\u201cIt\u2019s definitely pretty cool,\u201d she said of her position in the weekly drafts. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I ever would have thought would happen, but yeah, it\u2019s very cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her rookie season with the Valkyries, the Princeton and UConn product averaged 10.3 minutes and two points per regular-season game. In AU, those numbers have increased to 30.6 minutes and 16 points per game as she plays with and against an ever-shuffling mix of her peers from the W.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an increase in opportunity and responsibility that\u2019s done wonders for her confidence.<\/p>\n
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Chen is a balance of cheerful reserve and humility off the court and blooming confidence and authority on the hardwood\u2013though she inwardly sees that confidence as being yet in very early bloom.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all sort of new,\u201d she said of her on-court leadership. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve had to find my confidence again after obviously going from not playing in the W really. And I feel like being here has been great for me re-finding my confidence. And I\u2019m glad you can\u2019t really tell.\u201d<\/p>\n
AU Pro Basketball coach and Los Angeles Sparks assistant coach Zak Buncik spent the 2025 W season watching Chen develop from afar. After collaborating with her as a team captain in Week Two of AU, he\u2019s excited about how the early stages of her pro career are panning out.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s unbelievable on the court, talking and directing,\u201d Buncik said. \u201cAnd she\u2019s a little bit more reserved and quiet off the court. So I think putting her in that captain role made her take what she does really well on the court and bring it off court to her teammates, which I thought she did an unbelievable job with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with Aneesah Morrow, Te-Hina Paopao, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Aaliyah Nye, and Bree Hall, Chen is one of six members of the 2025 WNBA Draft Class. The addition of more rising WNBA stars in this year\u2019s AU Pro Basketball season was the league\u2019s Player Executive Committee had a key role in.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a decision that has enriched and diversified the competition as young stars like Chen blend with veterans like Tina Charles, Alysha Clark, and Ariel Atkins.<\/p>\n
\u201cKaitlyn was a no-brainer,\u201d PEC member Dorie Harrison explained. \u201cShe has incredible court IQ, she\u2019s talented, reads the defense well, but also she\u2019s just a great person to be around. And it\u2019s nice in this environment, because AU is a community of uplifters. You have the top competitors in the world, but anytime Kaitlyn hits a huge shot or game-winner, everybody is cheering for her. We\u2019re just honored to bring that love and support to her career.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Some of the most effective aspects of Chen\u2019s game include not only her scoring pop but also her ability to create opportunities for her teammates.<\/p>\n
She ranks in the top five in several of the league\u2019s major stat categories: second in assists per game and three-point percentage, fourth in field goal percentage, and fifth overall in points scored. That efficiency has, in turn, translated to success on the leaderboard, placing her fourth in the standings for leaderboard stat points per game.<\/p>\n
Through the first three weeks of competition, her AU debut has been highlighted by eight double-figure scoring performances and a season-high 32-point outing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer style of game fits Athletes Unlimited really well,\u201d Buncik said. \u201cI think she has all the natural kind of traits of a leader\u2026She\u2019s really good in ball screen action and a great passer. I think her offensive game of scoring at the rim and improving her jump shot has become better and better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Chen is sitting in fifth place on the AU leaderboard entering the final week. She\u2019s within striking distance of the 2026 league crown, and regardless of official points totals for Week Four, she\u2019s on track to add a high leaderboard finish to her growing professional resume.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying in the W and then playing here is very different. But I feel like in both places, I\u2019ve learned so much this past year,\u201d Chen explained. \u201cI\u2019m hoping to just take what I\u2019ve been doing here in AU, and that confidence in the way I play into the W season, and keep that up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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