Kianna Smith (Louisville, Guard, Redshirt Senior). She also has the qualities of a tweener, a player who can theoretically play both power forward and small forward. While Paige Bueckers was out for a couple of months, Nelson-Ododa proved how versatile she can be as a point-post player. Louisville also was outrebounded 41-24. Chloe Bibby (Maryland, Forward/Guard, Graduate Student). Add up to 3 additional videos to your player card (must be existing platinum subscriber). Allen-Taylor has proved to be a staunch defender, playing in a system that is predicated upon its high-pressure defense. The most well-known name in women's college basketball will not be drafted Thursday night. Second on the team with 13 points, contributing three rebounds, one assist and one steal in the win at Pittsburgh on 2/24. Follow your favorite teams and leagues for in-depth analysis and expert coverage from the best newsroom in She's an effective screener and makes intelligent reads on the floor. 1. I think whats interesting in this conversation is, I think players should have a choice, always. This subscription option renews on a yearly basis. Most college players aren't eligible for the WNBA draft until they've finished four years of college. She can move well off the ball, making all sorts of cuts, and can slip quickly through ball screens toward the basket. 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. WebHailey Van Lith drills the jump shot vs. Miami Hurricanes. Pro-ready skill: Smith's ceiling is so high because of the amount of athleticism she possesses in conjunction with her competitive spirit. Scored a team-high 24 points with six rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist in the win over Boston College. Week In Review -- A regular recap of the recruiting headlines from across the country to keep you up to speed. She is the first UofL womens basketball player to earn ACC Freshman of the Week honors since Asia Durr did so on Feb. 1, 2016. She's slow to change angles to get better positioning. Averaging five three-point attempts per game, Smith shot 36.7 percent, which. Projected draft position: Draft lottery pick to mid-first round. Second- and third-round draft picks are already a long shot to make rosters and some first-round picks might not make it either. What set her apart during her collegiate career was her ability to create off the dribble along with her exceptional footwork and a laundry list of pro-ready moves, such as her hesi and crossover. It is the first time in her career that she had double-doubles in back-to-back games. But there are also not enough spots for the amount of talent now in the women's game. Van Lith tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds and added four assists. The Seattle Storm drafted Ezi Magbegor in 2019 when the Australian center was 19. Questions the prospect raises: While her versatility is her blessing, she can be inconsistent in some of her roles. Tallied a team-high 19 points, six rebounds and three assists against Bellarmine. A player who turns 22 in the calendar year of the draft can renounce their NCAA eligibility and enter. The Sweet 16 field is in trouble Former Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs had his lifelong dream fulfilled last night at the NBA Draft. Evina Westbrook (UConn, Combo Wing, Redshirt Senior). We'd all love to see Bueckers or Clark in the WNBA sooner than later. While Hillmon has notable intangibles, she has glaring downsides. Her ability to read the opposing offense has set her apart. Austin's defense is pro-ready, as she has a solid handle on her footwork at 6'5". Questions the prospect raises: Her competitive spirit and 40-minute focus in college could be a concern at the pro level. Her footwork for a 6'4" big is impressive as she excels at preventing dribble drives. Pointer can score at a very high level. 25 Feb/23. She's an effective screener and makes intelligent reads on the floor. 8 min read. 1 pick and within the draft lottery, 2. That's life-changing money for a lot of people, but it pales in comparison to $8 million a No. Platinum rankings page includes schools of interest on ranked players. But at the pro level, it's her 5'7" frame that presents her with a steeper challenge. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Those rules are increasingly a topic of discussion that came to the forefront with Bueckers, then again in 2022 with the rise of national player of the year and NCAA champion Aliyah Boston, and it's not as clear of a call to change the rules as it is with the NBA. Some of the most well-known names in women's college basketball will not be drafted April 11 when the 2022 WNBA draft is held. Averaging five three-point attempts per game, Smith shot 36.7 percent, which, according to Her Hoops Stats, put her in the 83rd percentile. 18 in ESPNs Top 25 Players in the NCAA Tournament, In ACC Play, she rankedsixth in the league with 15.4 points per game, while shooting 45.7 percent from the floor, which ranked, Reached double figures in 14 of 17 ACC games, including four 20-plus point performances and a 34-point game at Clemson, Grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while adding nine points in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament vs. South Carolina on 4/1, Recorded her fourth straight 20+ point game, scoring a team high 22 points on 9-15 from the field, and added 3 rebounds, one, assist, two steals and one block in the Elite 8 win of the NCAA tournament vs. Michigan on 3/28, Recorded her third straight 20+ point game, scoring a team high 23 points on 7-21 from the field and tied her career high with six assists in the Sweet 16 win of the NCAA tournament vs. Tennessee on 3/26, Led the team with 21 points on 8-17 shooting including 3-6 from deep, while grabbing six rebounds in the second round win of the NCAA tournament vs. Gonzaga, Scored a team high 20 points, adding four total rebounds and three steals in the opening round win of the NCAA tournament vs. UAlbany, Led team with 20 points on 4-5 shooting from deep, while adding six rebounds and five assists at Notre Dame, Led the team with 20 points, marking her third game this season with 20-plus points, adding five rebounds and two steals in. In her four years at Georgia, she didn't finish below the, Staiti will need to work on her mobility outside the paint and improve her efficiency from beyond the arc. Notre Dame star Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) and Minnesota's Amanda Zahui B (Los Angeles Sparks) entered the 2015 draft early. How much has this affected her athleticism on defense, and how much of a concern is her health to talent evaluators? When Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault. Enough said. Access to special Platinum content focusing on players and evaluations. 31. Questions the prospect raises: When I saw Cunane live and up-close, it was clear she needs to improve her defense. In a call Friday, ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson communicated how valuable that quality is to talent evaluators: "I think whenever you have a player that can show up on the big stage when their number is called or their team needs some momentum, that's exciting for WNBA coaches and GMs," she said. But that money is rare to start out for rookies. 5. The rebuilding Indiana Fever selected Engstler with the No. Projected draft position: Late first round to mid-second round. She's an elite rebounder (11.1 per game in 2021-22) and has impressive anticipation as a help defender. 3. Recorded eight rebounds, five points and two assists at Florida State on 2/21. All season, Smith was the Cardinals' go-to shot-maker, especially when the defenses collapsed on Hailey Van Lith, a more dynamic guard. Smith's ceiling is so high because of the amount of athleticism she possesses in conjunction with her competitive spirit. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Ranked second on the team with 30.2 minutes and 1.2 steals per game, thirdwith 11.2 points and 5.2 reboundsand fourth with 2.1 assists. She is the second Cardinal taken in this year's draft. Defensive Player of the Year. Diamond DeShields left Tennessee as a junior to play overseas in Turkey ahead of the 2018 draft that also included early entrant Azura Stevens of UConn. Players should always have a choice.. It was the fourth-most points scored in a season opener in program history. While NIL money and chartered flights "Trends take more than a year or two to really develop," Lisa Borders said as WNBA president in 2016. These include her basketball IQ, her consistent motor and competitive toughness and her selflessness as a basketball player. WebHome. She'll also struggle to defend post-ups because of her slender 6'3" frame and how strong her pro opponents will be. Projected draft position: Later in the third round. ESPN recently ranked the top-25 players in the Final Four. Aisha Sheppard (Virginia Tech, Guard, Graduate Student). Projected draft position: Within the draft lottery and potential No. 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. Their paths are 3,000 miles different, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said during the 2021 NCAA women's tournament. Hailey Van Lith (Photo: USA Basketball). 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. Pro-ready skill: For a big, the 6'2" Bibby can stretch the floor and hit three-point shots at a clip above 30 percent on around four to five attempts per game. Will kids do it? "This is a draft with some good players, not generational players," said Cheryl Reeve, head coach and GM of the Minnesota Lynx, on her podcast, "It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and who ends up rising up and being able to carve out some space for themselves on a WNBA team this year.". In her entire collegiate career, her field-goal percentage hasn't been a hair below 53 percent. In her final years at UConn, she's proved that those natural skills can be translated over to the defensive side of the ball. The other will be back at UConn.. Engstler's limits on offense, especially her ability to score on the inside, might prevent talent evaluators from taking a chance on her. She earned the honor after averaging 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals, while shooting a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line to help the No. Led the Cardinals in scoring with 23 points on 11-of-21 shooting against Duke. 7. She turned the ball over 2.1 times per game and picked up 2.2 fouls per contest, Thursday during a predraft call. Questions the prospect raises: She's not the most efficient inside scorer, although her overall field-goal percentage has exponentially increased over the years. 6. She averaged 34.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 4.9 assists a game. Pro-ready skill: Defense is where Hollingshed stands out the most. One of 20 top collegiate athletes, including 10 who have captured a combined 21 gold medals competing on past USA Basketball teams, to participate inthe 2021 USA Basketball Women's AmeriCup Team trials on April 18-21. Defense is what makes Burton pro-ready, and her, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors is convincing evidence. Suggs was the 5th overall pick, selected by the Orlando Magic. The WNBA, which enters its 25th anniversary season next month, operates with different eligibility rules than the NBA. 1. The 28 points were also the second highest scored by an ACC player across the season-opening games. Sue Bird, four-time Seattle Storm champion and WNBA Players Association vice president, said the union briefly discussed it during CBA negotiations in 2019, but didn't revisit it with so much else on the table. Bibby's athleticism and lack of lateral quickness are things she'll struggle with if she makes it to a WNBA training camp. Her six made 3-pointers are the most by a UofL freshmen since Mariya Moore made six 3-pointers (6-9) in a 69-56 win over Ball State on Nov. 23, 2014. If you want to get the scoop on Hailey Van Lith then you'll need to sign up for the Prospects Nation Yearly Platinum Membership. That a large group of talent opted out of the 2020 season and will return this year doesn't help the matter. She also has a reliable mid-range jumper. Pro-ready skill: When Williams is on, her athleticism, strength and speed can be difficult to stop. 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