VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota recent graduate Hannah Sjerven, the three-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, has inked a deal with the Sydney Flames of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia. She joins Abigail Fogg (2017) and Bridget Yoerger (2009) as former Coyotes continuing their playing careers overseas.
 
Sjerven got picked 28th overall in the WNBA Draft this past April by the Minnesota Lynx. While she did not make the team's final roster, she received the opportunity through a hardship contract to play in three regular season WNBA games with the Lynx. A hardship contract is a temporary roster spot granted by the league when a team's player is out for multiple games because of injury, illness or other conditions. Sjerven made history this spring, becoming not only the first Coyote to get drafted into the WNBA, but just the fourth Summit League player all-time to check into a regular season WNBA game.
 
In the next part of her journey, Sjerven ventures to Sydney, Australia, this fall to help lift a Flames squad that finished at the bottom of the WNBL standings in 2022. Sjerven will be the ninth Coyote alumna to play overseas since 2008 and the third to play in Australia's WNBL (Nicole Seekamp, 2017-20; Amber (Hegge) Cunningham, 2013-17).
 
A native of Rogers, Minnesota, Sjerven was a three-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, three-time all-Summit League first team, four-time Summit all-tournament team and a finalist for the 2021 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. South Dakota's all-time blocks leader, Sjerven also finished her Coyote career ranked in the top-10 at USD in scoring, rebounding and steals.
 
Fogg recently wrapped up her second season with BCF Elfic Fribourg in Switzerland, winning the Swiss Championship for the second-straight year. Fogg averaged 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 31 games. Her squad went 22-2 in league play, to capture the SBL title for the second-straight season as well.
 
Yoerger, after five seasons with the Musel Pikes, will join the Sparta Bertrange for the upcoming season. It will be her 12th season in Luxembourg and 14th season playing overseas. She averaged 14.7 points, 14.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game for the Musel Pikes last season. Yoerger recently made the trip back to Vermillion as she was inducted to the Henry Heider Coyote Sports Hall of Fame last fall.