Michigan State women's basketball star Nia Clouden goes in first round of WNBA draft

Since her basketball journey began, Nia Clouden had been dreaming about this moment.

And to finally get to experience it Monday night when she heard her name called by the Connecticut Sun during the WNBA draft brought plenty of excitement for the Michigan State women's basketball star guard.

"(It was) excitement to get drafted and have this dream come true and walk up on the stage and know that all the work I put in has paid off," Clouden said shortly after being taken by the Sun with the 12th overall pick to complete the draft's first round. "I'm just really excited to go to Connecticut and a place where they have great players."

Clouden became the eighth MSU women's basketball to be selected in the WNBA draft and the first since Tori Jankoska went ninth overall to the Chicago Sky in 2017. She is one of four Spartan players taken in the first round of the draft, joining Aerial Powers and Kristin Haynie, who is currently an MSU assistant.

Haynie helped train Clouden as she prepared for the next chapter of her career.

"It's just really incredible to be in such a small group of people and people I really look up to and people I've been trying to be like since I came to Michigan State," Clouden said. "They've just been really good role models and to be in the same conversation as them is great."

From 2017: Michigan State's Tori Jankoska drafted No. 9 overall by Chicago Sky

From 2016: MSU star Aerial Powers taken fifth overall by Dallas Wings

The 5-foot-8 Clouden made a major mark during her time MSU on her way to becoming the third player drafted under coach Suzy Merchant,

She ending her career as the program's second-leading scorer with 1,882 points an. She was a fixture in the starting lineup upon her arrival and made improvement each season. Clouden concluded her career as an Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American.

Now Clouden will try to make her mark for the Sun, who were one of the WNBA's top teams last season. Connecticut went 26-6 and reached the WNBA semifinals.

"Connecticut was high on my radar," Clouden said. "I had a great conversation with coach Curt Miller. When I knew I was still around at 12, I wasn't surprised when they picked me. I was just really glad and appreciative, especially after the talks I had with him."

Clouden knows she is joining a deep roster that includes all-WNBA performer Jonquel Jones and said improving defensively, her strength and physicality will be among the keys as she looks to raise her game. Her mission is to help Connecticut anyway possible in the backcourt.

"What I just want to bring to the team is a spark," Clouden said. "I don't really care how much I play. (If it's) for five minutes I'm going to give my all and give Connecticut a spark for when I am in the game. Just being a competitor and hard worker and someone who challenges my teammates and gets challenged is something I want to bring to the team."

From February: Nia Clouden turned big childhood dreams into reality with Michigan State women's basketball

Clouden was one of two Big Ten players selected in the opening round of the draft. Northwestern guard Veronica Burton was picked seventh by the Dallas Wings.

Four Big Ten players went in the draft with Michigan's Naz Hillmon taken by the Atlanta Dream with the 15th pick and Indiana's Ali Patberg going to the Indiana Fever with the 34th pick.

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State's Nia Clouden taken by Connecticut Sun in WNBA draft