Duke basketball: Haley Gorecki gets drafted by Seattle Storm

Former Duke basketball star Haley Gorecki was drafted in the third round of the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm on Friday night.

Haley Gorecki was the second Duke basketball player to be selected in the 2020 WNBA Draft as the Blue Devil star is headed to Seattle to join the Storm.

Gorecki was the No. 31 overall selection in the draft and the seventh pick in the third and final round.

More from Ball Durham

Seattle’s two other picks on Friday night were Kitija Laksa in the first round out of Latvia and Joyner Holmes of Texas in the second round.

Gorecki was a two-time captain with the Blue Devils and was ready to make her first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2020c after enduring injuries that kept her out of March Madness earlier in her Blue Devil career and Duke missing the tournament in 2019.

The 6-foot graduate student averaged a team-high 18.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in her final season in Durham in addition to 4.4 assists per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the floor and 33.7 percent from 3-point range.

According to the Duke women’s basketball team, Haley Gorecki was the only power-five conference player to average over 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game and was the only player in the NCAA with over 550 points, 195 rebounds, 130 assists, 60 steals and 15 blocked shots this past season.

ALSO READ: Haley Gorecki named as AP Honorable Mention selection

Gorecki was also the first player in program history to average over 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in back-to-back seasons.

The Chicago native was named as an All-American Honorable Mention as well as being an All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Defensive Team selection.

Gorecki was the second Lady Blue Devil to be selected in the 2020 WNBA Draft as her fellow senior, Leaonna Odom, was drafted by the New York Liberty in the second round.

ALSO READ: Leaonna Odom selected by New York Liberty in draft

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during the draft that the WNBA is anticipating playing a full season once it is safe for all involved as COVID-19 caused the league to delay the start of training camp, which was set to begin next week.