Weak WNBA draft

[eebmg]

Tiana from Syracuse wasn't drafted.

Should play in Australia

 

[MilfordHusky]

Not really impressed resume,

Kuier, 19, plays professionally for Ragusa in Italy, where she has averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. She doesn't turn 20 until August. Kuier was born in Cairo after her parents fled war-torn South Sudan. When she was 2-years-old, her family immigrated to Finland.

Kuier has incredible upside. Think Kevin Garnett.

 

[Childhood]

Shocked that Evans is not the first round pick. The tournament performance was really hurt her grading. But still she deserves to be a first-round pick.

 

[noirwestern]

Shocked that Evans is not the first round pick. The tournament performance was really hurt her grading. But still she deserves to be a first-round pick.

Everyone keeps saying this but is it that hard to imagine that the people making the picks have a little, or maybe even a lot more to go on than a fleeting eye test?

 

[Vowelguy]

Tiana from Syracuse wasn't drafted.

Got invited to PHX training camp

 

[Rb335]

Arella finally at #22
Basically she and Kyrse flipped spots relative to expectations.

I only saw a few of her games this season and the one thing I noticed was her visible frustration to her teammates. Granted they were both losses but it struck me as a bit bizarre. I was very shocked to see her at 3 in the mock drafts. I figured I just hadn’t seen enough of her to know her talent level. Looks like the GMs weren’t too impressed? Odd that the media was so far off.

 

[wolfe613]

surprised nobody took a flyer on Anna Wilson I'm sure she would make a team

 

[JordyG]

as a Liberty fan, not to psyched. Seems to me like a double of Willoughby?

Yeah. Still psyched about a healthy Sabrina though.

 

[JordyG]

Not really impressed resume,

Kuier, 19, plays professionally for Ragusa in Italy, where she has averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. She doesn't turn 20 until August. Kuier was born in Cairo after her parents fled war-torn South Sudan. When she was 2-years-old, her family immigrated to Finland.

But her upside is bigger than anyone in the draft.

 

[JordyG]

Slocum #13 to LV.

With all her moving around she's certainly earned it.

 

[willtalk]

I think that teams are far more diligent in their evaluations than they have been in the past. It appears that in the past they relied quit a bit on All Star evaluations which are usually influenced by the media. I think the case with Evens is her size. She is listed at 5'6" but that is very generous. One of the concerns about very short player is their liability to play on ball defense. A player can compensate for size but they have to bring a special extra to the table. In McDonalds case it is that she is a super on ball defender against taller players which is unusual for someone for her size. Unfortunately Evans did not go to a team with much room so it is very likely she does not make the team. This season you have to be taken at least in the first round unless your team has an opening at your positions. Unlike the NBA making the team is more important than draft position. Very little difference beween draft picks salaries.

 

[Reypl21]

surprised nobody took a flyer on Anna Wilson I'm sure she would make a team

What team? She's not sniffing any of them, she may get an invite to a training camp.

 

[pvdoggy]

Dallas seems to be accumulating a lot of volume shooters. I wonder how they are going to divide up the ball.

 

[MilfordHusky]

surprised nobody took a flyer on Anna Wilson I'm sure she would make a team

I did some research but couldn't unequivocally determine that she was leaving Stanford. Any chance she stays another year?

 

[jonson]

Aina Ayuso from Spain. Wasn't she with Oregon briefly?

Yes. Turned professional (in Europe) after her freshman year. Big loss.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I only saw a few of her games this season and the one thing I noticed was her visible frustration to her teammates. Granted they were both losses but it struck me as a bit bizarre. I was very shocked to see her at 3 in the mock drafts. I figured I just hadn’t seen enough of her to know her talent level. Looks like the GMs weren’t too impressed? Odd that the media was so far off.

Agree. Felt she was pressing and trying to show she was WNBA ready, and failed.

 

[NWHoopFan2]

Ok. Now an Aussie I never heard of??

If you followed Paige before UConn, you may have watched her in the 2019 U19 World Cup. The US team beat Australia in overtime in the gold medal game. Shyla Heal was the youngest player in that tournament and she was the starting point guard for Australia. By the way, the leading scorer in that game was Jaz Shelley.

 

[NEforceUConn]

I support 2 and done; women's bb is making big strives, get with the times.

But only if Big G and Shea agree.

 

[eebmg]

At least Geno has a lot of good instructional / motivational video from the ESPN draft clips where McDonald and Carrington were doing a number on Paige as a primary defender.

 

[HopJim]

Wondering how Evina feels after seeing the draft. I would have drafted her over 50% of the first round players.

 

[Argonaut]

Wondering how Evina feels after seeing the draft. I would have drafted her over 50% of the first round players.

I think Evina feels hungry for a national championship.

 

[oldhusky]

Lobo basically saying good luck about these 2nd/ 3rd round picks sticking

She is right and not just because it was a relatively weak draft. The new union contract has had the effect of reducing the number of jobs available. Many teams think the best use of their salary cap is to spend it on upgrading a rotational player, and not have a 12th player. That was true last year as well of course, but for one year was more than offset by players who avoided the bubble for health or other reasons.

Because of that, last year was the easiest to make a WNBA roster, and this year is the hardest. The players that make it this year have to compete with not just the incoming rookies, but also with returning players like Liz, Elaina, Tina etc. namely every established player that sat out last year, and there were many, and do that when because of the contract, half the teams may only carry 11.

While watching the many surprises in the draft, and some teams seeming to get projected first rounders much later, I found myself saying great pickup, but how do you get that player on the roster? There were a few teams that didn't have room for their first round pick, without a significant cut or a trade. Many talented big names are going to be cut, both existing players and the incoming rookies. If you are a team that is not particularly happy with the tail end of your roster, there could be a lot of possibilities on the waiver wire, including many if not most of those surprise picks in the second round.

 

[UcMiami]

I think with limited high end talent the mock drafters were hanging their hats on stats and not looking closely at players. The players that actually make teams are going to be pretty limited in minutes I expect, and I suspect the GMs are looking at specific traits that might possibly fill a need on their team.

The good teams have already got 10 or 11 players set and could just as easily fill with other players that get cut later or are current FAs as with players outside the top 5 or 8 unless they find a hidden gem. Lot of small school fliers in the third round - player that weren't easy to evaluate by stats as they had limited game film with and against superior college players. Even the AA team voters had a hard time determining the quality of seniors and filled teams with underclassmen.

Telling note - Seattle traded the #1 pick in this draft for Lou who is being passed around the W like a hot potato. And they traded the #11 pick for a 2019 late second rounder who has actually improved a little in her 2 years in the league.

Strange note - Seattle then drafted 3 players in 2nd and 3rd rounds. MN took one shot in the first and exited the rest of the draft - I actual think they got a possible roster player in Davis.

 

[Geew1992]

I think with limited high end talent the mock drafters were hanging their hats on stats and not looking closely at players. The players that actually make teams are going to be pretty limited in minutes I expect, and I suspect the GMs are looking at specific traits that might possibly fill a need on their team.

The good teams have already got 10 or 11 players set and could just as easily fill with other players that get cut later or are current FAs as with players outside the top 5 or 8 unless they find a hidden gem. Lot of small school fliers in the third round - player that weren't easy to evaluate by stats as they had limited game film with and against superior college players. Even the AA team voters had a hard time determining the quality of seniors and filled teams with underclassmen.

Telling note - Seattle traded the #1 pick in this draft for Lou who is being passed around the W like a hot potato. And they traded the #11 pick for a 2019 late second rounder who has actually improved a little in her 2 years in the league.

Strange note - Seattle then drafted 3 players in 2nd and 3rd rounds. MN took one shot in the first and exited the rest of the draft - I actual think they got a possible roster player in Davis.

When Minnie originally made the trades and only had 1 draft pick this year, I wondered why. It became very clear upon the realization of how weak this draft is.

 

[topogigio]

There are going to be about 10 actual WBNA roster spots available for any of these draftees. The over the top dress and family performances last night will probably be the last their last hurrah!