Connecticut Sun’s Helena Pueyo could be the steal of the 2024 WNBA Draft

Connecticut Sun general manager Darius Taylor called her the steal of the draft. Helena Pueyo, selected by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 22 pick in Monday night’s WNBA Draft, could end up being just that.

Pueyo, who played five years at the University of Arizona, is a lockdown defender, named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team by both coaches and media members this year. The 6-foot-0 guard out of Palma de Mallorca, Spain led the conference in steals per game (3.2) this season, and is also fifth in Pac-12 history in career steals with 312. At the same time, she’s a reliable shooter, hitting free throws at a 81.1 percent clip and 3-pointers at a 37.5 percent rate. Pueyo averaged a career-best 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assist this past season, her graduate campaign with the Wildcats. She upped those numbers to 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.5 steals in two NCAA Tournament contests.

Pueyo’s scoring numbers don’t jump out the way other prospects’ might. For example, Abbey Hsu, who the Sun selected out of Columbia with the No. 34 pick, averaged 20.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in her senior season. But Taylor and the Sun front office believe that we’ve only seen the beginning of what Helena Pueyo is capable of. After the draft, Taylor told reporters:

She’s a pro, she moves the ball well, she’s got good size, she makes good decisions, she can shoot threes. She didn’t have a high usage rate for Arizona, but we felt she was a prospect that could be a better pro than college player.

Head coach Stephanie White added:

She’s a player who makes winning plays. Her assist to turnover ratio is great, her assist percentage is great, and with a low usage rate. From our perspective, looking from someone who, in our system, can be a ball mover on the offensive end of the floor and who can make plays on the defensive end of the floor.

On the international level, Pueyo has competed for Spain, most recently playing on the FIBA U20 Women’s European Challengers team in 2021. She turned down a professional contract offer in Spain to return for a fifth year at Arizona—a decision that likely opened the door to her to join the WNBA.

Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

With the No. 10 pick, the Sun selected 19-year-old French guard Leïla Lacan, a high-ceiling prospect who won’t join the team this season but was considered one of the most talented players in the class. Selecting her in the first round was risky, as there’s no certainty as to when she’ll come to the WNBA. With the No. 19 pick, they chose University of Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson, one of the best rim protectors in the country. And as mentioned above, the organization used the No. 34 pick on Hsu, a top-performing Ivy League guard who made history as the first player to ever be drafted out of Columbia University. All three could end up making an impact on a Sun roster down the road.

But Pueyo might be the most pro-ready this season. Taylor cited her decision-making as a distinguishing factor. Alongside Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, the Sun needed a connector piece. They very well may have found one in the second round of the draft. Taylor emphasized:

We felt like, when they [Arizona] needed timely buckets, or somebody to make a play – that was her. With her size and her versatility, she’s a really good defender, underrated defender. The style of play at Connecticut, we needed people that were good at making reads and moving the ball. She’s a ball mover, she makes good decisions. She’s somebody that I think is ready for this level.