Paige Bueckers called her former UConn teammate Kaitlyn Chen “the most underrated player” in the WNBA this week.
Bueckers, along with a group of players in the league, was asked by Sports Illustrated who the most underrated WNBA players were and SI posted the video on X.
For Bueckers, the choice was easy. In June, Chen – who comes off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries – scored 15 points against Bueckers and the Dallas Wings in a 91-80 win. Chen shot 7 for 10 from the floor in 25 minutes of play.
After that June 17 game, Bueckers said in a Bleacher Report TikTok video that Chen’s confidence is what has helped her succeed in the WNBA.
“Being around Kaitlyn, she’s always worked hard, she’s always had it in her, it’s just when the opportunity has been given to her, she’s ran with it,” Bueckers said in the video. “She’s just confident. She affects the game in so many different ways. But (in June), she was getting downhill, getting penetration, getting to the rim, she has one of the best layup packages I’ve ever seen.”
Chen has averaged 7.0 points a game this year, up from just two last year, and is shooting 54 percent from the field. She was a third-round pick in the WNBA Draft last year after coming to UConn from Princeton for her last year of college eligibility and helping the Huskies to their 12th national championship. Bueckers and Chen played for one year together at UConn.