Lexi Eaton Rydalch has parlayed her collegiate success into a shot at the pro level.
The former BYU guard was taken by the Seattle Storm with the 26th overall selection in the third round of the 2016 WNBA draft on Thursday, becoming the fourth BYU women’s basketball player ever to be selected in the WNBA draft.
One pick before Rydalch was selected, Brittney Martin, who prepped at Syracuse High and played collegiately at Oklahoma State, was taken by the San Antonio Stars with the first pick of the third round.
The 5-foot-10 Rydalch averaged 24.2 points per game, fifth-best in the country, while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals as a senior in 2015-16. Rydalch led the Cougars to a 26-7 record, its first West Coast Conference regular-season title and a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be drafted by the Seattle Storm," Rydalch said in a BYU news release. "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."
She was named the WCC Player of the Year this past season and earned honorable mention Associated Press All-American honors for the second straight season. Rydalch also became the all-time leading scorer for men and women in the WCC with 2,535 career points, passing Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers.
Rydalch, who prepped at Springville High, averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game in her BYU career.
The Storm also had the No. 1 overall selection and took four-time NCAA Tournament MOP and three-time consensus national player of the year Breanna Stewart from Connecticut.
"We've had our eye on Lexi for a few years," Storm coach Jenny Boucek said in a team release. "She's a great athlete and competitor, and we are excited to work with her."
Other Cougars who have been selected in the WNBA draft include Jennifer Hamson (2014, L.A. Sparks), Ambrosia Anderson (2006, Detroit Shock, traded to Minnesota Lynx) and Erin Thorn (2003, New York Liberty).
Hamson is a former BYU teammate of Rydalch’s and played her rookie season in the WNBA last year, after competing as a senior for the BYU women’s volleyball team in 2014. Hamson averaged 1.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks for the Sparks in 2015.
The 6-foot guard Martin averaged 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest this past season and had 20 double-doubles while leading the Cowboys to a 21-10 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Martin earned several accolades for her strong senior season, including being named the Big 12 Player of the Year and earning third-team AP All-America honors. She was also named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league in steals (84) for the third time in her career.
Martin was a Wade Trophy finalist by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and led the Big 12 in points and rebounds, in addition to steals, becoming the first player in history to lead the league in all three categories in one season.
With her selection by the Stars, Martin becomes the fourth Oklahoma State player picked in the WNBA draft.
Email: bjudd@deseretdigital.com; Twitter: @brandonljudd