- TCU star Sedona Prince went undrafted by WNBA teams on Monday. This comes after at least four former partners accused her of sexual and physical abuse.
- The 25-year-old Prince is also older than most WNBA prospects, and her injury history could have hindered her selection.
- People credited Prince with furthering equality in women’s basketball after she posted a video about NCAA tournament facilities that went viral in 2021.
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38 players were selected in the WNBA draft on Monday, April 14, but none of them were top prospect Sedona Prince, a 6’7” center from TCU. For nearly seven years, Prince has been one of the most high-profile players in women’s college basketball and perhaps the most controversial.
Why did no team draft Sedona Prince?
Looming over her final season with the Horned Frogs were at least four accusations of sexual and physical abuse made public by former partners. The alleged incidents happened during her time at both TCU and Oregon, where she spent her first three seasons.
Prince has not been charged with a crime in any of the allegations and unequivocally denied any wrongdoing in a post on social media in August 2024, saying she has never “abused anyone in her life, whether mentally, emotionally or physically.”
In addition to those serious allegations, there is concern over Prince’s age. After spending seven seasons in college, she’s 25. Many WNBA teams covet prospects who are 21 or younger.
Her long injury history has also complicated her pro prospects. In 2018, she suffered a broken leg, which she referenced in a tearful interview after TCU lost in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament on March 31.
“Today was a very full circle moment for me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. You know, just looking at the people that did so much damage to me at a young age was a lot, and it was hard, and I thought that we had to win to prove it to them that they couldn’t beat me,” Prince said. “But being a part of this program and being here and succeeding and coming back and being able to play, and you know, after being told I would never walk again, it doesn’t matter.”
Why do people consider Prince a leader in pushing for equality?
People have also credited Prince with helping further equality in women’s college basketball. She shot to fame in 2021 while at Oregon with a social media post that went viral during the NCAA tournament. It showed the disparity between the men’s and women’s weight training facilities at the regional site.
The video led directly to changes from the NCAA in not only women’s facilities but also women earning a share of the money distributed to teams that played in the NCAA tournament. She is also one of the lead plaintiffs in the landmark House vs. NCAA settlement, which will likely pave the way for schools to pay athletes for the first time.
So the question now is, with all of that baggage, will Prince be able to continue her basketball career at the pro level? Without question, she has the talent, but will a WNBA team take a chance and bring her into training camp as a free agent in the next couple of weeks?
WNBA teams know they will have to deal with scrutiny from the media and fans if they do sign Prince, and her best option may be to play in a professional league overseas.
