Illinois State graduate guard Paige Robinson has been selected in the third round, 31st overall, by the Dallas Wings in the 2023 WNBA Draft.
Robinson becomes the first Illinois State women’s basketball player to be selected in the WNBA Draft in program history and first Redbird to make the league since former All-American Kristi Cirone signed in 2009 with the Connecticut Sun.
With her selection tonight, Robinson also becomes the sixth overall Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball player, and first since 2015, selected in the WNBA Draft when Wichita State’s Alex Harden would be drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the 18th pick.
The reigning 2022-23 MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-MVC, and All-Newcomer Team selection, Robinson led the way for the Redbirds in her lone season in Normal. The Bethany native averaged 18.3 points, 2.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per contest in 2022-23 in her only season with the Redbirds.
Robinson finished the 2022-23 campaign with 27 outings scoring in double figures – including posting 20-plus points on 17 occasions- while leading Illinois State in the category 20 times. Most notably, the graduate guard would tie her career-high with a 37-point performance against Wisconsin on Nov. 20.
The Bethany, Illinois, native came to ISU as a graduate guard after spending four years at Division II’s Drury. Robinson would be named the 2021 NCAA Division II Player of the Year as she scored over 2,000 points in her four-year career at Drury, helping the Panthers to a 123-8 record during that span which included a Final Four finish in 2019 and an appearance in the NCAA D-II title game in 2021.
For her collegiate career as a Panther and Redbird, Robinson amassed 2,600 points, 332 three-point field goals, 441 assists, 217 steals, and 604 rebounds.
