Lancaster Catholic grad Kiki Jefferson hoping to hear her name called in Monday's WNBA draft

It seems like just yesterday when Kiki Jefferson was scoring boatloads of buckets and making big plays for Lancaster Catholic’s girls basketball team.

Her incredible high school hoops career included a state championship, a Pennsylvania Player of the Year nod, and 2,510 points, second most in Lancaster-Lebanon League history.

Five years later — and after wildly successful college basketball stops at James Madison and Louisville — Jefferson has entered her name for inclusion in the WNBA draft pool.

“My reason and my motivation have always been my family,” Jefferson said in a social media post announcing her intentions last week.

“And through it all they have always had my back. My dream since elementary school has been to play in the WNBA, and now I can say that I’m following my dream and am declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft.”

Basketball

Hometown hero Kiki Jefferson spreads her message, talks about her future in basketball

JEFF REINHART | Sports Writer

“I’m going to get there,” Jefferson told LNP last summer, before heading to Louisville for her final year of NCAA eligibility.

Will the former Crusaders’ standout hear WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert call her name on Monday, when the draft is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music?

Multiple WNBA insiders say yes.

At least three online WNBA mock drafts have the 6-foot-1 slasher being selected, one in the second round and two in the third round of the 36-player draft.

WNBA Draft Room projects Jefferson going in the second round — and with the 20th overall selection — to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Beyond Women’s Sports predicts Jefferson will be picked 29th overall, in the third round, by the Phoenix Mercury.

And ESPN has Jefferson going in the third round, with the 33rd overall pick, to the Dallas Wings.

Most online WNBA mock drafts have a consensus top four:

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark going No. 1 to the Indiana Fever; Stanford’s Cameron Brink going No. 2 to the Los Angeles Sparks; South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso going No. 3 to the Chicago Sky; and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson going No. 4 to the Los Angeles Sparks.

The 2024 WNBA season starts May 14.

Jefferson earned Rookie of the Year honors in the Sun Belt Conference at JMU, where she poured in 1,838 points in four seasons for the Dukes. She averaged 18-plus points in her final two seasons, before Jefferson transferred to Louisville for her grad year.

This past season, she averaged a team-best 12.3 points for the Cardinals, who went to the NCAA tournament, but failed to make the Elite Eight for a ninth year in a row. Jefferson was an all-ACC selection, helping Louisville win 24 games.

Jefferson’s final career college stat line included 2,257 points, 969 rebounds, 349 assists, 142 steals, 71 blocked shots and 155 3-pointers, and she made 82% of her foul shots.

Next stop, WNBA? Jefferson will find out Monday night.