Tonie Morgan, a student in the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, was selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Morgan, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) at Gatton, was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 32 overall pick.
Her selection reflects years of performance on the court, but her time at Gatton has also been defined by her commitment in the classroom.
“She’s an outstanding student,” said Leslie Vincent, associate professor and director of the MSM program. “What stood out most was that she showed up to class for a presentation the morning after the draft.”
Reflecting Morgan’s excellent athletic performance even further, she was recognized as the UK Athletics Women’s Newcomer of the Year at the 2026 Catspy awards. Morgan’s path highlights the demands of balancing a professional athletic career with graduate-level coursework.
The MSM program is designed to be applied and collaborative, requiring students to engage in group work, presentations and real-world marketing projects. For Morgan, that meant continuing to contribute alongside her classmates even during one of the most important moments of her athletic career.
At Gatton, students bring a wide range of experiences into the classroom—from internships and research to entrepreneurship and, in Morgan’s case, professional athletics.
That range shapes the learning environment and reflects the different paths students take as they prepare for their careers.
Morgan’s experience shows how those paths can intersect.
As she begins her professional career in the WNBA, she will also carry forward the analytical, strategic and communication skills developed through the Gatton MSM program.
