Latest news with #KaitlynChen
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
WNBA player stuns fans with comment on teammate's body
Surprises have been around every corner in the Golden State Valkyries' inaugural campaign in the WNBA - with the team performing much better than expected and stars winning over the hearts of the Bay Area. Among those up-and-coming stars is rookie Kaitlyn Chen, who is fresh off winning a national title at UConn and played her way back into the WNBA after initially being waived. The Valkyries drafted her 30th overall in the third round, but waived her in May. However, her strong play in a 3x3 league led to a contract with the team and turned her into a key rotation piece. All the time she's getting is at least one testament to her hard work. Another could be the shape she's in, which attracted praise and attention from her own teammate, Kate Martin. The Valkyries posted a video of Chen arriving before a contest against the Indiana Fever earlier this week and Martin sounded off in the comments. 'Your quads go so hard @ Martin wrote underneath the post. Chen appeared to jokingly fight the praise in response, saying, '@katemartin how do you dislike a comment'. Chen played a role in Golden State's victory over the Fever - shooting 2-of-3 and logging five points, one rebound, three assists, and two steals in 14 minutes of action. Martin did a decent job for herself as well, dropping five points and two rebounds in 19 minutes as she was able to beat her fellow former Iowa Hawkeye guard Caitlin Clark in a 80-61 victory earlier in the week. The Valkyries are the surprise of the league this year. While many projected they'd struggle in their first season, the Valkyries are in line for a playoff spot. At the time of publishing, Golden State is sitting sixth in the WNBA's standings and fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Saddened by What Happened to Kaitlyn Chen on Tuesday
Fans Saddened by What Happened to Kaitlyn Chen on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After the Golden State Valkyries signed Kaitlyn Chen, there were high expectations that she would suit up against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. Besides, it would have been the perfect situation, as Chen would get to play against her former UConn Huskies teammate Paige Bueckers. Advertisement When Chen arrived at College Park Center and was preparing for the game, there was a lot of excitement surrounding her first WNBA appearance. Her interaction with Bueckers before their showdown only added to the anticipation. Come the game, however, Chen stayed on the bench throughout. She didn't get any playing time at all, as the Valkyries lost to the Wings 80-71. Veronica Burton, Carla Leite and Tiffany Hayes split the majority of playing time at the guard position. Kate Martin, meanwhile, served as a backup. With that said, several fans couldn't help but feel sad that Chen didn't get the chance to play and face Bueckers. Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) before the game against the Los Angeles Terada-Imagn Images During the game, several viewers were pleading for the Valkyries to put Chen in, with one even saying, "PUT KAITLYN CHEN IN THE GAME." Advertisement "no kaitlyn chen minutes this game, i fear," a fan said. Another frustrated supporter noted, "locked back in on the valk/dal game and why isn't kaitlyn chen on yet man." "No Kaitlyn Chen?" a fourth poster asked, along with a pleading face emoji. Following the matchup, the complaints about Chen not playing continued. "All that for Chen to play 0 minutes sucks," a commenter added. A social media user shared, "You advertise Kaitlin nonstop yesterday only to give her number of minutes stitched in Carla's Jersey." The good news for Chen is she should have more chances to play for the Valkyries in their next few games. Golden State plays the Indiana Fever next on Thursday and the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. Related: Paige Bueckers' Behavior Toward Kaitlyn Chen Before WNBA Game is Turning Heads This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Make Kaitlyn Chen Request to Valkyries on Sunday
Fans Make Kaitlyn Chen Request to Valkyries on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When Kaitlyn Chen was released by the Golden State Valkyries before the 2025 season started, many thought that it would take time for her to get back to the WNBA. After all, it seemed like no team was interested in bringing her in, and she even joined the 3XBA amid the lack of offers. Advertisement However, after the Valkyries lost some players due to the 2025 EuroBasket, an opportunity came for Chen. She joined Golden State and eventually got the chance to play in the top professional women's basketball league. On Sunday, Chen played her fourth game for the Valkyries, registering two points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 23 minutes of action against the Seattle Storm. Her lone score came in the fourth quarter after she stole the ball — and she was all smiles right after the play. It was a solid performance from Kaitlyn Chen, who also impressed in the Valkyries' previous outing. Against the Chicago Sky on Friday, the former UConn Huskies guard tallied 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting. Advertisement With the way she's playing, fans were quick to urge the Valkyries to keep her. It's worth noting that Golden State might need to make roster cuts once their players on temporary leave return. "KEEP HER!!!! She is such a presence on the court!!!!" a fan said. Another one echoed a similar sentiment, exclaiming, "KEEP HER!!!! "plz keep her on this team!!! she fits in so well!!!" an Instagram user added. A fourth supporter remarked, "Please keep her." "She's a keeper! Don't make the same mistake, Valkyries," a commenter wrote. A follower stated, "And @ needs a roster spot." Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen had a solid performance against the Seattle Storm on Yamashita-Imagn Images It remains to be seen what the Valkyries will do with Kaitlyn Chen, but sure enough, plenty of fans have grown to love the rookie guard in her brief time so far with the team. Advertisement Related: Fans Saddened by What Happened to Kaitlyn Chen on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Coach Sends Kate Martin, Kaitlyn Chen Message After Valkyries Game
Chicago Sky Coach Sends Kate Martin, Kaitlyn Chen Message After Valkyries Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky now own a 4-11 record during the 2025 WNBA season after Friday evening's loss to the Golden State Valkyries. With the 83 to 78 defeat, the Sky remain in 11th place in the league standings. Advertisement Second-year forward Angel Reese put together her second consecutive game with more than 17 points and 17 rebounds during the loss. Veteran guard Ariel Atkins pitched in 20 points, making her Chicago's leading scorer for the second time in the last three games. For the Valkyries, 10-year veteran guard Kayla Thornton led the way with a season-high 29 points. Young guards Kate Martin and Kaitlyn Chen added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin (20).Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images First-year Sky head coach Tyler Marsh spoke to the media after Friday's loss, Chicago's 11th of the season. He spoke in detail about Golden State's young guards, Martin and Chen. Advertisement Marsh went into detail about what each of these players specifically brings to the Valkyries, who are now 8-7 after the win. "They're two pieces that just fit perfectly into how they want to play,' Marsh said. 'The constant movement, on and off the ball, the pressure they put on you defensively as well. It allows them to play big minutes in big moments, so they came through for them tonight.' Martin is in her second professional season after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She spent her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces, but has seen her scoring rise from 2.6 to 6.7 points per game with the Valkyries in 2025. Advertisement Chen was a third-round pick in this year's draft, but she failed to make Golden State's initial roster. However, with several players fulfilling overseas commitments, Chen landed a contract back with the Valkyries. In her three games with the team, she is averaging 5.0 points, 1.0 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per contest. She is also shooting 5-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-2 from beyond the three-point line. Chicago will play their next game on Sunday when it travels to Arena in Los Angeles to take on the 5-11 Sparks. The game will begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Related: Chicago Sky Coach Admits Blame for Angel Reese Play in 11th Loss Related: Chicago Sky Star Makes Kate Martin Statement After Loss to Valkyries This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
South China Morning Post
25-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Meet Kaitlyn Chen, who just got a standing ovation for her debut in the WNBA: the Princeton alum is the first Taiwanese-American drafted by the league, and collaborates with Stanley and Skinletics
Kaitlyn Chen made history this week as she debuted for the Golden State Valkyries in their inaugural pre-season game in San Francisco, as the first Taiwanese-American basketball player to be drafted by the WNBA. Fans cheered on her performance and many gave her a standing ovation, as she scored two points on 1-for-3 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes. The Golden State Valkyries' Kaitlyn Chen celebrates with Monique Billings after their team's win over the Connecticut Sun in a WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco. Photo: San Francisco Chronicle via AP Chen was waived by the Valkyries before the start of the season, but later re-signed to bolster the team as several players left to participate in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament. Advertisement The Taiwanese-American, 23, was once Paige Bueckers ' teammate in the UConn Huskies women's team. Her former UConn coach Geno Auriemma lauded her for her competitiveness as well as her shooting abilities. 'Kaitlyn Chen is the kind of player that every really, really good team has,' he said, per The UConn Daily YouTube account. 'She's going to make it in that league.' Kaitlyn Chen defends against Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun in a WNBA game in San Francisco on June 22. Photo: San Francisco Chronicle via AP She could be the next Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark – some netizens have also taken to calling her the female Jeremy Lin. Here's everything to know about Kaitlyn Chen. She's the first Taiwanese-American to win a women's college basketball title Kaitlyn Chen in action during a NCAA game. Photo: @ In April, Chen and then-teammate Bueckers helped the Huskies end a nine-year championship drought, winning the 12th NCAA women's basketball championship. Chen contributed two points, one rebound and four assists – the second highest on the team. Chen was born in San Marino, California, to Taiwanese immigrants. She has credited her parents with playing a crucial role in her basketball career, per The Sporting News. They regularly globe-trot to attend her games and support her wherever she travels. Kaitlyn Chen, flanked by her parents, holds up her UConn Huskies jersey during Senior Day celebrations after a NCAA women's game. Photo: @ 'I love when I get to look up in the stands and see them there,' she said, according to CT Insider. 'I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them and their support. So, I'm just very grateful for that.' Her career began at Princeton University
