Sedona Prince just wants to have fun playing basketball again.

The former Oregon star sat out last season with a torn ligament in her elbow, and she wasn’t planning on playing an additional year of college sports. But in April, she withdrew from the WNBA Draft and announced her transfer to TCU.

And this year, she’s redefining what a successful game of basketball looks like for her.

“I know it sounds corny, but it’s if I have fun,” she told The Cut. “That’s my biggest goal in basketball, and it has been my focus for about the last year: just having fun with the game again, because I feel like so many people lose that and it’s such an easy thing to lose, but it’s the main reason why we play our sport. My biggest definition of success is that I was proud of myself and I gave it my all.”

While Prince has catapulted to TikTok fame, with more than 2.7 million followers, she tries to remain grounded.

“I love inspiring kids that you can be gay, you can be loud and proud, and go through the ups and downs of dating as a young adult,” she said. “But it’s also hard because I need to protect my own being.”

Even with her social media fame and her recent injury history, Prince still has an eye toward a future in the WNBA. Her draft prospects could depend on a monster season with the Horned Frogs after she averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in her last collegiate season, but she’s hoping to get the full-circle moment of playing professionally alongside some of her former teammates.

And if she had her pick of which coach to play for?

“Becky Hammon is the easiest answer because she’s the GOAT,” she said.

The 2023 WNBA draft is here, but some big-name prospects are not.

While many of the brightest stars in college basketball having declared for the draft, others have opted to return for another year, taking advantage of the extra year of COVID-19 eligibility. Just Women’s Sports takes a look at some of those who are running it back.

Rickea Jackson, Tennessee

Rickea Jackson became the first domino to fall in the list of players opting out of the 2023 draft, announcing her intention to return to the Vols before the NCAA Tournament even began.

Before her decision, she was projected as the No. 3 overall pick by Just Women’s Sports analyst Rachel Galligan, making her choice all the more surprising. But her return is big for Tennessee, as the first-team All-SEC selection led the team with 19.6 points per game while adding 6.2 rebounds per game.

Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech

Kitley announced her decision to return in the middle of the national championship game, but it still counted as headline news for Virginia Tech fans.

A former five-star recruit and two-time ACC Player of the Year, Kitley led the Hokies in points, rebounds and blocks per game last season as Virginia Tech made its Final Four run. She’s also the all-time leading scorer in program history.

Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech

Georgia Amoore is another Virginia Tech senior who opted to run it back, meaning that three of the Hokies’ starting five players will take the court together next season.

Amoore had a standout regular season, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists while leading the team to the ACC tournament title. She’s better against better opponents, making her decision to stay a good sign for the Hokies.

Charisma Osborne, UCLA

While Charisma Osborne opted into the 2023 WNBA draft, she later withdrew her name, instead electing to use her extra year of eligibility. As reported by the New York Times, she even was told by a WNBA coach that the decision to remain an extra year could be a smart move.

Osborne will provide a boost for UCLA, as she has averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game throughout her first four years with the Bruins. She also helped the team to a Sweet 16 appearance this year, and will link up with freshman point guard Kiki Rice next year.

Sedona Prince, TCU

Sedona Prince is another player who withdrew her name from WNBA draft consideration. Prince missed their redshirt senior season with an elbow injury and had planned to exhaust their remaining NCAA eligibility to pursue a professional career.

But those plans have changed, as Prince withdrew their name from the draft. She also entered her name into the transfer portal and is headed to TCU with two years of eligibility remaining.

Ashley Owusu, transfer portal

Despite reports that she might enter the WNBA draft, Virginia Tech shooting guard Ashley Owusu has opted to remain in the NCAA. But the former Maryland standout is once again in the transfer portal after spending the second half of the season on the Hokies’ bench.

Cameron Brink, Stanford

There was never a question about whether or not Cameron Brink would return for her senior season at Stanford, despite the fact that she is eligible for the 2023 WNBA draft by a single day. As Brink told reporters last October, college is “fun.”

“Why not stay?” she asked. “I think I want to stay just because I want to just continue to be a kid. Finish my degree in four years, not rush myself.”

Sedona Prince has withdrawn her name from consideration for the 2023 WNBA Draft.

The Oregon standout withdrew from her redshirt senior season in October due to an elbow injury. At the time, she planned to exhaust her remaining NCAA eligibility and pursue a professional career, per a statement from the Ducks.

With their withdrawal from the draft, Prince could choose to remain at Oregon, or they could choose to continue their college career elsewhere. They have entered the transfer portal, The Next’s Em Adler reported.

While Prince attempted to play through her elbow injury, further evaluation revealed a ligament tear that required surgery “in order to ensure long-term health and a sustained professional career,” she said.

“I’m heartbroken,” Prince said at the time. “I truly felt that this was the year I could showcase my work ethic and skills on the court, but also my self-growth and leadership ability.”

Prince is one of several players to opt out after initially declaring for the draft, joining UCLA’s Charisma Osborne, Arizona’s Esmery Martinez and Oregon teammate Endyia Rogers. Still more players did not declare for the draft and decided instead to use their COVID-19 eligibility years, including Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key.

Prince spent her freshman year at Texas, which she missed with a broken leg, before opting to transfer to Oregon. She missed another season once she arrived in Oregon due to transfer rules, but she averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with the Ducks.

Prince has two years of eligibility remaining.

Oregon basketball star Sedona Prince will not see the court for the Ducks again.

The redshirt senior tore ligament in her elbow, an injury which will require season-ending surgery next month. As a result, she has opted to forego her remaining NCAA eligibility and pursue a professional career.

“We are going to miss Sedona,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “She has done so many wonderful things and has been an incredible representative of our program and the University. Her impact on collegiate athletics, especially in the area of gender equity, has been immense and will be felt for generations to come.

“I wish her only the best in all of her future endeavors. I cannot wait to see the ways she will continue to positively impact and change our world. Once a Duck, always a Duck.”

Prince is the latest college basketball star to suffer a season-ending injury. Both Paige Bueckers and Ice Brady of UConn have gone down with injuries ahead of the season, as has Kansas State star Ayoka Lee.

In a statement, Prince called it “painful and tragic” that she will not be able to take the court with her Oregon teammates this season.

“I’m heartbroken,” Prince said. “I truly felt that this was the year I could showcase my work ethic and skills on the court, but also my self-growth and leadership ability.”

While Prince attempted to play through the injury, further evaluation revealed the ligament tear must be addressed now “in order to ensure long-term health and a sustained professional career,” she said.

A former transfer from Texas, she’ll be a big loss for the Ducks after leading the team in shooting percentage last season (54.2). She also was second in rebounding (4.9 per game) and blocks (1.3 per game). Through two seasons in Eugene, Prince averaged 9.5 points per game while shooting 54.3 percent and adding 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

“I will always love this challenging program and its ability hold me accountable and to always elevate my game,” Prince said. “The Eugene community took this Texas girl in immediately and made me feel like family. I will forever cherish the relationships and experiences I have made here on this journey.”

Sedona Prince is returning to Oregon for a fifth season, the redshirt junior announced Saturday on social media.

“I’ll be back next season to pursue my masters degree and a national championship,” Prince wrote. “I love you Duck Family and I’m excited to be coming back. Here’s to another.”

Prince, who was eligible to enter the WNBA Draft, is averaging 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in 24 appearances for the 18-8 Ducks this season. Last year, the forward averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and sparked a gender equity movement in the NCAA after posting a video of the inferior weight-room amenities at the DI Women’s Basketball Tournament.

With Nyara Sabally declaring for the draft, Prince will give Oregon a much-needed veteran presence in the frontcourt.

Sedona Prince stopped by CBS Sports’ “We Need to Talk” on Wednesday to share her thoughts on name, image and likeness rights as well as gender equity in sports.

The Oregon basketball forward said the opportunities through NIL, made possible by the NCAA’s interim policy adopted in July, have allowed her to connect her identity off the court with her sport.

“I get to kind of promote brands that I believe in, things that I love, mostly things that I use and have loved for forever, which is pretty incredible,” she said. “And it gives athletes kind of this new platform to, I don’t know, make a difference, make a change, make money, which is incredible.”

Prince added that the money she makes now will go a long way toward creating financial freedom for the future.

“I see it as money that I can have for the rest of my life and try to invest and hopefully put my kids through college with, which is so incredible,” she said. “For all women’s athletes, men’s athletes, it’s been an incredible change. A lot of people are impacted from this, not just the top football players that you all see. Every single student athlete has impacted from NIL, which is kind of incredible.”

Prince also discussed last year’s NCAA Tournament, where she brought attention to the disparities between the men’s and women’s tournament accommodations. The NCAA drew heavy criticism for the inequities, and since then, a gender equity report found that the NCAA spends about $1,700 less per female student-athlete than it does for male student-athletes.

“We deal with inequity playing basketball growing up,” Prince said. “It’s something that I had a passion for, I wanted to make a change in.

“And yeah, we saw the weight room was just kind of ridiculous there, so we were like, ‘We have to do something about this.’ And yeah, I just made a video, and it kind of changed the world, which was awesome.”

Watch the full video here:

The NCAA’s ruling allowing students to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) has opened up a lucrative new world for college athletes. As brands and agencies move to embrace NIL opportunities, several female athletes are well-positioned to take advantage of the new policy.

These are the Top 10 in line for a payday:

1. Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut

@paigebueckers

Paige Bueckers has been making headlines since high school, and after a dominant freshman year at UConn, the basketball star is now a household name. With 906,000 followers on Instagram and a strong national profile boosted by a memorable appearance at the ESPYs, Bueckers is one of the most popular college athletes in America today. Singing with Wassermann Media Group, a Los Angeles-based sports marketing and talent company, Bueckers is likely to leverage her platform for lucrative NIL deals, with some estimates predicting the basketball star could make $1 million a year in partnerships and endorsements.

2. Suni Lee, Auburn University

@sunisalee

Suni Lee was the breakout star of the Tokyo Olympics after winning individual gold in women’s gymnastics and capturing the world’s attention. Lee’s Olympic success earned her a spot competing on this season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, only elevating her growing profile. Now at the Auburn University, Lee is set to benefit the most from NIL deals due to her rising fame (and 1.6 million Instagram followers).

3. Hailey Van Lith, University of Louisville

@haileyvanlith

Haley Van Lith had a strong debut season for Louisville, leading the women’s basketball team to an Elite Eight appearance and the ACC Championship game while earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team. The breakout Louisville star also boasts a sizeable social media following, including 703,000 fans on Instagram, making her a true beneficiary of NIL changes. In August, Lith signed with Octagon, a talent management agency, embracing the potential for forthcoming partnerships and endorsements.

4. Cameron Brink, Stanford University

@cameronbrink22

Cameron Brink is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable athletes in college basketball after helping Stanford take home the NCAA 2021 Women’s Basketball Championship in her freshman year. Off the court, Brink is a savvy social media influencer, with 160,000 followers on Instagram and a series of brand deals. The Stanford star is among a growing group of young athletes to sign with Wasserman, adding to her NIL earnings potential.

5. Sarah Fuller, Vanderbilt University

@sarah_f27

Last year, Sarah Fuller made NCAA football history, becoming the first woman to play and score in a Power Five football game as a kicker for the Vanderbilt University football team. She’s a uniquely marketable talent who has also signed with Wasserman, leveraging her 146,000 Instagram followers. She currently plays goalkeeper for North Texas as a graduate soccer transfer.

6. Sedona Prince, Oregon University

@sedona._

Sedona Prince is not afraid to speak up. Last year, Oregon’s power-forward and center took the sports world by storm after highlighting the weight room disparities between the women’s and men’s 2021 NCAA basketball tournaments. Now, the basketball star boasts a loyal social media following on both Instagram and TikTok, making Prince one of college’s most marketable athletes.

7. Haley Jones, Stanford University

@haley.jonesss

Haley Jones is one of the most talented college basketball players on the court today, having led Stanford to a 2021 NCAA Championship while being named the MOP of the Final Four. Her impressive run to a national title catapulted Jones to prominence, with the basketball star throwing out the first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game over the summer. Jones’s on-court success, combined with her charisma off the court, makes her a compelling and viable college sports figure.

8. Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa

@caitlinclark22

Caitlin Clark is lighting up the court for Iowa basketball and Team USA, leading the U.S. Under-19 squad to a gold medal in the FIBA World Cup in August. As one of college basketball’s top talents and scorers, Clark will likely be a magnet for NIL deals, something the Iowa star has expressed interest in. “As a female college athlete, valuable opportunities could come in our college career that may not be given at a professional level, especially with the support of female athletics we have here in the state of Iowa.”

9. Zia Cooke, University of South Carolina

@z.loading_

University of South Carolina basketball guard Zia Cooke is one of the first athletes to take advantage of the NIL rulings, inking a deal with Bojangles and putting on a for-profit basketball camp in her hometown of Toledo, OH. With 196,000 followers on Instagram, Cooke’s NIL profile is likely to continue to grow.

10. Kaila Novak, UCLA

@kailanovak_

Kaila Novak, the UCLA soccer star, had a breakout 2020 season, earning her stripes as a Pac-12 All-Freshman honoree. The sophomore also has a significant social media following, including 131,000 followers on Instagram, where she promotes specific brands, including nate, a shopping app.