The former Stanford standout joins a growing list of Cardinal alumni in the WNBA, but first she'll need to earn her way onto the active roster
In four years at Stanford, Ashten Prechtel started just nine total games, but the former McDonald's All-American made the most of it, earning Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year as a freshman in 2020.
After multiple seasons playing professional basketball overseas, Prechtel is returning to the United States, signing a player development contract with the WNBA's Golden State Valkyries on Friday.
While not officially on the active roster, Prechtel will get the chance to practice and train alongside the Valkyries' stars in the hopes of earning a standard contract down the line.
A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Prechtel committed to Stanford over offers from Division I programs including Texas and UCLA. While her first season on The Farm was a major success, averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench, the rest of her career saw her take more of a backseat.
Her production declined steadily after that freshman breakthrough, and by her final two seasons she was averaging just over two points per game.
Prechtel was part of the team that won the national title in 2020-21. After her college career ended, Prechtel was drafted in the third round of the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, but did not make the final roster.
Since then, Prechtel has played for various overseas teams in Australia, France, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and was most recently with El Calor de Cancun in the Mexican Professional Basketball League.
Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Prechtel signed with the Phoenix Mercury, and despite a strong preseason, scoring nine points and recording five rebounds in 16 minutes in the first preseason game, she was cut before the start of the regular season.
She then signed a hardship contract with the Valkyries on May 10, only to be waived on May 19. She was re-signed to her current development contract two days later.
While Prechtel has a lot to do if she wants to earn an active roster spot, she becomes the latest Stanford Cardinal to be in the WNBA this season, joining notables that include Alanna Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, Cameron Brink and Lexie Hull.
The Valkyries are 3-2 to begin the 2026 season after dropping their game against the Indiana Fever on Friday 90-82.
After five years and six countries, Prechtel now has one more chance to show she belongs.
