With a record 40-game season completed and a race for the final postseason slot decided by just a single game, the WNBA playoffs are finally ready to commence.
Among the 95 players participating in the eight-team playoff, all but 11 come from Division I basketball. And while the sport’s longstanding powers certainly have an outsized presence — UConn, Notre Dame, Maryland and South Carolina lead the way with 28 combined players — 42 different schools from 13 conferences can find representation on the WNBA hardwood these playoffs.
Here’s a look at every school for each of the 84 Division I alumni competing in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs:
| SCHOOL | NUMBER | PLAYERS |
|---|---|---|
| UConn | 9 |
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| Notre Dame | 7 |
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| Maryland | 6 |
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| South Carolina | 6 |
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| Baylor | 4 |
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| Oregon | 4 |
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| Louisville | 3 |
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| Tennessee | 3 |
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| Duke | 2 |
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| Michigan | 2 |
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| Northwestern | 2 |
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| Rutgers | 2 |
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| Middle Tennessee | 2 |
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| Stanford | 2 |
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| UCLA | 2 |
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| George Washington | 1 |
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| St. Joseph's | 1 |
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| VCU | 1 |
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| South Florida | 1 |
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| Florida State | 1 |
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| Miami | 1 |
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| Syracuse | 1 |
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| Virginia Tech | 1 |
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| Virginia | 1 |
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| Florida Gulf Coast | 1 |
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| Iowa State | 1 |
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| Oklahoma | 1 |
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| Texas | 1 |
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| Marquette | 1 |
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| Villanova | 1 |
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| Michigan State | 1 |
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| Minnesota | 1 |
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| UC-Davis | 1 |
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| Delaware | 1 |
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| UTEP | 1 |
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| Arizona | 1 |
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| Auburn | 1 |
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| Kentucky | 1 |
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| Mississippi State | 1 |
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| Ole Miss | 1 |
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| Texas A&M | 1 |
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| Gonzaga | 1 |
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| Washington | 1 |
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As you can see, a number of former college teammates have reunited to share the court together at the professional level. Four former Fighting Irish (Natalie Achonwa, Lindsay Allen, Kayla McBride and Jessica Shepard) have remained in the Midwest to play for the Minnesota Lynx, while a triad of ex-Terrapins (Kristi Toliver, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Tianna Hawkins) opted to take the Green Line into the District from College Park and play for the Washington Mystics.
The WNBA Playoffs also feature a notable international contingent, with 19 foreign-born players hailing largely from North America and Europe set to compete in the 2023 postseason.
Here's a look at the country of origin for each international player in the WNBA Playoffs.
| Country | Number | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 3 | Bridget Carleton, Natalie Achonwa, Laeticia Amihere |
| Australia | 3 | Alanna Smith, Cayla George, Rebecca Allen |
| China | 2 | Han Xu, Li Meng |
| France | 2 | Marine Johannès, Iliana Rupert |
| Hungary | 2 | Dorka Juhász, Bernadett Hatar |
| Mexico | 1 | Lou Lopez Sénéchal |
| Germany | 1 | Nyara Sabally |
| Bahamas | 1 | Jonquel Jones |
| Spain | 1 | Sika Koné |
| United Kingdom | 1 | Elizabeth Williams |
| Bosnia | 1 | Nikolina Milic |
| Finland | 1 | Awak Kuier |
