Claessens plays for Castors Braine in Belgium.
On Monday, the Washington Mystics announced that they selected Nastja Claessens (pronounced Nahstia Klaasens) from Castors Braine, a professional team just south of Brussels, Belgium with the No. 30 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Claessens, a 6’0 forward, is averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game this season for Castors Braine. Claessens is a Belgian and also plays for their national team, where she was part of their Olympic qualifying team.
This is an interesting low risk, high reward pick because Claessens, who is just 19 years old, could be a contributor in future seasons. In addition, the Mystics already have Julie Vanloo on the training camp roster.
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