PROVO, Utah — Two-time All-American senior guard Lexi Eaton Rydalch was drafted by the Seattle Storm as the second pick of the third round of the 2016 Women’s National Basketball Association Draft. Rydalch was the 26th overall pick and becomes the fourth BYU women’s basketball player to be drafted by the WNBA.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be drafted by the Seattle Storm," Lexi Eaton Rydalch said. "I have followed and watched their program for years and really like how they play. I love the city of Seattle and I'm looking forward to playing for Jenny Boucek, proving myself and hopefully contributing to the team."
Rydalch’s stellar career at BYU concluded this season where she left her mark on numerous records including becoming the second all-time leading scorer at BYU with 2,535 career points. Those same points made her the West Coast Conference all-time leading scorer in league history for both men and women.
In 2016, she led the league and the team in scoring averaging 24.2 points per game. She was named this year’s WCC Player of the Year and made the All-Tournament Team, while also picking up her third-straight All WCC Women’s Basketball First Team award. In 2015, she was the MVP of the conference tournament and in 2012 was on the WCC All-Freshman Team and was named the Newcomer of the Year.
She is the only player to date to play in four-straight NCAA postseason tournaments including a Sweet 16 finish in 2014.
At the conclusion of her senior campaign, she ranked top-25 in numerous national statistical categories. Rydalch ranked fifth in points per game and in final points. She ranked eighth in free throw attempts, ninth in field goals made, 12th in field goals attempted and 15th in free throws made.
In the BYU record books, she finished ranked second all-time in games played with 142, fifth in both all-time scoring average (17.2) and in 3-pointers made with 227. She’s sixth all-time in free throw percentage at .753 (596-791), ninth in career rebounds with 695, 12th all-time in field goal percentage at .432 (856-1982) and 15th in career assists with 341.
Academically, she received two WCC Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team honors, two WCC Commissioner’s Bronze Honor Roll awards and one Silver Honor Roll.
Most recently, Rydalch participated in the 3-point competition at the 28th Annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-point Championships at the Final Four in Houston.
The other three Cougar women who were drafted to the WNBA were Jennifer Hamson, drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014, Erin Thorn in 2003 to the New York Liberty and Ambrosia Anderson in 2006 to the Detroit Shock. Thorn and Anderson were picked 17th overall while Hamson was selected 23rd overall.