BERKELEY – A trio of California Golden Bears will tip-off the 19th season of the WNBA with Brittany Boyd, Layshia Clarendon and Reshanda Gray all named to opening-day rosters as the season begins Friday, June 5.
Clarendon enters her third season with the Indiana Fever while Boyd and Gray are rookies with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, respectively. This marks the third consecutive season that at least two Golden Bears have been named on WNBA Opening Day rosters.
With three players on Opening Day rosters, California ranks second in the Pac-12 and is in the top 15 in the NCAA for professionals in the WNBA. Only Stanford (six) in the Pac-12 has more players on WNBA Opening Night rosters.
Boyd, drafted ninth overall in April’s WNBA Draft, is one of two rookies to make New York’s 12-member team and will open the season Friday at Madison Square Garden against the Atlanta Dream. The Liberty finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last season with a 15-19 record under head coach Bill Laimbeer.
Clarendon’s Indiana Fever opens the season Friday against the Chicago Sky. She played in 29 games for the Fever last season, earning three starts, and averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting .402 from the field. The Fever finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 16-18 record. In Indiana's final preseason game, Clarendon led the Fever to a 76-74 win with her 13 points and four rebounds in 29 minutes.
Gray, drafted 16th overall in April’s WNBA Draft, plays for the Western Conference favorite Minnesota Lynx that has advanced to three of the last four WNBA Finals under head coach Cheryl Reeve. The Lynx open the season Fridya against the Tulsa Shock.
Last season, Clarendon and Gennifer Brandon (2009-14) both represented California on Opening Night. Brandon was a member of the Chicago Sky in 2014.
