Former Syracuse guard Brianna Butler was taken 23rd overall in WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks Thursday night.

She is just the third player in Syracuse history to be taken in the WNBA draft.

Butler had been projected to go in the third and final round or not at all, but was taken with the second-to-last pick of the second round.

“I am really excited to make it to the next stage and join the Los Angeles Sparks,” Butler said in a press release.

“Well deserved for the best shooter in Syracuse history and one of the best people I have ever been associated with,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said in the release. “I cannot overstate how happy I am for Brianna and her family.”

She ended her Syracuse career with the most 3s made in program history (373) and finished fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list (1,640). Her 129 made 3-pointers this season was an NCAA single-season record.

Butler was part of the winningest class in Syracuse women’s basketball history and ended her career with an appearance in the national championship game.

She didn’t plan to attend the draft with family or her teammates, adding that she was “not even going to probably end up watching it.”

“I really think she will be a huge asset to the league,” Syracuse guard Brittney Sykes said. “The type of shooter that she is. You rarely find a shooter that can just get it going at anytime in the game. And then to have it off the bounce, that’s a lethal weapon in the league.”

Published on April 14, 2016 at 9:03 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus