High schoolers across America have various dreams and goals in life. Some dream of getting an Ivy League education, some dream of winning a national championship in a sport, and some even dream of playing that sport professionally. But what if I told you basketball player Kaitlyn Chen has achieved all of those dreams on her own?
Chen was born in San Marino, California, to two Taiwanese immigrants and her sister Rebecca. She grew up playing 4 sports, but basketball was always her real passion. Chen played for many AAU teams and attended Flintridge Preparatory School for high school. At Flintridge, she holds the record for points, rebounds, and assists. Her impressive basketball stats, combined with her high GPA and her kind character, Chen was admitted to the prestigious Princeton University.
Even though Princeton isn’t known for its sports, during Chen’s years, they were on fire. From 2021-2024, they won the league 3 times, and Chen won Ivy League Player of the Year. As a tiger, Chen was a star, but she wanted and knew she could do more. So, after her senior year, she transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) to join the historic Huskies team. During her fifth year, she averaged 7 points and 4 assists a game, and even though these numbers weren’t as high as previous years, Chen played a major role as a steady player for UCONN. In the end, UConn won its 12th National Championship in school history, and Chen made history by becoming the first Taiwanese-American player to win the Women’s Basketball National Championship.
Following the history-making win, Chen was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA draft. Chen originally attended the draft in support of UConn teammate Paige Bueckers and was even sitting in the audience when she got drafted. In the press conference, she explained how it was all a little overwhelming and so surprising, but overall an “unreal night.”
Overall, Chen’s past and future contributions to women’s basketball are so important. Her Taiwanese heritage and pride will only inspire other young girls and provide more AAPI representation in sports. Chen also serves as an amazing role model of a journey that took time and waiting, but paid off in the end.
