Lorela Cubaj, the engine of Georgia Tech’s back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams, has her spot in the WNBA. In the league’s draft Monday night, the New York Liberty acquired her draft rights in a trade with the Seattle Storm, which selected her in the second round with the 18th overall pick. The Storm received a future second-round pick in return for sending Cubaj to New York.
Shortly after the trade, Cubaj tweeted “NEW YORK!!! So thankful for the opportunity!”
Cubaj, the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, becomes the first Yellow Jackets player to be drafted by the WNBA since Tyaunna Marshall in 2014. In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday, Cubaj said she planned to be with family in Montreal for the draft.
“Honestly, I don’t have a specific place I want to be in,” Cubaj said, referring to a potential team. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and wherever I land, I just know that I’m going to try to be the best version of myself that I can be.”
Cubaj joins a team that last season finished tied for third in the Eastern Conference with a 12-20 record. The season begins in May.
