Princeton Chen did not play in her freshman season at Princeton, which was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In her sophomore season, Chen made her college debut coming off the bench to record nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 59–42 win over
Villanova. In the
2022 Ivy League tournament final, she scored a season-high 30 points in a 77–59 win over
Columbia, and was named tournament most outstanding player (MOP). She later scored 10 points in a 55–56 loss against third-seeded
Indiana in the second round. As a sophomore, Chen averaged 10.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, leading her team in assists. In her junior season, Chen started in 29 out of 30 games played. She led Princeton to the
2023 Ivy League tournament title with 21 points and six rebounds in a 54–48 win against
Harvard, repeating as MOP of the tournament. In the
2023 NCAA tournament, she posted 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 64–63 victory against
NC State in the first round. She then recorded 19 points and six rebounds in 56–63 loss against
Utah in the second round. She averaged 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, leading her team in both points and assists. As a senior, Chen served as the captain of the Princeton team. Chen was named first-team All-Ivy League and
Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America honorable mention. Over the season, she averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists, once again leading her team in points and assists. On December 11, 2023, she scored a career-high 31 points in a 61–58 win over
Villanova. While at Princeton, Chen accumulated 1,276 points, 313 rebounds and 359 assists over three seasons and 90 games, ranking third in career assists and 12th in career points in Princeton women's basketball history. She received the C. Otto von Kiebusch Sportswoman of the Year Award, an award given annually to a Princeton senior woman of "high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman". As the Ivy League does not allow for graduate participants in varsity sports, Chen entered the transfer portal during her senior year with one year of eligibility remaining.
UConn UConn head coach
Geno Auriemma first expressed interest in Chen during the
2022–23 season, when she posted 18 points and seven assists in a 64–69 loss against
his team on December 8, 2022. He contacted Princeton head coach
Carla Berube, who had formerly played at UConn and been coached by Auriemma, to discuss her. Chen later cited UConn and
UCLA as the finalists for her graduate season. She was named a Preseason All-Big East Team honorable mention. Chen started at point guard for all 40 games UConn played that season, which ended with UConn winning the NCAA Championship on April 6, 2025. She posted 135 assists, third most on the team after 2025 Wade Trophy winner (and WNBA #1 draft pick) Paige Bueckers and 2025 College Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong. As she became more of a facilitator, she also became more efficient, improving her 2 point and 3 point shooting percentage, her free throw percentage and her assist to turnover ratio as UConn made its run to the championship. Her teammates also praised her as a leader and a mentor throughout the year. During the NCAA tournament, she had 24 assists against only 5 turnovers, and had 15 points on 6-9 shooting in the Elite Eight matchup against USC. UConn coach Geno Auriemma called Chen "the perfect addition for what this team needed at the position that we needed it." She holds the distinction of being the first person of Taiwanese descent to win a women's college basketball championship. == Professional career ==