For Kaitlyn Chen, hearing her name on draft night wasn’t the start of her WNBA story — and being waived weeks later wasn’t the end.

Drafted 30th overall by the Golden State Valkyries in April, Chen made history as the first Taiwanese-American selected in the league after winning the 2025 NCAA Championship with UConn alongside backcourt partner Paige Bueckers. But before the season even began, she was released — a harsh reminder that in the WNBA, draft status guarantees nothing.

What followed wasn’t loud or dramatic. Chen went home, trained, and stayed ready. “Honestly, my month that I was home was pretty helpful,” she exclusively told Mirror U.S. Sports. “That was when I was able to take a breath from everything. Obviously not a break from basketball but just a breath from all the other outside stuff going on.”

Chen stayed sharp in 3XBA events and Hoopfest, knowing that if a second chance came, she’d need to be ready for it.

It did. In June, the Valkyries — facing roster gaps with players overseas — called her back. And that’s when Chen’s real beginning came.

At Chase Center, in front of 18,000 fans, she finally put on the jersey and stepped onto the floor against the Connecticut Sun. The crowd’s reaction said everything: they hadn’t forgotten her.

With the Bay Area’s strong Asian community, the energy around Chen was palpable — the crowd’s support was loud and clear every time she touched the ball.

Early in the second quarter, Chen found herself wide open near the basket on a fast break. “I got the ball and was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m open,’” she said, laughing. “Then I heard everyone yelling… I guess I have to shoot it. I was just overwhelmingly happy.” She sank the shot, drew a foul, and earned her first points — and the roar in the arena felt like a welcome she’d been waiting for.

“It was amazing,” she said of the night. “The crowd was awesome. They show up every game and it was honestly just a lot of fun to play in front of this kind of atmosphere.” She called it one of the best moments of her career so far — a reminder that beginnings don’t always look like you expect them to.

Chen has taken each step with purpose. From her rise at Princeton to adjusting on a championship stage at UConn, she’s kept learning.

“It’s all just about adjusting to a new team and finding where you fit in and sort of figuring out how best to play within a new system,” she said.

As the first Taiwanese-American in the league, she embraces what she represents. “It’s pretty special,” Chen said. “It’s something that I didn’t really ever imagine would happen. All the support I’ve had from everyone around from the Bay Area and others has meant a lot to me. Just to sort of be that role model for other young Asian-American athletes is special.”

For Chen, draft night was just one chapter. The real beginning came when she earned her spot, on her terms. And if her debut was any indication, it’s only the start of what she plans to build.