing in this year\u2019s Finals made their mark in college basketball before their professional careers took off. From national champions to record-setting sharpshooters and All-Americans, the rosters are filled with names that once defined college hoops.<\/p>\n
NOTE: Some players played for more than one program, but the list below highlights the program each player played for just before entering the WNBA.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look back at where each Finals player played their college ball<\/p>\n
\t\t\tPlayer Name
\n\t\t\tCurrent Team
\n\t\t\tCollege
\n\t\t\tYears Attended<\/p>\n
\t\t\tJewell Loyd
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\t2012\u20132015<\/p>\n
\t\t\tJackie Young
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\t2016\u20132019<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKathryn Westbeld
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame
\n\t\t\t2014\u20132018<\/p>\n
\t\t\tNaLyssa Smith
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tBaylor
\n\t\t\t2018\u20132022<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKalani Brown
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tBaylor
\n\t\t\t2015\u20132019<\/p>\n
\t\t\tAaliyah Nye
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tAlabama
\n\t\t\t2022\u20132025<\/p>\n
\t\t\tDeWanna Bonner
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tAuburn
\n\t\t\t2005\u20132009<\/p>\n
\t\t\tLexi Held
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tDePaul
\n\t\t\t2018\u20132022<\/p>\n
\t\t\tChelsea Gray
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tDuke
\n\t\t\t2010\u20132014<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKierstan Bell
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tFlorida Gulf Coast
\n\t\t\t2020\u20132022<\/p>\n
\t\t\tMegan Gustafson
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tIowa
\n\t\t\t2015\u20132019<\/p>\n
\t\t\tDana Evans
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tLouisville
\n\t\t\t2017\u20132021<\/p>\n
\t\t\tAlyssa Thomas
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tMaryland
\n\t\t\t2010\u20132014<\/p>\n
\t\t\tCheyenne Parker-Tyus
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tMiddle Tennessee
\n\t\t\t2014\u20132015<\/p>\n
\t\t\tNatasha Mack
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tOklahoma State
\n\t\t\t2019\u20132021<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSatou Sabally
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tOregon
\n\t\t\t2017\u20132020<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKahleah Cooper
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tRutgers
\n\t\t\t2012\u20132016<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKiana Williams
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tStanford
\n\t\t\t2017\u20132021<\/p>\n
\t\t\tA\u2019ja Wilson
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tSouth Carolina
\n\t\t\t2014\u20132018<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKitija Laksa
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tSouth Florida
\n\t\t\t2015\u20132019<\/p>\n
\t\t\tKiah Stokes
\n\t\t\tAces
\n\t\t\tUConn
\n\t\t\t2011\u20132015<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSami Whitcomb
\n\t\t\tMercury
\n\t\t\tWashington
\n\t\t\t2006\u20132010<\/p>\n
Deeper Dive<\/p>\n
Jewell Loyd
\nCollege: Notre Dame
\nYears: 2012\u20132015
\nLoyd was a two-time AP All-American, including a first-team selection in 2015. She ranks fifth on Notre Dame\u2019s all-time scoring list and was one of the most dominant guards in program history.<\/p>\n
Jackie Young
\nCollege: Notre Dame
\nYears: 2016\u20132019
\nAn AP Third Team All-American in 2019, Young was also the 2018 ACC Tournament MVP. She helped lead the Fighting Irish to the 2018 national championship in her sophomore season.<\/p>\n
Kathryn Westbeld
\nCollege: Notre Dame
\nYears: 2014\u20132018
\nA versatile forward, Westbeld capped her career by helping Notre Dame win the 2018 national championship alongside Jackie Young and now the two will face off against each other in the Finals as pros.<\/p>\n
NaLyssa Smith
\nCollege: Baylor
\nYears: 2018\u20132022
\nSmith was the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year and a 2022 AP All-American. As a freshman, she was a key contributor to Baylor\u2019s 2019 national championship team, being the only freshman to play in every game.<\/p>\n
Kalani Brown
\nCollege: Baylor
\nYears: 2015\u20132019
\nBrown was a 2018 and 2019 AP Second Team All-American and the unanimous 2018 Big 12 Player of the Year. She anchored Baylor in the post during one of the program\u2019s most successful stretches as she finished her collegiate career as a NCAA champion in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aaliyah Nye
\nCollege: Alabama
\nYears: 2022\u20132025
\nNye set the Alabama record for single-season three-pointers twice, hitting 109 in 2024\u201325 after breaking her own record of 108 the year before. She graduated as Alabama\u2019s career leader in made three pointers after three seasons in Crimson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
DeWanna Bonner
\nCollege: Auburn
\nYears: 2005\u20132009
\nBonner was the 2009 SEC Player of the Year and a 2008 AP Second Team All-American. She remains one of Auburn\u2019s most decorated players and one of the most experienced veterans in this years’ WNBA Finals.<\/p>\n
Lexi Held
\nCollege: DePaul
\nYears: 2018\u20132022
\nHeld earned All-Big East First Team honors in 2021 and finished her career ranked fifth in program history for three-pointers made.<\/p>\n
Chelsea Gray
\nCollege: Duke
\nYears: 2010\u20132014
\nGray led Duke to three NCAA Elite Eights, two ACC Tournament titles, and three ACC regular season championships. She also averaged a school-record 5.0 assists per game for her career.<\/p>\n
Kierstan Bell
\nCollege: Florida Gulf Coast
\nYears: 2020\u20132022
\nBell was the back-to-back Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022, dominating the ASUN conference as one of the best scorers in the country.<\/p>\n
Megan Gustafson
\nCollege: Iowa
\nYears: 2015\u20132019
\nAs a senior Gustafson won the AP Player of the Year, Big Ten Athlete of the Year and the Naismith Trophy. She is one of the most decorated players in Iowa history.<\/p>\n
Dana Evans
\nCollege: Louisville
\nYears: 2017\u20132021
\nEvans was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and a 2021 AP First Team All-American, only the third in program history. She made history again by becoming the first ACC player to go from Sixth Player of the Year to Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
Alyssa Thomas
\nCollege: Maryland
\nYears: 2010\u20132014
\nThomas was the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP and an AP First Team All-American. She won ACC Player of the Year again in 2013 before turning pro.<\/p>\n
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
\nCollege: Middle Tennessee
\nYears: 2014\u20132015
\nParker was a two-time Big South Defensive Player of the Year, before transferring and finishing her career at Middle Tennessee.<\/p>\n
Natasha Mack
\nCollege: Oklahoma State
\nYears: 2019\u20132021
\nMack set the school\u2019s single-season record with 96 blocks and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2020 in her lone season in Stillwater.<\/p>\n
Satou Sabally
\nCollege: Oregon
\nYears: 2017\u20132020
\nSabally won the Cheryl Miller Award as the nation\u2019s top small forward and was a 2020 AP Second Team All-American. She helped lead Oregon\u2019s rise into a national contender during her time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kahleah Copper
\nCollege: Rutgers
\nYears: 2012\u20132016
\nCopper was a two-time All-AAC First Team selection and developed into one of Rutgers\u2019 most reliable scorers, finishing with over 1,800 career points.<\/p>\n
Kiana Williams
\nCollege: Stanford
\nYears: 2017\u20132021
\nWilliams was a 2021 AP All-American and led Stanford to the national championship that same year. She graduated as one of the top guards in Cardinal history after three All-Pac-12 selections.<\/p>\n
A\u2019ja Wilson
\nCollege: South Carolina
\nYears: 2014\u20132018
\nAnother player whose career accolades are too long for one post. Wilson led South Carolina to the 2017 national championship and is the program\u2019s all-time leader in points and blocks. She was a three-time SEC Player of the Year and the 2018 Wooden, Naismith and Wade Trophy winner.<\/p>\n
Kitija Laksa
\nCollege: South Florida
\nYears: 2015\u20132019
\nLaksa was a two-time AAC First Team selection and finished her career sixth on USF\u2019s all-time scoring list. She holds school records for free throw percentage (.896) and ranks among the best three-point shooters in program history.<\/p>\n
Kiah Stokes
\nCollege: UConn
\nYears: 2011\u20132015
\nStokes won three national championships with UConn and was the 2014 and 2015 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. She built a reputation as one of the Huskies\u2019 greatest rim protectors.<\/p>\n
Sami Whitcomb
\nCollege: Washington
\nYears: 2006\u20132010
\nWhitcomb finished 15th on Washington\u2019s all-time scoring list with 1,205 points and ranks fourth in career three-pointers. She was an All-Pac-10 selection in 2010 before going undrafted and making a long career for herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2025 WNBA Finals tip off today as the\u00a0Phoenix Mercury travel north to Nevada to take on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274007,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,82,630],"class_list":{"0":"post-274006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-wnba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}