Drexel’s Keishana Washington signs training camp contract with WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx

Moments after former Drexel guard Keishana Washington went undrafted on Monday in the 2023 WNBA draft, she got a phone call from her agent … the Minnesota Lynx are offering her a training camp contract.

It was a monumental moment for one of Philadelphia’s greatest college players. After sitting through three rounds and 36 picks without hearing her name, she finally got her chance.

» READ MORE: A day in the life of Drexel star Keishana Washington

“Just excitement, happiness,” Washington said of her emotions Monday night in a phone call with The Inquirer. “I feel blessed. Yeah, very, very emotional, for sure. You know, my name didn’t get called, but just to have an opportunity to do this is pretty incredible.”

Washington signed the contract on Wednesday and will leave for training camp on April 28, two days before it begins. The Lynx will host the Chicago Sky at 8 p.m. May 19 to begin the season.

This season, the 5-foot-7 guard became one of the top players in college basketball. She finished the year third in the nation in scoring at 27.7 points per game, behind No. 3 overall pick Maddy Siegrist (Villanova) and National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark (Iowa).

She led Drexel to a share of the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title and an appearance in the WNIT. In her final game with the Dragons, Washington scored a career-high 43 points, setting a single-game scoring record at Fordham’s historic Rose Hill Gymnasium, which was built in 1925.

“I accomplished a lot this year, personally and with the team,” Washington said. “I think I was a big part of putting Drexel on the map nationally. So just to have that recognition [of a training camp deal], it means a lot for our program, for me. I know there’s been a lot of Drexel greats that have been able to play at a high level and accomplish a lot of things as well. So just to put Drexel on the map is a great feeling for sure.”

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Washington is joining an organization that isn’t shy about getting talent from mid-major schools, as the Lynx have drafted more players from the CAA than any other WNBA franchise, according to Drexel.

Currently, there are 21 players on the Minnesota roster, including five who were selected Monday night and Myah Selland, another training camp invitee. WNBA rosters are capped at 12 players, so it will be difficult for Washington to make the cut, but not impossible.

In 2021, there were 155 players who played at least one game, and 10 of them (6.5%) were undrafted, according to an article on WNBA.com.

Washington and her pro career may have some unknowns ahead, but her first step begins at the end of the month.

“The goal is for it to work out in the league,” Washington said. “You know, if that doesn’t happen, then I’ll definitely look to take the next step and go overseas in a place that fits right for me, and take it from there.

“I’m excited to see wherever this journey takes me, whether that’s in the league on a team or overseas.”