Notre Dame achieves a first

[arch]

A starter is not a starter if they are filling in for an injured teammate etc. Boyd is New York's #3 guard on the Liberty's depth chart. Hartley is the #1 guard on the NY's depth chart. See Depth Charts - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA #1 and 2 are starting guards.

But Boyd started and Hartley didn’t. Was that because Hartley was injured?

 

[SVCBeercats]

A fine accomplishment to be sure.
Thanks for this list. Isn't Hartley still with NY?

Have a great concert!!!
Mahler 5 | Hartford Symphony Orchestra

 

[Orangutan]

Obviously, it took an unusual series of events for these 5 players from three different recruiting classes to all go pro in the same year.

I think all the Final Four teams had at least four future WNBA draftees on them. They just had a more even distribution of draft years.

Baylor had Brown and Jackson drafted in 2019. Cox is a likely 2020 lottery pick. I think Richards and Smith will be drafted as well (not sure about Landrum).

Oregon had Cazorla drafted in 2019. Ionescu is the probable #1 pick in 2020. Sabally and Hebard will likely be drafted as well.

UConn had Samuelson and Collier drafted in 2019. Dangerfield is a likely 2020 1st rounder. Williams, Walker, and Nelson-Ododa are all sure to be drafted, too.

2018 UConn actually had 5 1st round picks among their juniors and seniors. Compare to 2019 Notre Dame having 3 1st round picks and 2 2nd round picks among its junior and seniors.

You basically can't win a championship these days without 4 or 5 future WNBA players. 2018 ND probably had about the minimum - 2 1st round picks, 2 2nd round picks, and 2 undrafted in their six player rotation.

So yes, it is remarkable that ND had all 5 starters drafted and didn't win the title. But I don't think they had a signficant talent advantage over the other Final Four squads.

 

[Urshurak]

I don't think Stokes is on the roster currently. She wasn't with the team for their opener Stokes shows on New York's depth chart. Depth Charts - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA
I think Collier and KML both started their teams openers. Yes, they did but I'm not counting them as starters just yet.

Trivia: who was the last UConn starter not to be drafted? Technically Doty started but it was more of a Geno gesture. She was not drafted.

Saniya Chong? But was obviously still picked up. Not sure if she was drafted though.

EDIT: Nenermind. 2017 Round 3 pick 26.