Villanova star Maddy Siegrist declares for 2023 WNBA draft

Villanova women’s basketball star Maddy Siegrist is declaring for the 2023 WNBA draft. Siegrist, who led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, is one of the top prospects in the draft class.

Siegrist made the announcement on her Twitter account. She expressed gratitude for her collegiate tenure with the Wildcats.

"From the first day I stepped on campus, I knew this would be my forever home," Siegrist wrote. "I want to thank [Villanova] Coach [Denise] Dillon and the coaching staff for constantly pushing me to be the best I can be. Thank you for always believing in me and continuing to raise the bar."

Siegrist will forgo one final season of eligibility. She exits on a high note after a career year with the Wildcats. Siegrist finished with 1,081 points this season and sits second all-time behind Kelsey Plum in the record books.

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Plum, who starred at Washington, set the single-season scoring record with 1,109 points during the 2016-17 campaign. She was selected No. 1 overall in the 2017 WNBA draft.

Siegrist will look to follow in Plum’s footsteps. She is considered a top-five selection among several WNBA draft evaluators. This season, Siegrist led the NCAA with 29.2 points per game and scored at least 20 points in every game. Siegrist also set the school scoring record and had a 50-point outburst against Seton Hall in February.

In her final NCAA game, Siegrist recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds and five steals against the Miami Hurricanes. Villanova came up short as Miami won 70-65 in the Sweet 16 matchup. Despite the loss, Siegrist was proud of how her final run ended.

"You know, this was a good way to go out," Siegrist told reporters, via ESPN. "Making this round with this team, it was really special."

Siegrist will be remembered as an all-time Villanova player. Dillon told reporters that Siegrist has left a legacy that will reach further than basketball.

"I think that is by far the greatest accomplishment as a student-athlete where you can be recognized just as being an authentic person as opposed to just a great athlete," Dillion said. "She’ll continue to impact the world in whatever she does."

The WNBA draft is set for April 10. Siegrist will join a draft class that could include South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston, Stanford guard Haley Jones and Maryland forward Diamond Miller among the top prospects.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maddy Siegrist, Villanova star, declares for 2023 WNBA draft