Gonzaga's Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong get selected in the WNBA Draft

Defying the experts, the two shooters are ready to start their pro careers.

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Gonzaga's Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong get selected in the WNBA Draft

Erick Doxey photo

Brynna Maxwell had a good reason to jump for joy on Monday night...

Last night proved to be fairly monumental for the Gonzaga women's basketball program, as two of the standouts from this year's Sweet 16 squad got picked in the WNBA Draft: Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong.

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The Chicago Sky selected the sharpshooting Maxwell with first pick in the second round of the Draft (No. 13 overall), while the floor general point guard Truong got scooped up by the Washington Mystics later in the same round, as the 21st overall pick.

While both players have shown what they can do during their time with the Zags, it was still somewhat of a surprise that they got drafted. ESPN's Draft experts had Maxwell ranked as the 89th best prospect in the Draft. Truong was ranked 71st overall and was the 36th ranked point guard ... which is a funny number because the WNBA Draft only has 36 total picks. Clearly the evaluators in the league had a very different take on these Zags.

Maxwell should have a chance to provide an outside attack in Chicago after the rebuilding Sky spent their first two picks to fortify the interior with South Carolina center and rebounding force Kamilla Cardoso and Louisiana State University star Angel Reese. Those two should be able to snag a host of offensive rebounds that could be kicked out to Maxwell for open 3s.

Truong — who won West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2023 — will likely be fighting for the role of backup point guard on a Mystics squad that is looking to remain in the playoff competition. While her size isn't ideal for the pros, her deep bag of skills gives her a chance to stick around.

While the Zags have a history of players getting picked in the WNBA Draft, few have actually made rosters and seen any action in games. Only star point guard Courtney Vandersloot has made a real impact in the WNBA — becoming a five-time All-Star and leading the Sky to the WNBA Championship in 2021.

Maxwell and Truong still have a lot of battling left to do to carve out spots for themselves, but with women's basketball having a moment after the women's NCAA Tournament crushed viewership ratings, they're potentially entering the league at the perfect moment.