Skip to main content

RSW Living Magazine

Two Southwest Florida Players Make History in the WNBA Draft

May 06, 2022 08:53AM ● By Stephanie Hatley

Photo Courtesy of WNBA website

A celebration took place in April as two former Southwest Florida college basketball players were drafted in the WNBA Draft. Florida Gulf Coast guard Kierstan Bell was the 11th pick and will start her pro career with the Las Vegas Aces. Bell began at Ohio State but transferred to Florida Gulf Coast where she averaged nearly 23 points per game. Bell is thankful for her time at FGCU: “It’s a blessing, being one of the first to be drafted in the first round. It’s an honor and I’m grateful to have this opportunity to take this with me and hold it in my back pocket and get to work.”

Fort Myers native Destanni Henderson was the second Southwest Florida player taken in the WNBA Draft as the 20th pick. She’ll begin her pro career with the Indiana Fever. Henderson played in two Final Fours with the South Carolina Gamecocks and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team this year. Minutes after her selection, Henderson proudly said, “I love where I come from and to put on a statement like that, it means a lot. It shows how hard I worked. I’m one of the first ones to do it and I want to pave the way for younger players and younger youth.”

It certainly was a historic night for these two Southwest Florida college players. You can follow their success online on the WBA team sites for the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever.