Hollingshed Selected Eighth Overall in WNBA Draft
April 11, 2022 | Women's Basketball
Becomes highest first-year Buff selected in WNBA Draft
NEW YORK CITY—A year ago Mya Hollingshed chose to forego the WNBA Draft for a chance at an NCAA Tournament selection. That decision was the start of the buildup to Monday's entry draft, where Hollingshed was selected as the eighth overall pick in the first round by the Las Vegas Aces.
Hollingshed becomes the first CU women's basketball player selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft. Isabelle Fijalkowski was selected 2nd overall in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft, which consisted of players who had competed professionally in other leagues prior to the inaugural WNBA season.
With the 8th pick in the 2022 #WNBADraft, the Las Vegas Aces select Mya Hollingshed from Colorado!
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 11, 2022
Welcome to Las Vegas, @and1mya! #ALLIN ???? pic.twitter.com/sVXH4OV5cM
The two-time WBCA honorable mention All-American became the first Buffalo selected in the WNBA Draft since Chucky Jefferey went 24th overall to the Minnesota Lynx in 2013. Hollingshed joins the ranks of Fijalkowski, Raegan Scott, Mandy Nightingale, Brittany Spears and Jeffery as the only Buffs to be selected in the WNBA Draft.
"Mya has worked so hard for this opportunity and I am unbelievably proud of her for making this dream come true," Colorado head coach JR Payne exclaimed after Hollingshed's selection. "A huge thank you to the Las Vegas organization for believing in Mya. We are all Aces fans now!"
She started the year on the Preseason Wooden Award Top 50 Watch List and climbed the ranks of the all-time greats to wear the Black and Gold, becoming just the sixth player in CU history to reach 1,600 points and 900 rebounds.
Hollingshed wrapped up her five-year career in Boulder as the program's sixth all-time leading scorer (1,681 points). She also finished sixth in rebounding (911), sixth in double-doubles (25), ninth in 3-point field goals made (164) and first in games played (141).
The Houston, Texas, native, averaged team-highs of 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season. She also led the team from behind the arc, shooting 39.6% from 3-point distance. Hollingshed was the only player in the Pac-12 to lead her team in all three categories (min. 1.0 3FGM/G).
Hollingshed averaged 14.7 points and 7.6 rebounds over her last two seasons, earning back-to-back All-Pac-12 honors. Her 230 total rebounds in 2021-22 were 33 more than her previous high of 197 in her sophomore season.
She scored a career-high 32 points last season against No. 1 Stanford, handing the Cardinal its first loss of the season. She shot 50.0% from the field, making a career-high 12 field goals on 24 attempts. She also had a career-high 17 rebounds at Arizona State (Jan. 22, 2021).
Hollingshed came to Boulder as a freshman in the 2017-18 season, averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 29 games. She emerged as a starter her sophomore season, starting all 30 games and upping her averages to 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Hollingshed was one of three Pac-12 players selected in the first round. Oregon's Nyara Sabally went fifth to New York and Stanford's Lexie Hull went sixth to Indiana.
The Aces, under first-year head coach Becky Hammon, open the season on May 6 against the Phoenix Mercury on NBATV. Las Vegas, which plays its home games at Michelob Ultra Arena – the same arena as the Pac-12 Tournament opens at home on May 8 against the Seattle Storm on ESPN2.