Weak WNBA draft

[Happydad745]

Only 2 seniors are in the first and second All American teams...and the ESPN #1 pick is an honorable mention. I wonder if that is one of the reasons headlines have been pushing for a change in the draft age rules.

 

[UcMiami]

To some degree, yes. It is actually pretty rare where you see two players like Caitlin and Paige in the women's game, and they would actually be, as Sue said, drafted as investments and not as players for this year's WNBA season. They have great skills, but in a few years they will be stronger and much more mature. There are years where no freshman in college would be of any interest to a WNBA team and I cannot think of a single player in 20 years that was actually ready to be a pro straight from HS or after a year of college. Even college graduates have a steep learning curve on how to be a pro with little infrastructure to help them develop.

All you need to look at is how players like Sloot took awhile to mature in the W having been so impressive as a college player during her 4 years.

So what are people actual saying - let Paige and Caitlin make some money immediately, and some team will invest a draft pick and coach them for 3 months a year and hope that they actually learn all the things, and develop the habits that a college will teach them during 10 months a year, providing them housing, food, and facilities right outside their door. Oh, yeah, and give them for free a pretty good education and a piece of paper that they sort of need when their playing career ends and they think about another job. A piece of paper that will cost them a lot of money to obtain as soon as they enter the draft.

 

[Happydad745]

Personally I do not support a change in the draft age, but do support an athlete receiving money from other things through social medias. I think changing to a one and done menu would damage Women's College Basketball.

 

[Reypl21]

I watched an interview of Cheryl Reeve's today. The Lynx have the 9th pick. She said that this draft doesnt have any projected superstars, and any picks still playing in 4 years would be surprising. This class and next years class are going to be weak. It's hard to follow the extraordinary deep 2018 and 2019 draft classes, and 2020 turned out to be decent.

 

[eebmg]

In the past, didn't teams in weak drafts take projects from Europe for example that may pan out a few years down the road. If so, is it possible within the rules of the draft to take special college underclassman (wink, wink) before they are draft eligible and retain their rights??

Or do players have to officially declare for the draft to be considered for any year?

Did long term projects in Europe have to do that or since they are not amateurs, they do not have to declare for the draft?

 

[Centerstream]

In the past, didn't teams in weak drafts take projects from Europe for example that may pan out a few years down the road. If so, is it possible within the rules of the draft to take special college underclassman (wink, wink) before they are draft eligible and retain their rights??

Or do players have to officially declare for the draft to be considered for any year?

Did long term projects in Europe have to do that or since they are not amateurs, they do not have to declare for the draft?

I believe, currently, that eligible players have to declare for the draft. They also can undeclare within a certain time frame. Once they declare, they forfeit any remaining college eligibility.
However I would think that if the draft eligibility is changed for underclassmen then the W would have to change their rules.
Also if underclassmen can be drafted but can complete their college careers sort of ruins the current lottery where the team with the worst record gets to draft first in order to get immediate help. Probably wouldn't help them if they have to wait 3 years and who knows what happens if a team folds because they keep losing money...

 

[dtbtbtb]

The current system is just fine. With the NBA and the one and done too many players who declared were out of the league after very short time when maybe staying in college and developing their skills would have been better for a long career. The are outliers as I'm sure both Paige and Clark would do very well in the WNBA even this next season if they were able (and wanted to) to declare early but those are truly exceptional players and there are very very few of those.

 

[bballnut90]

This draft rivals 2017 as one of the weakest ever. Next year's should be decent with Nalyssa Smith/Rhyne Howard, plus others like Christyn Williams, Nyara Sabally, Sedona Prince, Naz Hillmon, Queen Egbo and Ashley Joens) and 2023 will be excellent and could be legendary if eligible juniors like Bueckers leave early too.

 

[GMP 65]

To some degree, yes. It is actually pretty rare where you see two players like Caitlin and Paige in the women's game, and they would actually be, as Sue said, drafted as investments and not as players for this year's WNBA season. They have great skills, but in a few years they will be stronger and much more mature. There are years where no freshman in college would be of any interest to a WNBA team and I cannot think of a single player in 20 years that was actually ready to be a pro straight from HS or after a year of college. Even college graduates have a steep learning curve on how to be a pro with little infrastructure to help them develop.

All you need to look at is how players like Sloot took awhile to mature in the W having been so impressive as a college player during her 4 years.

So what are people actual saying - let Paige and Caitlin make some money immediately, and some team will invest a draft pick and coach them for 3 months a year and hope that they actually learn all the things, and develop the habits that a college will teach them during 10 months a year, providing them housing, food, and facilities right outside their door. Oh, yeah, and give them for free a pretty good education and a piece of paper that they sort of need when their playing career ends and they think about another job. A piece of paper that will cost them a lot of money to obtain as soon as they enter the draft.

That's it. Have a one and done for the girl's game. It would become unbearable to watch. Just like the men's game.

 

[bballnut90]

To some degree, yes. It is actually pretty rare where you see two players like Caitlin and Paige in the women's game, and they would actually be, as Sue said, drafted as investments and not as players for this year's WNBA season. They have great skills, but in a few years they will be stronger and much more mature. There are years where no freshman in college would be of any interest to a WNBA team and I cannot think of a single player in 20 years that was actually ready to be a pro straight from HS or after a year of college.

Candace Parker and Maya Moore were WNBA ready out of HS. Stewart/Griner after 1 year would have been WNBA ready and impactful. I didn't see a ton of her in college but my guess is EDD too. Clark and Bueckers may not be stars in the pros had they jumped after this year but both wouldve been big time contributors as rookies with the right team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If I'm a GM with a long-term contract, I'm trading 2021 draft picks for 2024 first-round picks. I'd try to get all 12 picks, if possible.

 

[UcMiami]

I suspect there will be a lot of foreign players drafted this year - more than average. And many are not 'developmental' but are players that may not want to move to the US for their normal down time off season. They are the same players that college fans salivate over as possible recruits who turn pro rather than play college ball in the US. Someone posted a list of the top European pros for the draft a few days ago and it is quite impressive.

 

[UcMiami]

Candace Parker and Maya Moore were WNBA ready out of HS. Stewart/Griner after 1 year would have been WNBA ready and impactful. I didn't see a ton of her in college but my guess is EDD too. Clark and Bueckers may not be stars in the pros had they jumped after this year but both wouldve been big time contributors as rookies with the right team.

Griner needed a lot of coaching from DT after four years of college. Stewart and Parker were much better players after four years of college than they were as sophomores in college. Maya was pretty useless as a junior on the NT as was Stewart as a college kid. They all had obvious talent and would have made it to the bench on WNBA teams, but would they have gotten the coaching and strength and conditioning from their WNBA teams during the season that they received year around at their schools. I doubt it, and they would not have had the money on a rookie salary to hire the world class staffs and facilities they enjoyed in college after paying housing and living expenses. And non-WNBA stars don't get the plum overseas jobs and would have even less support in a foreign country than they get from their WNBA teams.
Do you really thing Paige and Caitlin will not be both physically and mentally stronger and emotionally more mature with three more years in college. Do you think DT is not a much better player for having been coached by Geno for 4 years?

 

[bballnut90]

Griner needed a lot of coaching from DT after four years of college. Stewart and Parker were much better players after four years of college than they were as sophomores in college. Maya was pretty useless as a junior on the NT as was Stewart as a college kid. They all had obvious talent and would have made it to the bench on WNBA teams, but would they have gotten the coaching and strength and conditioning from their WNBA teams during the season that they received year around at their schools. I doubt it, and they would not have had the money on a rookie salary to hire the world class staffs and facilities they enjoyed in college after paying housing and living expenses. And non-WNBA stars don't get the plum overseas jobs and would have even less support in a foreign country than they get from their WNBA teams.
Do you really thing Paige and Caitlin will not be both physically and mentally stronger and emotionally more mature with three more years in college. Do you think DT is not a much better player for having been coached by Geno for 4 years?

These players improved in college but every one wouldve been impactful as pros coming out of HS or 1 year of college.

Parker was a top producer with USA basketball's senior team after her freshman year at Tennessee. She had a monster showing vs Lauren Jackson IIRC when Jackson was in her prime.

Maya and Stewart made the national team while in college, too. While they didn't produce well, they were playing with literally the best players in the world as teammates. It isn't comparable to their USA basketball experience to their projected impact at the WNBA. Both wouldve been impactful players from a much younger age even if they weren't all-world yet. Stewart was every bit as good as Chiney Ogwumike during the 2013-14 season, and Chiney had a stellar year and won WNBA ROY. I dont doubt that Stewart could've produced a similar season.

Griner too wouldve been on the Olympic team in college had she decided to play. There's also a fallacy that Kim did a crummy job with her which couldn't be further from the truth. Kim's team's underdelivered, but she did a heck of a job developing Griner into arguably the dominant low post collegiate player ever. Griner wouldve been a WNBA starting center after her freshman or sophomore season even if she wasn't close to her prime yet. That to me is "pro ready."

Clark and Bueckers could absolutely use more time in college to pack on muscle and improve their games, but I absolutely think they'd be impact players in the pros if they were drafted this summer.

 

[eebmg]

These players improved in college but every one wouldve been impactful as pros coming out of HS or 1 year of college.

Parker was a top producer with USA basketball's senior team after her freshman year at Tennessee. She had a monster showing vs Lauren Jackson IIRC when Jackson was in her prime.

Maya and Stewart made the national team while in college, too. While they didn't produce well, they were playing with literally the best players in the world as teammates. It isn't comparable to their USA basketball experience to their projected impact at the WNBA. Both wouldve been impactful players from a much younger age even if they weren't all-world yet. Stewart was every bit as good as Chiney Ogwumike during the 2013-14 season, and Chiney had a stellar year and won WNBA ROY. I dont doubt that Stewart could've produced a similar season.

Griner too wouldve been on the Olympic team in college had she decided to play. There's also a fallacy that Kim did a crummy job with her which couldn't be further from the truth. Kim's team's underdelivered, but she did a heck of a job developing Griner into arguably the dominant low post collegiate player ever. Griner wouldve been a WNBA starting center after her freshman or sophomore season even if she wasn't close to her prime yet. That to me is "pro ready."

Clark and Bueckers could absolutely use more time in college to pack on muscle and improve their games, but I absolutely think they'd be impact players in the pros if they were drafted this summer.

I think Clark is an interesting case. I think physically, she is strong enough for the WNBA now and not sure how much her game will get better at Iowa. Clearly, she has the shoot anywhere / anytime mentality that would let her succeed in WNBA right now. And will her defense really improve much at Iowa ? and in any case Defense is optional in then WNBA (for players who can score/shoot with the range of Steph Curry) So staying at Iowa for 4 years is maybe overkill

On the other hand, Paige like a fine complex wine has alot of room to grow physically and basketball wise under a really demanding coach who will perfect all the little things she may want to learn. And she has the chance and to really work some magic at UConn with her best friends getting a real chance at multiple championships while at the same time, her brand grows more at UConn then it would in the WNBA

 

[MooseJaw]

That's it. Have a one and done for the girl's game. It would become unbearable to watch. Just like the men's game.

100% hit the nail on the head. I have given upon MCBB, mostly no team play, almost all individual play as opposed to team concept. Plus with all the one's and done almost impossible to follow and develop a fans chemistry with players and teams. I'm in for the long haul 3-4 years. I want a meaningful relationship.

 

[triaddukefan]

100% hit the nail on the head. I have given upon MCBB, mostly no team play, almost all individual play as opposed to team concept. Plus with all the one's and done almost impossible to follow and develop a fans chemistry with players and teams. I'm in for the long haul 3-4 years. I want a meaningful relationship.

It's not that many one and done's.. definitely not as many as you guys think it is. If you are a UCONN men's fan as well... you don't have to worry about that kinda stuff anyway.

 

[eebmg]

Collier went #1. Glad. I hate seeing prospective draft picks fall out of their expected slot.

 

[Rb335]

Collier went #1. Glad. I hate seeing prospective draft picks fall out of their expected slot.

Agreed. I'm interested to see how she does. Can't deny she has a WNBA ready frame, but didn't always exploit that in college. She'll probably benefit from playing with pro level guards.

 

[RPM101370]

I felt bad for her. How many #1 picks get asked about the “overrated” chant being directed at them?

 

[eebmg]

Awak Kuier #2. Just out of curiosity, don't Collier and Kuier have similar games?

 

[triaddukefan]

I felt bad for her. How many #1 picks get asked about the “overrated” chant being directed at them?

someone asked her that?

 

[DaBball]

Awak Kuier #2. Just out of curiosity, don't Collier and Kuier have similar games?

I would say Kuier is more versatile. She’s incredible.

She said she was choosing between Oregon and Oregon State before entering the draft.

She’ll be really good if she develops well.

 

[eebmg]

Renee's team is up. Maybe an affinity to Aari?


Hah. Got that right.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wow, Aari #3?! That has to be a huge surprise to see her go that high.