WNBA DRAFT

April 14, 2025

Aubrey Griffin

Minnesota Lynx

Q. You've been at Storrs now for six years. What does this moment mean to you knowing what you've overcome to be here?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: It means a lot. This year I've been through a lot physically and mentally, and just to be present in this moment, I'm so grateful and just blessed. I'm so excited I got to share the moment with Kaitlyn and Paige, and I'm just super happy to be here.

Q. Can you just kind of take us through those couple of minutes there where you're watching Kaitlyn get pulled out of the audience and then your name pops up on the screen?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: Honestly, it's just surreal and I'm super proud of Kaitlyn and I'm super excited to be here and I'm just blessed. I honestly didn't think I would get picked. I'm just super grateful that I can be able to continue playing the game that I love. I'm just lost for words right now.

Q. Even if you had no expectations, did you start feeling any nerves as the draft started to wind down? Second to last pick, there's not a whole lot of wiggle room at that point.

AUBREY GRIFFIN: Yeah, honestly, I came here to support my teammates, Paige, Kaitlyn, and I was being present in the moment, just cheering them on, just trying to focus on them really, and I ended up getting picked, and I'm just super blessed and really, really happy.

Q. When you look back over this night years from now, what is the thing that you're going to remember the most?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: It's definitely a night to remember. I'm just going to embrace being here with my teammates and just the support system that I've had this whole year, it's meant a lot. Just going through injury and just working my way back, it means a lot just to be in this moment with them and just to overall just be here.

Q. I know there are a lot of things going through your head and you're feeling a lot of emotions right now, but you're joining the Lynx who are just coming out of a Finals appearance despite not achieving that goal. Is there a certain pressure that comes with joining a strong squad?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: Yeah, a strong squad means strong people to look up to and strong leaders that can lead me the right way, so I'm just going to go in and learn from my vets and just be a sponge, soak up everything, and just stay overall present and just work hard, get better every day, and just look up -- like you said, we have a strong team, so just look up to them, and I'll follow their way.

Q. When did basketball go from something you enjoyed doing, something that was a passion to something you started to treat almost as a profession, now you're a professional, just more seriously?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: I actually started playing soccer up until seventh grade, and my brothers, they played, so they were playing in the yard and I would just go play for fun, and then it just got really competitive, and I was like, I want to take this really seriously. Ever since then, like eighth grade, I've been taking it very serious, and something that I saw that I could do for my future.

Q. Both you and Sonia Citron were drafted tonight, two women's basketball talents from Westchester. How wild is it for both of you to be drafted tonight? Have you thought about that?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: I'm super excited for her. I grew up playing against her when she was at Ursuline, so I'm just excited to see her journey. She's come a long way, and I'm just glad she was able to have the same moment I had tonight.

Q. Just to follow up, to be someone from the New York metro area, to be able to have a moment like this, what does that mean to you?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: I mean, it means a lot. This moment in general, I can't even put into words, but I'm just super grateful. It means a lot coming from New York. Just my whole journey from being at Ossining to UConn to here, it's surreal.

Q. We talked a lot towards the end of your college career about getting to end on your terms. I feel like some of that was so finite, but nothing is ending right now. Can you speak to the injuries you've been through and the work it's taken to get to sit right here?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: I mean, I've been through a lot. A lot of injuries. Well, a couple of injuries. I've worked my way back every time just to come back stronger and get better mentally, physically, and I've just been prepared for anything.

I'm just super grateful. I now get the opportunity to continue playing somewhere, and I'm just going to soak it all in tonight and just continue to do what I do.

Q. You're going from a culture of championship experience in Coach Auriemma now to Minnesota with another coaching championship experience with Coach Reeve. How do you think your time in Connecticut will help best prepare you for the intensity of the WNBA and a team like Minnesota in particular?

AUBREY GRIFFIN: Yeah, I think my time at UConn has prepared me off the court, on the court, especially with great coaches, Coach Geno and just everyone there has prepared me in a way that I feel like I'm ready and I'm confident to step into the league, and just my work ethic also will carry me and help me succeed, as well.