After going undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday, graduate forward Alyssa Ustby and senior forward Maria Gakdeng received invites to attend WNBA training camps on Tuesday. Ustby will attend camp with the Los Angeles Sparks while Gakdeng will travel to Georgia with the Atlanta Dream.
Ustby averaged 10.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists during her fifth season with North Carolina. She broke UNC's all-time rebounding record, grabbing 1,270 boards across her career. The total pushed her to No. 3 in the ACC's all-time rebounders list. Ustby's near double-double average landed her All-ACC First Team honors.
"It's just been an awesome ride of emotions and sharing this moment with my family as well," Ustby said on an introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. "So, it's been great."
After receiving an invite from the Dream, Gakdeng posted on X saying, "Firm believer that all things happen for a reason! God got me, let's work!"
Following two season at Boston College, Gakdeng transferred to North Carolina for her final two years. The forward found success during her first season with the Tar Heels, averaging 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds. In her second year with UNC, she recorded 10.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Gakdeng shot 60.5 percent from the field at UNC.
Both will now turn to working to earn one of the 12 spots on the roster for their respective teams.
The duo will work to join former guard Stephanie Watts as the only players to earn their way onto a WNBA roster under head coach Courtney Banghart.
Training camps will start April 27 with the WNBA's regular season beginning on May 16.
