Bella Alarie Selected Fifth Overall In WNBA Draft By Dallas Wings

PRINCETON, N.J. – Bella Alarie was selected fifth overall by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the WNBA Draft tonight.

My time at Princeton was everything I dreamed of and more," said Alarie. "It's hard for me to summarize my experience in just a few words, but I can try. Princeton gave me the most incredible four years and I get to leave with three Ivy championships, two Ivy tournament titles and two NCAA tournaments—a legacy that people can see every time they look at the rafters of Jadwin. What I am most grateful for is the lifelong friendships I made with my teammates, classmates, coaches and more. Princeton instilled in me that I should always strive for excellence, both on and off the court, and to pursue the things that I am passionate about. Thank you, Princeton, for the most amazing four years. Special thank you to Princeton Women's Basketball for taking a chance on a lanky high schooler all those years ago and helping me grow into the person and player I am today."

With the fifth overall pick, the Dallas Wings select @bella_alarie! ??????#RISE pic.twitter.com/A3Q2ZpmFzV
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 17, 2020

"It was an absolute thrill to coach Bella this season," said Princeton head coach Carla Berube. "Bella has certainly left a profound legacy not only at Princeton, but in the Ivy League as a whole. While she is noted to be the best women's basketball player to ever play at Princeton, it will be her leadership and her ability to inspire her teammates to be better basketball players, students, and humans that will leave the greatest impact on our program. I can't thank her enough for helping to make this past season incredible. Her game and her work ethic are primed and ready for the WNBA, and I have no doubt that she will be a force for Dallas. My staff, my family, and our team can't wait to watch her work and continue to impact the game!"

Allison Feaster (Harvard) was the first Ivy League player picked in the WNBA draft when the Los Angeles Sparks took her fifth in the 1998 draft. Alarie is the second player in Princeton history to be picked as Leslie Robinson was selected 34th overall by the New York Liberty in 2018.

The Dallas Wings went 10-24 last year and finished sixth in the Western Conference. They had four picks in the first round and selected Sato Sabally of Oregon second overall, Tyasha Harris of South Carolina seventh and Megan Walker of Connecticut ninth.

Alarie earned three All-American titles (Associated Press, WBCA and USBWA) this season. She is the second Ivy League player (Feaster) to pick up two WBCA Coaches' All-America honors. Last month, the three-time Ivy League Player of the Year became the first Ivy player to be honored with two Associated Press All-American selections.

Alarie averaged 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.3 assists in 23 games this season, adding 10 20+ point outings. She led the Ivy League in scoring, was second in rebounding and blocks, fourth in field goal percentage and eighth in free throw percentage.

The senior captain is first in program history in Ivy Player of the Week awards (20), blocks (249), double-doubles (40) and points (1,703). She is in the top 10 in rebounds, field goal attempts, rebounding average, field goals, scoring averaging, free throws, free-throw attempts and free throw percentage.

Princeton finished the year at 26-1 and on a 22-game winning streak. The Tigers' streak was the second longest in the country behind No. 1 South Carolina. Berube's unit wrapped up the campaign with an RPI of No. 9, the best mark in Ivy history.

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