As the camera panned across the buzzing crowd at The Shed in New York City during the WNBA Draft, one person’s absence felt louder than any applause. Sedona Prince, who just led her team to their first-ever Elite Eight and averaged a strong 17.2 points per game, wasn’t in the room. And when her name didn’t come up, not even in the final round, fans online couldn’t help but notice.

Her social media was quiet, maybe too quiet. No reaction videos, no cryptic tweets. Just silence. And for many, that said it all. All this comes up when the TCU standout had always been more than just a basketball player. Back in 2021, she became a national voice for gender equity in college sports when she exposed the laughable difference between the men’s and women’s weight rooms at the NCAA tournament.

Her TikTok went viral overnight and sparked a movement. Because of her, the NCAA was forced to investigate its own inequities and finally let the women’s tournament use the “March Madness” brand, and even changed how funding is distributed.

She used her platform, unapologetically. But maybe that’s also where things got complicated. When she went undrafted, she once again used her social media. But this time it was to delete the post in which she declared about the WNBA draft. Hence, as we said, all of it seemed too quiet.

So, when all 38 selections had rolled through, fans couldn’t resist and dived into the comment section to deliver their takes.

Sedona Prince went undrafted, so the W has some serious questions! 

The only name where Sedona Prince’s name was mentioned when it came to the draft was as a potential candidate before the night began. However, even that had many sounding off, going as far as to question the “stupidity” of those who might actually pick her. The thing is, to put it bluntly, her history has some spots that just cannot be erased, at least for now.

Yet, many were hoping that, pulling through, she would share something on her social media. However, she ended up taking one step backward and the silence was deafening.

“nah sedona deleted her post about declaring for the draft,” one user pointed out, bringing it to everyone’s notice and causing a spark of confusion. Not all might be on her side, but no one expected her to delete the post. After all, she has something to take pride in: her undeniable talent.

Prince, after all, is a rare build in women’s basketball. She shot a staggering 58.3% from the field and had racked up over 2,700 points and nearly 1,500 rebounds in her collegiate career. Still, all this wasn’t enough to get her into W. But, there’s a reason behind it too. Teams could not help but be skeptical.

As Yahoo Sports reported, Sedona Prince has been accused by multiple ex-girlfriends of physical and emotional abuse”. While these are claims that remain unaddressed legally, they do undeniably affect her public perception. And it didn’t stop there. A Change.org petition demanding her removal from TCU’s roster gained over 200,000 signatures. However, the school never took any action, and Prince continued to suit up for the Horned Frogs with the support of her coach and teammates.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to go back to TCU now,” one fan speculated on X. “They’re gonna decline, and she’ll end up in the portal.”

Now, there might be some reasons for that. While the off-court allegations have certainly raised red flags, some WNBA teams reportedly had concerns about something else entirely—her age. Prince turns 25 in May.

“She’s like a 24-year-old playing against, what, sometimes 18-year-olds?” one GM anonymously told ESPN. “She’s older than some current WNBA players. And so it’s just hard to tell, ‘Are you that good, or are you just dominating people that are four or five years younger than you?’”

Injuries haven’t helped her case either.

Prince’s college journey has been riddled with physical setbacks. She missed her freshman season at Texas after a horrific tibia and fibula break while representing Team USA. In 2022, she suffered a torn ligament in her elbow during preseason at Oregon, which cut her season short and forced her to forgo eligibility. Then, just this January, she was sidelined for seven weeks due to a right-hand injury at TCU.

That’s a lot of baggage for WNBA teams to carry—especially in a league where roster spots are scarce and medical history can be a deal-breaker. Hence, one user joked, “Watch her try to plead for a 20th year,” referencing Prince’s extended NCAA career with a heavy dose of sarcasm. That is bound to sting.

Yet, despite all the noise, on and off the court, many experts still believed she’d hear her name. In fact, Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft had her as a late first-round pick, with many GMs saying that teams care about winning. But when the draft dust settled, it was her teammate Hailey Van Lith who went No. 11 to Chicago, and Madison Conner who slipped into the third round with Seattle.

Sedona Prince? Left without a team.

Whether Prince eventually finds a spot through a training camp invite or free-agent signing remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: her story didn’t end the way most expected!