Kentucky Signs Former Top 10 WNBA Draft Pick

The No. 10 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft will delay her pro career to play college basketball.

Slovenian guard Ajša Sivka, who was selected by the Chicago Sky last year and attended the draft in-person, signed with Kentucky on Wednesday. Sivka, 20, did not sign with the Sky upon being drafted and spent 2025 playing in Spain for Joventut Badalona. 

The WNBA confirmed to Front Office Sports that teams retain rights to players who play in college, meaning the Sky maintains Sivka’s rights. 

Chicago Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca told FOS the team still plans to add Sivka to their roster in the future. 

Sivka is not the first WNBA draftee to sign with a college team. France native Adja Kane was drafted by the New York Liberty in the third round of the 2025 draft and later picked by the Toronto Tempo in this year’s expansion draft, but committed to SMU in April. Nastja Claessens signed with Kansas State a year after being selected by the Washington Mystics in the 2024 draft.

In men’s basketball, players returning to college has sparked wider conversations about NCAA eligibility. The issue came to a head last season when several NBA G League players returned to the NCAA. James Nnaji also returned to college to play for Baylor two years after being drafted.

The NCAA Division I cabinet recently approved a rule change that would force prospects to withdraw from drafts, including the NBA draft, that require an opt-in in order to maintain NCAA eligibility. This rule, however, does not apply to players who have not signed professional contracts or declared for the draft, such as international players. 

NCAA president Charlie Baker said in February that the organization “has not and will not” grant eligibility to players who have signed NBA contracts (including two-way deals). It is unclear whether this applies to the WNBA as well.

The NCAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.