Utah’s Lani White taken in WNBA draft. How she could fit in with Minnesota Lynx

Utah guard Lani White celebrates after the Utes beat Cincinnati 67-59 during a game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. White scored a game-high 23 points. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News

Lani White became the latest Utah women’s basketball player taken in the WNBA draft Monday night.

She had to wait until the end, as the shooting guard was taken with the 45th overall — and final — selection of the draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

It’s the second time in three years that a former Ute was selected. In 2024, former Utah power forward Alissa Pili was the No. 8 overall selection by the Lynx.

White played three of her four seasons for the Utes, with her junior year at Virginia Tech before returning to the Utes as a senior.

The 6-foot California native earned All-Big 12 second-team honors during the 2025-26 season, as she averaged a career-best 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

White spent her first two seasons at Utah, largely as a role player. She starred at Virginia Tech before returning to Utah, and she shot 46.2% from the field and 40.4% from 3 during her senior season.

That included 10 games of 20-plus points this past season.

In assessing White being taken by Minnesota, ESPN’s Charlie Creme wrote, “With Napheesa Collier sidelined for the start of the season, the Lynx need some offense. White can score and do it in multiple ways, and her 40.4% 3-point percentage is a good starting point.

“She is also a capable finisher at the rim. She might have a chance to serve behind Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams if some of Minnesota’s foreign players elect to stay away for another season.”

UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected 15th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the WNBA basketball draft Monday, April 13, 2026, in New York. | Pamela Smith

Former Ute Gianna Kneepkens a late first-round selection

White wasn’t the only former Ute taken during the draft.

Gianna Kneepkens, who played four years (including a medical redshirt season) at Utah before transferring to UCLA this past offseason, was taken No. 15 overall by the Connecticut Sun with the final pick of the first round.

The sharpshooting Kneepkens won a national title in her only season with the Bruins.

She averaged 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for UCLA and was the fifth Bruin taken in the first round of the WNBA draft, setting a record for number of first-round picks by one school in a single draft.

Kneepkens was one of Utah’s all-time greats, as she averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game over her four seasons as a Ute.

She was a career 49.5% shooter in college and 43.1% from 3-point range.

“A consistent shooter throughout her career, Kneepkens will get playing time in Connecticut because of her ability to knock down open jump shots. She never shot below 38.4% from 3-point range in any season during her college career,” Creme wrote of Kneepkens’ selection.

“With the Sun, Kneepkens will have time to develop the rest of her well-rounded game. She will always be known for her shooting, but she did more rebounding and facilitating during her time at Utah.”