While Hollingshed's shot has improved, it's still not mechanically as sound as it could be. 1 overall pick, and potential steals. Pro-ready skill: Henderson understands a big moment, and the body of work she presented in the NCAA tournament not only increased the amount of eyes on her but also improved her draft stock. Another question is: Will she improve her lateral quickness to defend other 3s when she plays on the wing rather than in the post? Its a departure from what Fowles gave the Lynx, but lets be real: Theres only one Sylvia Fowles. It all made for a fascinating reshuffling of the leagues talent base, just a week after the NCAA Final Four and a little over a month until the 2023 season begins on May 19. 7:36 pm ET, the drama has already started with a blockbuster trade, Griner to pen book about Russian detainment experience, 2023 WNBA Draft: Full results, first-round grades, 2023 WNBA Draft winners and losers: Fever hit jackpot, WNBA expands charter flight program for upcoming season, 2023 WNBA Mock Draft: Aliyah Boston goes No. Projected draft position: Early second round, 4. She can score at all three levels, handle the ball and distribute it when needed, play at least three positions (the 2, 3 and the 4) and use her 6'2" size and long arms to defend when she wants to. Last season was largely going to plan for the Storm until Breanna Stewart suffered a season-ending Achilles injury that eventually required minor surgery, and they crashed out of the playoffs in the second round. 1, and what will happen once we get beyond No. The. 6-keys: media/spln/wnba/reg/free/stories, at Naz Hillmon (Michigan, Forward, Senior). While Smith also can defend well, according to Em Adler of The Next, she can take some dribbles off that lead her to being disadvantaged while defending drives to the basket. 1 spot. The 2023 WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) Draft, the WNBA's draft for the 2023 WNBA season and 28th draft in WNBA history, was held following the 2022-23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season.The 2023 draft took place at Spring Studios New York on April 10, 2023. Questions the prospect raises: While the 5'7" Pointer has proved herself as a talented scoring guard, her push passes at point guard could use work. The Sun tied a franchise record for wins last season, finished with the best record in the league and had the MVP (Jonquel Jones), Most Improved Player (Brionna Jones) and Coach of the Year (Curt Miller). Questions the prospect raises: When I saw Cunane live and up-close, it was clear she needs to improve her defense. "As the game goes along, you'd swear she's 5'9", 5'10". Ahead of the big night, here are the biggest needs and potential fits for each team. In addition, the team let veterans Liz Cambage and Angel McCoughtry (missed last season due to a torn ACL) walk in free agency and did not make any major additions to replace them. Bibby's athleticism and lack of lateral quickness are things she'll struggle with if she makes it to a WNBA training camp. "The great thing about Pointer is she plays taller than she is," Dunn, . The event will begin Monday at 7 p.m. At 6'1", she's a post player who can facilitate, move well off the ball and score fluidly in transition, and she's proved she can make a catch-and-shoot jump shot from beyond the arc. On that night, 36 players will hear their names called and accomplish their dream of becoming professional basketball. Nia Clouden (Michigan State, Guard, Senior). Jordan Lewis (Baylor, Guard, Graduate Student). Hull's pro-ready skills are mostly based upon her intangibles, or the attributes that she has that can't be taught. Also, how will she adapt to being more of a serviceable player rather than being the nucleus of what her team does? while averaging 6.5 attempts per game in her final collegiate season. There is a general consensus among multiple WNBA talent evaluators that the 2022 draft will be a lot deeper than it has in years. She's also proved she can take and make threes, although her shots have been more contested as the No. Olivia Nelson-Ododa (UConn, Forward/Center, Senior). 1. Questions the prospect raises: Dodson played her best basketball with the Irish in 2021-22, but how she matched up against Elissa Cunane in her final collegiate game was concerning. 3. But the Fevers haul was just getting started with Boston. She's an exceptional rim protector who can hedge in addition to function in drop coverages. section: | slug: wnba-draft-2022-biggest-needs-and-potential-prospect-fits-for-all-12-teams | sport: wnba | route: article_single.us | Howard Megdal is editor-in-chief of The Next, a womens basketball site, and founder of the womens sports newsletter The IX. How much has this affected her athleticism on defense, and how much of a concern is her health to talent evaluators? NEW YORK, April 6, 2022 - The WNBA announced today that additional players from colleges and universities have formally filed for inclusion as candidates for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented. Kianna Smith (Louisville, Guard, Redshirt Senior). If this team can stay healthy, it should be right back in the playoff mix. At 6'1", Jones showed the type of matchup problem she can create against smaller guards and slower bigs in NC State's Elite Eight double-overtime loss against UConn. Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center, Senior). The Indiana Fever added a massive amount of frontcourt help, headlined by No. Maya Dodson (Notre Dame, Forward/Center, Graduate Student). Projected draft position: Within the draft lottery and potential No. With the first games of the 2022 NCAA women's basketball tournament tipping off this week, it's time to evaluate the best WNBA prospects. The three stars are among the 108 eligible players vying to be one of 36 picks to go pro stateside. Home; WNBA Drafts; Player Rankings; About us; Offensively, Engstler's versatility is what makes her so valuable. Her efficiency from deep will also need to improve at the pro level. 7 overall pick to the Fever for Julie Allemand as part of a three-team deal made it clear this team is all-in on defending the title and will worry about the future when it arrives. Even when Smith has a defender with similar size guarding her, what makes her unique is her ability to elevate above the defense and score at 6'4". Elissa Cunane (NC State, Center, Senior). Khayla Pointer (LSU, Guard, Graduate Student), Pro-ready skill: Pointer can score at a very high level. Still, given Griner's situation it's probably worth taking a swing at some frontcourt prospects. Prospects given approximate draft projections are divided into positions and ranked in order of their league readiness. Pro-ready skill: While Paige Bueckers was out for a couple of months, Nelson-Ododa proved how versatile she can be as a point-post player. Traded Draft Picks: Wings get Sky first round pick. She also is coming from a mid-major school in Delaware that didn't allow her to compete against the more pro-ready talents in the country. The Aces have taken the fewest 3-pointers per game in the league for five straight seasons, and that will change under Hammon. This season from beyond the arc, she shot 38.7 percent, which places her in the 91st percentile, according to Her Hoops Stats. Possible fits: Destanni Henderson, Christyn Williams, Veronica Burton. She was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award alongside South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Stanford's Cameron Brink and Northwestern's Veronica Burton. Due to those factors, it was not surprising to see them trade the Nos. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Rounds 2 and 3. Before we reveal our final mock draft the morning of draft day, we've compiled a big board of must-know prospects, outlined what makes them pro-ready and noted common concerns about the state of their game. Pointer can score at a very high level. Through a series of previous trades they do not have a lottery pick, but they do have No. Defensively, her footwork and quickness aren't where they need to be to help contain drives to the basket. Draft-lottery hopeful to middle of the first round. NEW YORK, March 10, 2022 - The WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm will be held on Monday, April 11. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Pro-ready skill: Cunane is a solid post scorer who thrives with her back to the basket. 2022-23: Started all 33 game, joined Ali Patberg and Aleksa Gulbe as program's all-time winningest players (90), finished fourth in minutes in the Big Ten, sixth in assists and 11 th in scoring . I worked countless hours with Coach [Glenn] Box, our assistant coach at Indiana, on different finishes, getting to a spot and finishing over bigger, stronger, quicker defenders. At 6'4", Staiti can stretch as a mid-range and three-point jump-shooter. 4 pick Stephanie Soares to the Wings for Dallass second-round pick in 2024 and Atlantas first-round pick in 2025. Projected draft position: Early- to mid-second round, 5. Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward, Senior). Although at 6'3" she has length and size as a post player, she also struggled with physicality and staying out of foul trouble. Here's my (no, it's not too early) list of the top 15 prospects for the 2022 WNBA Draft. 1 overall pick from the Washington Mystics. Projected draft position: Later in the third round. But get excited for the teams that added the WNBAs next generation of stars including a Boston-led group that might turn the league on its head sooner than you think. With the 2022 WNBA Draft less than three weeks away, its time to start marking projections on how things may play out on Monday, April 11 (7:00 p.m., ESPN) in New York City. Jenna Staiti (Georgia, Center, Graduate Student). I think there's a pretty clear top. She can guard multiple positions, play both on and off the ball, distribute as a ball-handler and score at all three levels. Hillmon has underdeveloped perimeter skills as a 6'2" forward, as she's only able to score at one level. She also has a reliable mid-range jumper. Questions the prospect raises: While Hillmon has notable intangibles, she has glaring downsides. During her senior season, she shot 39.3 percent from three on 4.3 attempts per game. She was a. for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award alongside South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Stanford's Cameron Brink and Northwestern's Veronica Burton. States States. WNBA talent evaluators value prospects who can create a shot from multiple levels, both off the dribble and on a kickout, something Burrell can do with ease. 2020-21 stats: 20.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg After a bumpy start . On the floor, it's Hull's ability from beyond the arc that should make her a shoo-in for a spot in a WNBA training camp. The Storm's rotation is pretty much locked in, and they don't have any picks until the middle of the second round, so it should be a rather uneventful draft night. began the season with a leg injury, which she might not be completely healed from. To that front it's worth noting that their roster looks largely set, they have 15 players coming to training camp and only about $12,000 in cap space and are all-in to win in Fowles' final season. Had . The Mystics were hoping to compete for a title last season, but ended up in the lottery instead because they were cursed with an absolutely horrible injury situation. But Each Team's Path Was Far From It. A skilled 7-foot center with a mature 235-pound frame . Moving to Serbian club Mega Basket last summer, Petrusev was named ABA League Most Valuable Player averaging 23 points and 7.6 rebounds. Questions the prospect raises: Sabally only played in two collegiate seasons due to two ACL tears, and during the 2021-2022 season, she reinjured her right knee. Questions the prospect raises: While Nelson-Ododa stands at 6'5" and has long arms, she has struggled with physicality and strong finishes. 1 pick. 2022-23 Season Schedule; . The deal solidified their frontcourt and made their draft night less interesting. It was exclusively televised on ESPN in the United States and on TSN3/5 in Canada. Months later, the 2021 ACC Defensive Player of . In her final collegiate season, Gray shot. Im pretty confident just because of just simply spacing, Boston told assembled media on draft night. After yet another playoff failure, the Aces made some big changes this winter, both on and off the court. 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