Local basketball star Arella Guirantes is going pro.

The former Bellport and Rutgers guard was selected No. 22 in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.

"The wait was terrifying. It was just a bunch of emotions flying around," says Guirantes.

Guirantes was the leading scorer on the Scarlet Knights team that made an NCAA Tournament appearance last month.

She was among the top prospects in the nation coming out of Bellport High School in 2016.

Guirantes will now go from being coached by C. Vivian Stringer to five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher. The Sparks went 15-7 in 2020.