Facebook Twitter

A former BYU basketball player is getting a shot in the WNBA

SHARE A former BYU basketball player is getting a shot in the WNBA
BYU Cougars guard Paisley Harding (13) shoots a 3-pointer during a game against Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.

BYU Cougars guard Paisley Harding (13) shoots a 3-pointer during a game against Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.

Mengshin Lin, Deseret News

Paisley Harding had a standout career with the BYU Cougars, and now she’ll get a shot at trying to make it in the WNBA — very near where she grew up.

On Thursday, Harding signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm alongside two fellow guards, NC State’s Raina Perez and Dayton’s Jenna Giacone.

The signings came after the annual WNBA draft was held on Monday night.

For her career with the Cougars, the 5-foot-9 Harding set a school record for games played with 146 and finished sixth in school history with 1,938 points scored.

As a senior, she was second on the team with an average of 17.1 points per game as she garnered All-West Coast Conference First Team honors for the third consecutive year as BYU went 26-4 before getting upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Villanova.

Harding hails from Everett, Washington, and went to high school in Snohomish, both of which are within about 40 minutes of Seattle.

Harding will be fighting for a spot in a Storm backcourt that includes legend Sue Bird, All-Star Jewell Loyd and a draft pick from Monday, Evina Westbrook.

The Storm will open training camp on Sunday, and their 2022 season begins on May 6.