Best collegiate players whose pro careers didn't pan out

[bballnut90]

Who were some of the best collegiate players whose careers never came to fruition? Here are some standouts whose careers never took off in the pros despite being great collegiately:

1. Jackie Stiles-we were robbed of watching how good she would become. She beat out Lauren Jackson for ROY.
2. Shea Ralph-NPOY caliber player but her knees didn't hold up
3. Lauren Cox-she was a 2 way beast at Baylor. Fantastic defender, rebounder and a strong passer and scoring option inside. She's gotten beat out in the pros by many players she dominated in college.
4. Nina Davis-her skill set and size was never a good pro combo but she was brilliant at Baylor. Just a work horse and a heck of a rebounder at her size.
5. Jessica Davenport-dominant back to the basket center for Ohio State in the mid 00s. 6-5, skilled, great touch and footwork. 3x All American and never had a good pro career.

 

[oldhusky]

Charlie Collier comes to mind. A number 1 overall pick who couldn't make it and I don't think it was due to any devastating injuries.

 

[Bone Dog]

There’s a natural funnel effect.

Thousands of kids play in hs and the range of age and ability is wide. Several hundred kids graduate to D1 each year and now the range of age and ability they compete against is not nearly so wide.

Perhaps only the top 10% (or some other number) make it onto a D1 team. But now they’re playing against much tougher competition and not all will shine.

Each year only a few dozen kids out of the hundreds who were starters on their teams graduate to the WNBA, and some number of these will not thrive in an even narrower range of skills and abilities. The funnel seems to get narrower as you go.

This seems like a natural result, predictable even. I’m more intrigued by players who weren’t heralded in D1 but somehow made it. Can we think of any like this?

 

[PoppaBear]

Janelle McCarville, Minnesota and LaToya Thomas, Miss State come to mind. Both #1 picks that underwelmed as pros.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I’m more intrigued by players who weren’t heralded in D1 but somehow made it. Can we think of any like this?

Two that come to mind for me, although both took a long time after college to stick in the WNBA--Sami Whitcomb and Rebekah Gardner.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Two that come to mind for me, although both took a long time after college to stick in the WNBA--Sami Whitcomb and Rebekah Gardner.

Add Kayla Thorton to that list.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Back to the OP's question, that's a good one. So many really good college players don't stick in the W, it's hard to know where to even start. Going back a ways, Giuliana Mendiola was a fantastic player at Washington, was a pro for a year or two, but that was it. That was maybe the league that preceded the WNBA? Can't remember for sure.

 

[nwhoopfan]

We probably need another thread cuz we're gonna derail this one, but where did Cheyenne Parker come from? I have zero recollection of her from college.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

There are so many options to this thread. Another player i would like to add in is Alysha Clark from MTSU. She was a 5-11 F/C and led the nation in scoring. She completely changed her game to be a guard wing and has had a pretty great pro career. When she was coming out of college most doubted she would make it.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

We probably need another thread cuz we're gonna derail this one, but where did Cheyenne Parker come from? I have zero recollection of her from college.

Middle Tennessee. Same as Alysha Clark

Both transferred to MTSU. Clark from Belmont and Parker from High Point.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Just did a cursory search of first round draft picks over the last 10 years and 2 names stuck out to me.

Shoni Schimmel could have had a great pro career.
Alexis Jones was a great guard for Duke and Baylor. Not sure what happened to her.

 

[triaddukefan]

We probably need another thread cuz we're gonna derail this one, but where did Cheyenne Parker come from? I have zero recollection of her from college.

Played for three seasons for MY Panthers of High Point. She was a beast of a player her sophomore and Junior years. MTSU gets the credit, but she played 81% of her collegiate games (93 of 115) for the Mighty Panthers.

I can't believe you don't remember her in Purple and White

 

[KY Card Fan]

Just did a cursory search of first round draft picks over the last 10 years and 2 names stuck out to me.

Shoni Schimmel could have had a great pro career.
Alexis Jones was a great guard for Duke and Baylor. Not sure what happened to her.

I agree about Shoni. Mostly self-inflicted damage unfortunately.

 

[TheFarmFan]

As a numerical matter, Charli Collier has to be at the top of the list. From #1 draft pick to waived within two seasons? Hard to think of anyone who tops that.

And yeah, in retrospect the 2021 draft class might have been the weakest of all time.

 

[MilfordHusky]

As a numerical matter, Charli Collier has to be at the top of the list. From #1 draft pick to waived within two seasons? Hard to think of anyone who tops that.

And yeah, in retrospect the 2021 draft class might have been the weakest of all time.

That was a VERY weak draft.

Players that are (maybe) still in the W:

Kuier
McDonald (injured)
Onyenwere
Evans
Carrington

Not exactly an all-star lineup. Anyone else?

In contrast, the 2020 draft had some stars and other solid players:

Ionescu
Sabally (Satou)
Harris
Hebard
Willoughby
Dangerfield (ROY)
Holmes
Sutton

 

[Gus Mahler]

The 2020 class also had Chennedy Carter (I think) as a prime example of a flop.

That was a VERY weak draft.

Players that are (maybe) still in the W:

Kuier
McDonald (injured)
Onyenwere
Evans
Carrington

Not exactly an all-star lineup. Anyone else?

In contrast, the 2020 draft had some stars and other solid players:

Ionescu
Sabally (Satou)
Harris
Hebard
Willoughby
Dangerfield (ROY)
Holmes
Sutton

 

[Gus Mahler]

I hate to post this, but Morgan Tuck was a great college player who had a tough go in the W. A lot of that was her knees, I'm sure.

Also, Megan Walker was a high draft pick who never blossomed. Maybe she will yet make it.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Maybe Mosqueda-Lewis as well, if we're picking on UConn players.

 

[Bone Dog]

What's our standard here? Are we setting the cutoff above or below age 40? Players who aren't active in the W at 40 don't count.

 

[Geew1992]

The 2020 class also had Chennedy Carter (I think) as a prime example of a flop.

Her attitude contributed to that

 

[azfan]

I agree about Shoni. Mostly self-inflicted damage unfortunately.

She had that amazing all star game in 2014. I think that year she had the best selling jersey in the W.

 

[JellyBean]

There is a laundry list of players who were Elite college players but their pro career did not measure up. Just off the top of my head, I have:

Edna Campbell/Texas
Stephanie White/Purdue
Sonja Henning/Stanford
Ruth Riley/ND
Jenny Mowe/Oregon
Stacey Dales/Oklahoma
Alana Beard/Duke
Shameka Christon/Arkansas
Tan White-Mississippi State
Monique Curry/Duke
Sophia Young/Baylor
Lindsey Harding/Duke
Alison Bales/Duke
Ashley/Courtney Paris/Oklahoma

 

[triaddukefan]

There is a laundry list of players who were Elite college players but their pro career did not measure up. Just off the top of my head, I have:

Edna Campbell/Texas
Stephanie White/Purdue
Sonja Henning/Stanford
Ruth Riley/ND
Jenny Mowe/Oregon
Stacey Dales/Oklahoma
Alana Beard/Duke
Shameka Christon/Arkansas
Tan White-Mississippi State
Monique Curry/Duke
Sophia Young/Baylor
Lindsey Harding/Duke
Alison Bales/Duke
Ashley/Courtney Paris/Oklahoma

hey now.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Okay, several school have gotten picked on. Stanford has a handful as well. Candice Wiggins and Nicole Powell for instance.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Okay, several school have gotten picked on. Stanford has a handful as well. Candice Wiggins and Nicole Powell for instance.

Let's just be really real. Just about everyone from Stanford but Nneka. (and I very much hope, and expect, Brink to be another exception.)