Seattle Selects Jordan Horston Ninth In WNBA Draft

NEW YORK CITY -- Jordan Horston became the 45th Tennessee women's basketball player, including the third of the four-year Kellie Harper era, to be chosen in the WNBA Draft, with the 6-foot-2 guard going to the Seattle Storm with the No. 9 pick of the first round.

Horston became the 20th all-time Lady Vol first-round selection (18th in the collegiate draft), following in the footsteps of former teammates and fellow No. 9 picks Rennia Davis (Minnesota Lynx, 2021) and Rae Burrell (Los Angeles Sparks, 2022).

This marks only the second time in school history that UT had players selected in the first round in three consecutive seasons. Pat Summitt produced first-round picks in 2001 (Tamika Catchings), 2002 (Michelle Snow) and 2003 (Gwen Jackson, Kara Lawson). Tennessee is the only women's program to have two different coaches accomplish that feat.

Horston, who will join LVFL Mercedes Russell (2013-18) in Seattle, is the third UT player to be drafted by the Storm. She follows Semeka Randall (2nd Rd., 17th, 2001) and Shekinna Stricklen (1st Rd., 2nd, 2012).

The event, televised live by ESPN, was held at the acclaimed Spring Studios New York, located in the Tribeca section of Manhattan and the home to such iconic events as Fashion Week and The Tribeca Film Festival, serving as the venue for the evening's events. Horston's family and Harper were among those in attendance to support the Lady Vol standout.

"The really cool thing is getting to see Jordan realize her dream, and that's exciting," Harper said when recently sharing her thoughts about Horston, her collegiate career and the WNBA Draft. "As far as the basketball piece, what sums it up about Jordan is the production. The ability for one person to affect the game like she did (at UT) is tremendous.

"She affected every single column on the stat sheet and then some. That shows her skill set and dedication, but also her athleticism, her size and the gift that she has as a basketball player. It was on display time and time again in the orange uniform."

Horston, who bounced back in 2022-23 following a season-ending elbow injury a year ago, finished her career at Tennessee ranked No. 29 all-time in scoring with 1,445 points and No. 7 in career assists and assist average at 455 and 3.99, respectively. She joined Alexis Hornbuckle as the only Lady Vols in history to record more than 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 400 assists during a career, finishing with 731 rebounds to go along with her previously mentioned points and assists totals.

Horston carded eight double-doubles as a senior to finish No. 1 among all true guards at Tennessee with 21 for her career and ranks No. 8 in career 20-plus point scoring efforts with 17. She joined Dawn Marsh (1984-88) as the only Lady Vols in history to lead the team in assist average four times, tallying more than 100 dimes (117/3.3 apg.) in a season for the third occasion as a senior. She had 143 in 31 contests as a freshman and 104 in a sophomore season limited to 25 games due to COVID cancelations before producing 91 in 23 contests prior to her injury in 2021-22.

A two-time All-America honorable mention selection by the Associated Press and WBCA, and an All-SEC First Team choice in 2022 and 2023 as well, Horston ranked second for the Big Orange in scoring this season at 15.6 ppg. and led UT in rebounding at 7.1 in all games while posting 13.9 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. vs. SEC foes and 18.9 ppg. and 8.7 rpg. vs. 10 ranked foes.

As a junior, Horston averaged 16.2 points, 9.39 rebounds and 4.0 rebounds. That mark on the boards ranks No. 6 all-time by a Lady Vol, including No. 1 among any guard at UT, and No. 3 overall by a Tennessee junior. Her assist average tied as the seventh best all-time among UT juniors with Alexis Hornbuckle.

HARPER IN RARE COMPANY
With Horston's selection at No. 9, Kellie Harper is only the fourth among active women's coaches to have first-round selections in three consecutive drafts and the 10th all-time. UConn's Geno Auriemma, Stanford's Tara VanDerveer and South Carolina's Dawn Staley are the only other active skippers to accomplish that feat.

Former coaches include Ohio State's Jim Foster, North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell, Georgia's Andy Landers, Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw, Rutgers' C. Vivian Stringer and Tennessee's Pat Summitt. Only Auriemma (3 times) and Hatchell (twice) have gone back-to-back-back more than once.

Only Auriemma and McGraw have had first-round picks in more than three consecutive seasons, with Auriemma doing so four times in a row twice from 2008 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2016, and McGraw enjoying a four-year run from 2012 to 2015. It would appear Harper would have a solid chance to join that small club in 2024, with returnees Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key among a group of potential Lady Vol first-round prospects.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Rae Burrell

Jordan Horston

Rickea Jackson

Tamari Key

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