BYU star Rydalch taken No. 26 in WNBA draft by Seattle Storm

PROVO — Lexi Eaton Rydalch’s basketball career will continue in the Pacific Northwest.

The former BYU standout was selected with the No. 26 overall pick by the Seattle Storm during Thursday’s WNBA draft.

Rydalch was the second pick of the draft by the Storm, who also held the No. 1 overall pick and selected Connecticut star Breanna Stewart. Rydalch was the second pick of the third and final round of the draft, which was held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

“I’m really, really excited to be drafted by Seattle," Rydalch told KSL Thursday night. "I’ve watched them for years, and have really loved their program and I’m really looking forward to working with Jenny Bousek. I absolutely love the town of Seattle, the atmosphere there, and I’ve even dreamed of living there.

“I’m looking forward pros pending some time there and trying to improve myself and earn a spot so I can contribute to the team in any way that I can.”

Rydalch left BYU as the program’s No. 2 all-time scorer and the all-time leading scorer in West Coast Conference men’s and women’s basketball history with 2,535 career points. She also finished her five-year BYU career (via medical redshirt) with 695 rebounds, 341 assists and 162 steals.

The 5-foot-10 former Springville High star became the first-ever BYU women’s basketball player to appear in four NCAA Tournament games. She helped the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in 2014, with the team’s only WNIT appearance coming in 2012 after Rydalch’s season ended with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Rydalch became the fourth-ever WNBA draft pick from BYU, joining former teammate Jennifer Hamson as the second pick in the past three years. Hamson was selected with the No. 23 overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014, becoming the first draft pick from BYU since Ambrosia Anderson went to the Detroit Shock (now Dallas Wings) in 2006.

Former BYU All-American Erin Thorn was drafted by the New York Liberty in 2003.

Rydalch received a strong endorsement from her new coach on Twitter following the draft.

“I’m so grateful to BYU for the amount of growth I’ve been able to have at the university," Rydalch said. "I’ll be eternally grateful for it. And I’m super excited for this next step in my career, and the adventures that we will look forward to. It’s relief, and a lot of excitement today.”

Former Syracuse High star Brittney Martin was selected with the No. 25 overall pick by the San Antonio Silver Stars. Martin, the co-Big 12 player of the year, was a four-year standout at Oklahoma State and a third-team Associated Press All-American.

Stewart, who led UConn to four-straight national championships to become the first-ever collegiate player to win a national title all four years of eligibility, was the first of three UConn players taken in the draft. Huskies teammate Moriah Jefferson went second overall to San Antonio, followed by Morgan Tuck to the Connecticut Sun.

The trio became the first-ever top three picks from the same school in WNBA history.

Minnesota’s Rachel Banham went No. 4 overall to the Sun, and Michigan State’s Aerial Powers rounded out the top five selections to the Dallas Wings.

Seattle finished the 2015 season at 10-24, wrapping up back-to-back top overall picks in the WNBA draft. The Storm, who open the 2016 season May 15 at Los Angeles, selected ex-Notre Dame guard Jewell Loyd with the top pick a year ago.

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