Post by dreamfan12 on Apr 6, 2023 9:02:03 GMT -5
Here's the latest first round from The Athletic:
Every year, there is at least one player who rockets up the draft boards after a strong performance in the NCAA Tournament, a player who uses the national stage to show off her skills against the toughest opponents and make an impression on WNBA front offices at the most opportune time. In 2022, that was Emily Engstler, who moved from a projected late first-round pick to the lottery after helping take Louisville to the Final Four. Aari McDonald had a similarly meteoric rise in 2021 to the No. 3 pick by leading Arizona to the national title game.
Who will be that player in 2023? The lottery may already be spoken for in this year’s draft, which will begin at 7 p.m. ET Monday, but plenty of participants in the Final Four showcased their ability to elevate their games at the highest level, including Zia Cooke and Ladazhia Williams.
Then again, maybe the story of this year’s draft will be the players who excelled in the tournament but chose to return to college. The current class of draft-eligible seniors still has the opportunity to use the COVID-19 bonus year — as do this year’s juniors — and play an additional season in college before moving to the pros. Given that each WNBA team selecting in the first round already has at least 12 players under contract, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that four first-rounders from last month’s mock draft decided to delay their pro careers, including Aubrey Griffin, Elizabeth Kitley, Charisma Osborne and Celeste Taylor.
The one group of seniors that unanimously decided to take the plunge to the next level came from South Carolina, where all four of the fourth-year Gamecocks (plus Olivia Thompson) declared for the WNBA Draft. That’s where this mock draft — like all the previous editions — will begin.
1. Indiana
Aliyah Boston | 6-foot-5 center | South Carolina
The entire WNBA breathed a collective sigh of relief when Boston elected to go pro, even after being limited to eight points in a surprising upset during her final college game. Boston is the gold standard of this draft class, the player who can anchor a defense for years to come with her paint protection and mobility on the perimeter. She put her individual offense on the back burner this season, working to instead draw in the defense and create space for her teammates to score. Scouts would like to see Boston assert herself more offensively, but she’ll be able to do so with more scoring threats around her and less double (and triple) coverage in the WNBA. Despite this draft class being weak overall, there should be no qualms about Boston being a worthy No. 1 pick.
2. Minnesota
Diamond Miller | 6-3 guard | Maryland
The apple of anonymous GMs’ eyes even before the NCAA Tournament, Miller validated those prognostications with a stellar performance in her final dance. She was excellent on both ends of the floor, spearheading Maryland’s transition attack with her defensive playmaking and taking nearly half of her shots at the rim as no one was able to stop her from getting downhill. Miller averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Terrapins’ run to the Elite Eight. Only foul trouble was able to limit Miller in her final game, and that will be less of an issue in the WNBA, where players disqualify after six fouls. The sky is the limit for Miller if she develops a 3-point shot, but she is already a highly efficient scorer who puts a ton of pressure on opposing teams the minute she steps onto the floor.
3. Dallas (from ATL)
Maddy Siegrist | 6-1 forward | Villanova
This is the third pick in a row whose stock hasn’t dropped since before the tournament; Siegrist maintained her high level of play during March. Siegrist topped 30 points in all of her tournament games, helping Villanova advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 20 years. No matter how much defensive attention was thrown at her, Siegrist managed to put up points, whether from the field or at the foul line. It’s exciting to think about how Siegrist’s game will benefit from less defensive attention, and Dallas hopes she can add an efficient scoring punch off the bench as a rookie.
go-deeper
4. Washington (from ATL)
Jordan Horston | 6-2 guard | Tennessee
The lone Lady Vol to eschew her pandemic bonus year, Horston jumps into the lottery after a strong run in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Tennessee played three eventual Final Four teams in the last five games (LSU, South Carolina and Virginia Tech), and Horston still averaged nearly 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game. Against the top competition, Horston proved that she can always attack the paint and offensive glass, and she is an elite shot-blocker for her position. The spacing on the Mystics should allow Horston to show off the best aspects of her game.
The battle for this spot came down to Horston versus Haley Jones, another playmaking big guard (or forward, but they’re the same height) who sees the floor well but struggles to shoot from distance. Their statistical profiles at the end of the season make a convincing case for Horston: She outpaced Jones in scoring, assist percentage, offensive rebound percentage, turnover percentage, steal rate and block rate. That gives Horston the edge here.
5. Dallas (from PHX via CHI)
Stephanie Soares | 6-6 center | Iowa State
Soares was trying to get a waiver to play one more year of college basketball after tearing her ACL 13 games into this season, but that waiver was denied, and she now becomes the second-best big in this class. At 6-6, Soares does the things a big center should do: She scores in the paint (on post-ups and as a roller), blocks shots and collects a lot of rebounds. She also limited the amount of shot attempts opposing teams got at the rim as well as their shooting percentage on those looks. Iowa State didn’t really bring Soares out of the paint on defense, so her mobility defending on the perimeter remains a question, especially after the knee injury.
But even with the limited amount of film we have of Soares against Division I competition — she spent her first four years at the NAIA level — she looks like a center who can hang in the WNBA. The challenge for the Wings will be to turn her from a functional backup into more than that. Given Dallas’ roster crunch, the team can afford to spend a pick on Soares this year, knowing that she won’t be able to play this season as she rehabs, and then sign her to a rookie deal in 2024.
6. Atlanta (from NYL via CON)
Haley Jones | 6-1 guard/forward | Stanford
Jones was a good fit for Atlanta during the first mock draft back in January, and even though the draft position is a little lower now, Jones still makes sense with the Dream. Atlanta doesn’t have a ton of plus passers at any position, and Jones is a great creator in the half court. Jones could also really juice the Dream’s transition offense. She’s an excellent defensive rebounder and makes superb passes on the break, though she was limited by Stanford’s slow pace from doing so more often. Jones’ limitations as a scorer and shooter will be mitigated by a more up-tempo offense that allows her gift of reading the floor to stand out.
7. Indiana (from DAL)
Brea Beal | 6-1 wing | South Carolina
Indiana will get its center of the future in this draft and already has another frontcourt star-in-the-making in NaLyssa Smith. A young point guard would be a nice complement, but this draft doesn’t have anyone who fits that bill. A 3-and-D wing isn’t a bad consolation prize. Even though Beal struggled defensively in her final collegiate game (who wouldn’t struggle against Caitlin Clark?), she has a long track record of strong positional defense as a wing and even hit 38 percent of her 3-pointers this year. Beal is also an excellent entry passer who doesn’t turn the ball over — two useful characteristics for a team that will be getting a lot of its offense from its bigs.
8. Atlanta (from WAS)
Maia Hirsch | 6-5 center | France (Villeneuve D’Ascq)
Hirsch is the youngest player in this draft class, merely 19, but already a defensive force who has helped her team into second place in the French domestic league and into the EuroCup semifinals. It may seem redundant to bring another French center into Atlanta when the Dream acquired Iliana Rupert this offseason, but it’s unclear when Hirsch will come over. Furthermore, given Hirsch’s defensive versatility and Rupert’s ability to space the floor, it’s possible the two of them could even share the court, and their familiarity with one another may make it easier for Atlanta to convince Hirsch to give the WNBA a chance. She will be a project at her age; fortunately, the Dream don’t need a center to contribute this season with Cheyenne Parker and Rupert already in the fold.
9. Seattle
Laeticia Amihere | 6-4 forward | South Carolina
What Amihere needs more than anything is a chance to stretch her legs and actually play real minutes. She showed the ability to draw fouls, make highlight defensive plays and create for her teammates at South Carolina, but only in spurts as she played about 16 minutes per game. Amihere already has pro-level skills, and Seattle needs a little bit of everything with its massive roster overhaul this offseason. Imagine Amihere playing next to Ezi Magbegor and absolutely wreaking havoc with a switching defense. Or putting her on the point of attack and using her length to disrupt pick-and-roll ballhandlers. She can even run a little backup point guard. The Storm have the leeway to let Amihere figure out what kind of player she is — next to fellow Canadian national Kia Nurse. Amihere’s level of physical talent is too good to pass up in this draft.
10. Los Angeles (from CON)
Taylor Mikesell | 5-11 guard | Ohio State
The Sparks are starved for some spacing after losing Stephanie Talbot and Katie Lou Samuelson for the season. Mikesell is an excellent shooter who made 42 percent of her 3-pointers (6.8 per game) on terrifically high volume in five years of college. Mikesell just needs an inch of space to get her shot off, and her range extends well beyond the 3-point line — she made 38 percent of her jumpers that were at least 25 feet from the basket this year at Ohio State. That’s a useful weapon to have on a Sparks squad with lots of frontcourt players who will naturally clog the team’s spacing.
This could also be a spot for Zia Cooke, who is superior defensively to Mikesell, especially in chasing shooters around screens. Cooke’s 3-point shooting (34 percent at South Carolina) lags behind Mikesell’s, and she’s a little smaller in stature. As a result, it might make sense for the Sparks to take the specialist in Mikesell, someone they can count on to fulfill her role as a spacer.
11. Dallas (from CHI via IND)
Madi Williams | 6-0 forward | Oklahoma
Williams struggled to end the season and was sporting a pretty heavy knee brace during the first two rounds of the tournament. However, she can get buckets, and her size pops in person and off the screen. You can bet that Latricia Trammell noticed Williams when she called some of Oklahoma’s games this year.
12. Minnesota (from LVA)
Grace Berger | 6-0 guard | Indiana
Another potential landing spot for Cooke to end the first round, but the Lynx desperately need a point guard. Berger is a natural playmaker who spent 30 percent of her possessions running pick-and-roll this past season, per Synergy Sports. She reads the floor really well, whether that’s finding an angle to pass to her rolling center or spraying the ball out to shooters. Berger had some difficulties defensively against Miami in Indiana’s upset loss, but still has a history of excellent help defense and good work in isolation. She also already has a WNBA body with her size and strength and should fit in right away as a backup guard in Minnesota.
Who will be that player in 2023? The lottery may already be spoken for in this year’s draft, which will begin at 7 p.m. ET Monday, but plenty of participants in the Final Four showcased their ability to elevate their games at the highest level, including Zia Cooke and Ladazhia Williams.
Then again, maybe the story of this year’s draft will be the players who excelled in the tournament but chose to return to college. The current class of draft-eligible seniors still has the opportunity to use the COVID-19 bonus year — as do this year’s juniors — and play an additional season in college before moving to the pros. Given that each WNBA team selecting in the first round already has at least 12 players under contract, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that four first-rounders from last month’s mock draft decided to delay their pro careers, including Aubrey Griffin, Elizabeth Kitley, Charisma Osborne and Celeste Taylor.
The one group of seniors that unanimously decided to take the plunge to the next level came from South Carolina, where all four of the fourth-year Gamecocks (plus Olivia Thompson) declared for the WNBA Draft. That’s where this mock draft — like all the previous editions — will begin.
1. Indiana
Aliyah Boston | 6-foot-5 center | South Carolina
The entire WNBA breathed a collective sigh of relief when Boston elected to go pro, even after being limited to eight points in a surprising upset during her final college game. Boston is the gold standard of this draft class, the player who can anchor a defense for years to come with her paint protection and mobility on the perimeter. She put her individual offense on the back burner this season, working to instead draw in the defense and create space for her teammates to score. Scouts would like to see Boston assert herself more offensively, but she’ll be able to do so with more scoring threats around her and less double (and triple) coverage in the WNBA. Despite this draft class being weak overall, there should be no qualms about Boston being a worthy No. 1 pick.
2. Minnesota
Diamond Miller | 6-3 guard | Maryland
The apple of anonymous GMs’ eyes even before the NCAA Tournament, Miller validated those prognostications with a stellar performance in her final dance. She was excellent on both ends of the floor, spearheading Maryland’s transition attack with her defensive playmaking and taking nearly half of her shots at the rim as no one was able to stop her from getting downhill. Miller averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Terrapins’ run to the Elite Eight. Only foul trouble was able to limit Miller in her final game, and that will be less of an issue in the WNBA, where players disqualify after six fouls. The sky is the limit for Miller if she develops a 3-point shot, but she is already a highly efficient scorer who puts a ton of pressure on opposing teams the minute she steps onto the floor.
3. Dallas (from ATL)
Maddy Siegrist | 6-1 forward | Villanova
This is the third pick in a row whose stock hasn’t dropped since before the tournament; Siegrist maintained her high level of play during March. Siegrist topped 30 points in all of her tournament games, helping Villanova advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 20 years. No matter how much defensive attention was thrown at her, Siegrist managed to put up points, whether from the field or at the foul line. It’s exciting to think about how Siegrist’s game will benefit from less defensive attention, and Dallas hopes she can add an efficient scoring punch off the bench as a rookie.
go-deeper
4. Washington (from ATL)
Jordan Horston | 6-2 guard | Tennessee
The lone Lady Vol to eschew her pandemic bonus year, Horston jumps into the lottery after a strong run in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Tennessee played three eventual Final Four teams in the last five games (LSU, South Carolina and Virginia Tech), and Horston still averaged nearly 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game. Against the top competition, Horston proved that she can always attack the paint and offensive glass, and she is an elite shot-blocker for her position. The spacing on the Mystics should allow Horston to show off the best aspects of her game.
The battle for this spot came down to Horston versus Haley Jones, another playmaking big guard (or forward, but they’re the same height) who sees the floor well but struggles to shoot from distance. Their statistical profiles at the end of the season make a convincing case for Horston: She outpaced Jones in scoring, assist percentage, offensive rebound percentage, turnover percentage, steal rate and block rate. That gives Horston the edge here.
5. Dallas (from PHX via CHI)
Stephanie Soares | 6-6 center | Iowa State
Soares was trying to get a waiver to play one more year of college basketball after tearing her ACL 13 games into this season, but that waiver was denied, and she now becomes the second-best big in this class. At 6-6, Soares does the things a big center should do: She scores in the paint (on post-ups and as a roller), blocks shots and collects a lot of rebounds. She also limited the amount of shot attempts opposing teams got at the rim as well as their shooting percentage on those looks. Iowa State didn’t really bring Soares out of the paint on defense, so her mobility defending on the perimeter remains a question, especially after the knee injury.
But even with the limited amount of film we have of Soares against Division I competition — she spent her first four years at the NAIA level — she looks like a center who can hang in the WNBA. The challenge for the Wings will be to turn her from a functional backup into more than that. Given Dallas’ roster crunch, the team can afford to spend a pick on Soares this year, knowing that she won’t be able to play this season as she rehabs, and then sign her to a rookie deal in 2024.
6. Atlanta (from NYL via CON)
Haley Jones | 6-1 guard/forward | Stanford
Jones was a good fit for Atlanta during the first mock draft back in January, and even though the draft position is a little lower now, Jones still makes sense with the Dream. Atlanta doesn’t have a ton of plus passers at any position, and Jones is a great creator in the half court. Jones could also really juice the Dream’s transition offense. She’s an excellent defensive rebounder and makes superb passes on the break, though she was limited by Stanford’s slow pace from doing so more often. Jones’ limitations as a scorer and shooter will be mitigated by a more up-tempo offense that allows her gift of reading the floor to stand out.
7. Indiana (from DAL)
Brea Beal | 6-1 wing | South Carolina
Indiana will get its center of the future in this draft and already has another frontcourt star-in-the-making in NaLyssa Smith. A young point guard would be a nice complement, but this draft doesn’t have anyone who fits that bill. A 3-and-D wing isn’t a bad consolation prize. Even though Beal struggled defensively in her final collegiate game (who wouldn’t struggle against Caitlin Clark?), she has a long track record of strong positional defense as a wing and even hit 38 percent of her 3-pointers this year. Beal is also an excellent entry passer who doesn’t turn the ball over — two useful characteristics for a team that will be getting a lot of its offense from its bigs.
8. Atlanta (from WAS)
Maia Hirsch | 6-5 center | France (Villeneuve D’Ascq)
Hirsch is the youngest player in this draft class, merely 19, but already a defensive force who has helped her team into second place in the French domestic league and into the EuroCup semifinals. It may seem redundant to bring another French center into Atlanta when the Dream acquired Iliana Rupert this offseason, but it’s unclear when Hirsch will come over. Furthermore, given Hirsch’s defensive versatility and Rupert’s ability to space the floor, it’s possible the two of them could even share the court, and their familiarity with one another may make it easier for Atlanta to convince Hirsch to give the WNBA a chance. She will be a project at her age; fortunately, the Dream don’t need a center to contribute this season with Cheyenne Parker and Rupert already in the fold.
9. Seattle
Laeticia Amihere | 6-4 forward | South Carolina
What Amihere needs more than anything is a chance to stretch her legs and actually play real minutes. She showed the ability to draw fouls, make highlight defensive plays and create for her teammates at South Carolina, but only in spurts as she played about 16 minutes per game. Amihere already has pro-level skills, and Seattle needs a little bit of everything with its massive roster overhaul this offseason. Imagine Amihere playing next to Ezi Magbegor and absolutely wreaking havoc with a switching defense. Or putting her on the point of attack and using her length to disrupt pick-and-roll ballhandlers. She can even run a little backup point guard. The Storm have the leeway to let Amihere figure out what kind of player she is — next to fellow Canadian national Kia Nurse. Amihere’s level of physical talent is too good to pass up in this draft.
10. Los Angeles (from CON)
Taylor Mikesell | 5-11 guard | Ohio State
The Sparks are starved for some spacing after losing Stephanie Talbot and Katie Lou Samuelson for the season. Mikesell is an excellent shooter who made 42 percent of her 3-pointers (6.8 per game) on terrifically high volume in five years of college. Mikesell just needs an inch of space to get her shot off, and her range extends well beyond the 3-point line — she made 38 percent of her jumpers that were at least 25 feet from the basket this year at Ohio State. That’s a useful weapon to have on a Sparks squad with lots of frontcourt players who will naturally clog the team’s spacing.
This could also be a spot for Zia Cooke, who is superior defensively to Mikesell, especially in chasing shooters around screens. Cooke’s 3-point shooting (34 percent at South Carolina) lags behind Mikesell’s, and she’s a little smaller in stature. As a result, it might make sense for the Sparks to take the specialist in Mikesell, someone they can count on to fulfill her role as a spacer.
11. Dallas (from CHI via IND)
Madi Williams | 6-0 forward | Oklahoma
Williams struggled to end the season and was sporting a pretty heavy knee brace during the first two rounds of the tournament. However, she can get buckets, and her size pops in person and off the screen. You can bet that Latricia Trammell noticed Williams when she called some of Oklahoma’s games this year.
12. Minnesota (from LVA)
Grace Berger | 6-0 guard | Indiana
Another potential landing spot for Cooke to end the first round, but the Lynx desperately need a point guard. Berger is a natural playmaker who spent 30 percent of her possessions running pick-and-roll this past season, per Synergy Sports. She reads the floor really well, whether that’s finding an angle to pass to her rolling center or spraying the ball out to shooters. Berger had some difficulties defensively against Miami in Indiana’s upset loss, but still has a history of excellent help defense and good work in isolation. She also already has a WNBA body with her size and strength and should fit in right away as a backup guard in Minnesota.
Dream are not passing on Amihere in the first for Hirsch. Who I also like. But yeah. And there is zero chance Haley Jones falls to 6.
when it doesn't even appear that she'll be showing up this year?
