NEW YORK — Tennessee women's basketball guard/forward Rae Burrell was selected ninth overall by the Los Angeles Spark in the WNBA Draft on Monday night.
She becomes the 19th Lady Vols player taken in the first round. Burrell is the second Tennessee player in two years to be taken in the first round after Rennia Davis was taken ninth overall by the Minnesota Lynx in 2021.
This is the first time since 2005 and 2006 Lady Vols have been taken in the first round of back-to-back drafts.
She is the 44th Tennessee women's basketball player taken in the draft all-time.
Burrell attended the draft in person in New York City. She was joined by Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper.
Burrell played four seasons in the Orange and White. In her junior season, she received All-SEC Second Team honors. This season she was a preseason All-SEC first-team selection and a preseason All-American selection by USA Today and was on watch lists for national player of the year overall and by position.
She had to overcome a leg injury she sustained in the season opener of this past season that forced her to miss 12 games. In her final year, she averaged 12.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
In her junior season, she averaged 16.8 points per game and 4.6 rebounds.
