Kaitlyn Chen

Personal

Kaitlyn Chen is the daughter of Sandy Shien and Yeh-Ching Chen, and she has one sister, Rebecca. She graduated from Princeton University in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology before earning a master’s degree in sport management from UConn.

Chen starred at Flintridge Preparatory School in California, where she set school records for career points (2,009), rebounds (922), and assists (421). She also holds the school’s single-game scoring record with 38 points. A multi-sport athlete, she played volleyball for three years in high school and participated in softball and track and field as a child.

She cites WNBA legend Sue Bird as one of her basketball idols and enjoys reading and spending time with friends in her free time.

Other Professional Experience

Kaitlyn Chen was selected No. 30 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyries. During her rookie WNBA season, she appeared in 24 games as a reserve guard, averaging 2.0 points and 0.9 rebounds per game.

Chen recorded a season-high 10 points against the Chicago Sky on June 27, 2025, while also logging a season-best 25 minutes. In that performance, she shot 3-of-4 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. She distributed a season-high five assists against the Las Vegas Aces on August 3, 2025, and pulled down a season-high six rebounds versus the Seattle Storm on June 29, 2025.

Following her rookie WNBA campaign, Chen continued her professional basketball career overseas with USK Praha in the Czech Women’s Basketball League during the 2025–26 season.

College Experience

Kaitlyn Chen played four seasons of Ivy League basketball at Princeton University before transferring to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final collegiate season in 2024–25. She capped her college career as a member of UConn’s 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship team.

At Princeton, Chen was a two-time First-Team All-Ivy League selection and a three-time Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She finished her collegiate career with 1,553 points, 494 assists, and 145 steals across 130 games.

During her lone season with the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team, Chen started all 40 games and averaged 6.9 points per game while shooting a career-best 51.4 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. She scored in double figures nine times, including 17-point performances against Villanova on January 22, 2025, and at DePaul on January 29, 2025.

In 90 career games at Princeton, Chen totaled 1,276 points and 313 rebounds. She ranks third on Princeton’s all-time assists list with 359 assists. As a senior in 2023–24, she earned Honorable Mention WBCA All-America recognition after averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while starting all 30 contests. She posted a career-high 31 points against Villanova on December 11, 2023.

As a junior, Chen started 29 of 30 games and was named the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. During her sophomore season, she averaged 10.5 points and 3.2 assists per contest. She delivered a standout 30-point performance on 9-of-13 shooting in the 2022 Ivy League Tournament Championship game against Columbia on March 12, 2022.