2020 WNBA Draft Recap & Grades
The WNBA Draft is over and while games are still way off, it was a nice distraction from the ails of the world that is going around. Before the draft got underway, the league had a very nice moment as it honored three girls who lost their lives in the January 26th plane crash that also killed NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. The three girls were Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, and Payton Chester and they were all chosen as honorary picks by the WNBA. Later on in the evening, the WNBA announced that they were creating The Kobe and Gianna Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award. The first player to receive the award will do so at the 2021 WNBA All-Star game. It was a nice jester from the league at a time when we needed it.
First Round
Now, onto the draft itself. The first four picks of the draft went as many expected. The New York Liberty had the first selection of the draft and they chose Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon), which was a surprise to know one. She was one of the best in the college game this year, averaging 17.5 points per game, 9.1 assists per game and 8.6 rebounds per game last year. Ionescu is the all-time leader (male or female) in career triple-doubles with 26, plus she is the first player in the history of the NCAA (male or female) to record 2000 points, 1000 assists and 1000 rebounds in their career. She should step right in and help a New York team that ranked 8th in the league in scoring last year, putting up 77.4 ppg. The Liberty had three picks overall in the first round and I will get to their other two in a moment.
With the 2nd pick in the draft, the Dallas Wings chose Satou Sabally, who was also from Oregon. There was a prop out there that I played and it was to “take two Oregon players in the first five picks”. This was an easy prop and I did have that at -140. Sabally averaged 16.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg for the Ducks last year and also hit 48.% of her shots overall. She is a solid shooter and scorer, who will help a Dallas team that was 11th in the league in scoring at 71.4 ppg.
The Indiana Fever were next on the clock and they chose Lauren Cox of Baylor. This was also expected. Cox averaged just 12.5 ppg last year but she did nab 8.4 rpg. The Baylor superstar played in just 22 games last year, so her shot-blocking numbers were down at just 59 but Cox also blocked 97 and 92 shots in her two previous seasons. The defense is where the Fever was lacking last year as they ranked 10th in the league in points allowed at 80.3 ppg. Indiana was 11th in blocks per game at 3.7.
In the 4th slot was the Atlanta Dream, who had the worst record in the league a season ago but in the draft lottery, they were given the 4th pick and not the first overall. The Dream chose Chennedy Carter from Texas A&M with this pick and that was also expected by many draft boards. Carter came out a year early from A&M and she averaged 21.3 ppg last year, after putting up 23.3 ppg the year before and 22.7 ppg the year before that. She is the first Aggie to be named All-American in her first three years, along with being named to the All-SEC squad in her first three years as well. Chennedy also owns the record for most points in a game at A&M with 46 and was ranked as the No. 6 player in the 2017 recruiting class. The Dream has a superstar in the making on their team now.
With the 5th pick, the Dallas Wings chose Bella Alarie, a guard from Princeton. This pick was garnered by them due to a trade with the Phoenix Mercury for Skylar Diggins-Smith back in February. Alarie averaged a solid 17.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg for the Princeton Tigers last year. Dallas was hoping for Chennedy Carter in this spot but when she was selected 4th by the Atlanta Dream, they went with Alarie and she will help a team that struggled to score last year.
Moving on to number 6, where the Minnesota Lynx selected forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan from South Carolina. She averaged 13.1 ppg and 5.6 rebounds per game while hitting 43.5% of her shots from long range. Harrigan was also a solid defender as well and she will help strengthen a Minnesota squad that was 2nd in the league in points allowed at 75.9 ppg. this was a bit of a surprise pick as the Lynx needed a point guard and they passed on Tyasha Harris, who was also from South Carolina.
With Minnesota passing on Harris, that allowed Dallas to select her with the 7th overall pick. The Wings got this pick from the Storm, via the Sun and the Mercury. Harris averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game in 116 total games during her four years with the Gamecocks. Last year, she averaged 12 points while shooting 43% overall and 38.6% from behind the three-point arc. With three of the first seven picks in the draft, the Wings will have a much better team than the one that went 10-24 a season ago.
In the 8th spot, the Chicago Sky selected Ruthy Hebard, who is the 3rd Oregon player to go in the first eight picks. Many felt that Beatrice Mompremier would go in this spot, including yours truly, but Chicago went in another direction. Hebard averaged 16.5 ppg and 8.9 rpg in her four years with the Ducks. Last year, she hung up 17.5 ppg and 9.7 rpg while also connecting on an amazing 68% of her shots from the field overall.
The 9th pick in the draft was to go to the Dallas Wings but they traded it away earlier in the week to the New York Liberty in a three-team deal. In that deal, Dallas sent Tayler Hill and the No. 9 and 15 picks in this year’s Draft to the Liberty in exchange for a first-round pick from the Mystics and second-round pick Liberty in the 2021 draft. With this pick, the Liberty selected Megan Walker from UConn. Walker averaged 19.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg at Uconn a season ago.
The Phoenix Mercury selected 10th overall and with that pick, they nabbed Jocelyn Willoughby from Virginia. She had a strong senior season, averaging 19.2 ppg and 7.7 rebounds on 45.1% shooting overall, including 41.6% shooting from long range. In her four year career, she averaged 13.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg while connecting on 38.8% of her shots from beyond the arc.
The Seattle Storm were expected to select Crystal Dangerfield from UConn or Te'a Cooper from Baylor but they went with South Florida guard Kitija Laksha instead. She is from Latvia and will not join the team until 2021. She did not play last year for the Bulls but averaged 18.5 ppg and hit 39.6% of her shots from long range in her four seasons with South Florida. We do note that she played in just 3 games in her final season with the team.
That brings us to the final pick of the first round, which went to the New York Liberty. As a part of a three-team deal, New York traded Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics in exchange for this pick. Charles was the overall number one selection in the 2010 draft and she is a seven-time All-Star while being named league MVP back in 2012. With this pick, the Liberty grabbed Jazmine Jones from Louisville. She averaged 14.1 ppg and hit 54.7% of her shots overall, including 38.1% of her shots from long range last year for the Cards.
2nd Round & 3rd Rounds
I will not have much in-depth in the 2nd and 3rd rounds but here are the picks over the final two rounds.
(13-- From the Dream) The New York Liberty selected Kylee Shook from Louisville. She averaged 10.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg a season ago.
(14-- From Liberty via Lynx) The Indiana Fever selected Kathleen Doyle from Iowa. She averaged 18.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 6.3 apg last year.
(15- From Wings) The New York Liberty selected Leaonna Odom from Duke. The 6-2 forward averaged 14.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg a season ago.
(16- From Fever) The Minnesota Lynx selected UConn guard Crystal Dangerfield. She averaged 14.8 ppg and hit 41.6% of her three last year for the Huskies.
(17- From Mercury) The Atlanta Dream selected Brittany Brewer from Texas Tech. She averaged 16.6 ppg and 10.3 rpg for the Red Raiders last year.
(18- From Lynx) The Phoenix Mercury selected Te'a Cooper from Baylor. The 5-8 guard averaged 13.6 ppg and 4.6 apg a season ago.
(19) The Seattle Storm selected Joyner Holmes, who averaged 13.1 ppg and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Texas Longhorns last year.
(20- From Sky) The Los Angeles Sparks used their first pick in the draft on Beatrice Mompremier, who many felt she would go in the first round. Mopremier averaged 16.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg for the Miami Hurricanes last year.
(21- From Aces) The Dallas Wings selected Luisa Geiselsoder from the FIBA league. She averaged 18.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg a season ago and will not join the team until the 2021/22 season.
(22) The Los Angeles Sparks selected Leonie Fiebich, who is also from the FIBA League. Her stats are unknown.
(23) With their first pick in this draft, the Connecticut Sun selected Kaila Charles, who averaged 15.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg for the Maryland Terrapins last year.
(24) The Washington Mystics had to wait until the last pick of the 2nd round for their first pick of the draft. With this pick, they selected Jalyn Agnew, who averaged 20.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg for the Creighton Bluejays this year.
(25) The Atlanta Dream selected Mikayla Pivec of Oregon State with the first pick of the 3rd round. She averaged 15.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 4.6 apg for the beavers last year. Many felt she was an early 2nd round pick, so the Dream could have gotten a steal here.
(26) The New York Liberty selected Erica Ogwumike, who averaged 19.0 ppg and 10.3 rpg for the Rice owls last year.
(27- From Wings) The Atlanta Dream selected forward Kobi Thornton from Clemson. She averaged 12.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg for the Tigers a season ago.
(28) The Indiana Fever selected Kamiah Smalls, who averaged 18.6 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per game for the James Madison Dukes last year.
(29) The Phoenix Mercury selected Stella Johnson, who is a guard from Rider. Johnson led the nation in scoring last year at 24.4 ppg while also snatching 7.4 rpg.
(30- From Lynx) The Chicago Sky selected Japreece Dean from UCLA. The 5-7 guard averaged 13.8 ppg and 5.5 assists per game for the Bruins last year.
(31) The Seattle Storm selected Haley Gorecki, who is a guard from Duke. She averaged 18.2 [[g and 6.5 rpg a season ago.
(32) The Chicago Sky selected Kiah Gillespie, who many had going in the late first-round or early 2nd round. The Florida State guard averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.7 rpg last year and could be one of the bigger steals of the draft at this spot.
(33) The Las Vegas Aces had to wait all the way to the 33rd pick for their first selection of the draft. With this pick, they selected Lauren Manis from Holy Cross. The 6-1 forward averaged 18.6 ppg and 11.4 rpg for the Crusaders a season ago.
(34) The Los Angeles Sparks selected Tynice Martin, who averaged 14.5 ppg and 4.3 rpg fro the West Virginia Mountaineers last year.
(35) The Connecticut Sun selected Juicy Landrum from Baylor. The 5-8 guard averaged 10.8 ppg and 4.6 rpg for the Bears last year.
(36) with the last pick in the draft, the Washington Mystics selected Sug Sutton, who averaged 10.4 ppg and 4.1 apg for Texas Tech last year.
Grades
Here are my grades for each team in this year’s WNBA Draft.
Atlanta Dream-- B+
Chicago Sky-- B+
Connecticut Sun-- B
Dallas Wings-- A+
Indiana Fever-- A-
Las Vegas Aces-- D
Los Angeles Sparks-- B+
Minnesota Lynx-- A
New York Liberty A-
Phoenix Mercury-- C-
Seattle Storm-- B-
Washington Mystics-- B
There you have it. My full 202 WNBA Draft review. By Friday, I will have my full WNBA Season Preview, so be sure and look for that.
