Prospect Nation WNBA Draft Rankings | The Boneyard

Prospect Nation WNBA Draft Rankings

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How dare they rank a non-UCONN player ahead of #3 Moriah :eek:

Morgan #9
 
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Me thinks Niya Johnson is being overrated by all of these. That draft site is just silly, some of those choices, uh uh
 

HuskyFan1125

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Kim Demmings from Wright State should be on that list somewhere. I think she is under ranked.
 

wire chief

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Me thinks Niya Johnson is being overrated by all of these. That draft site is just silly, some of those choices, uh uh

For instance, the Liberty has the best center in the game, so why pick a center, when they could upgrade another position?
 

bballnut90

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Some people place value on a pass-first point guard that leads the nation in assists and also has a 4:1 assist to TO ratio. Me thinks you should watch her play a little more.
I don't see her sticking in the W. She is a great passer but has very little scorin ability which is necessary at the next level unless you are a Ticha Penicheiro but Ticha wasn't more capable score coming out of college then Johnson has proven, and she was an outstanding defender.
 
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Jillian Alleyne is a great story. Virtually unheard of out of HS. But I'd be surprised if she's picked before not only MoJeff but also the other solid post players in this class like Adut Bulgak, Jonquel Jones, and Imani Boyette. In fact, I might take a more versatile forward like Morgan Tuck (if she leaves) ahead of her. Keep in mind Alleyne failed to make either USA team over the summer.

I think Bashaara Graves (#18 & #21) is too low.

I've never really been wow-ed by Tiffany Mitchell (#4 & #3), tbh.

Haven't seen much of Niya Johnson but thought she had very mediocre athleticism.
 
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For 2017, I really think Leticia Romero is overhyped. I can't imagine her getting picked ahead of Alaina Coates.
 

easttexastrash

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I don't see her sticking in the W. She is a great passer but has very little scorin ability which is necessary at the next level unless you are a Ticha Penicheiro but Ticha wasn't more capable score coming out of college then Johnson has proven, and she was an outstanding defender.

The same features that make Johnson an excellent point guard with a bright future are the same features that keep Sue Bird on the USA National team: ability to pass, take care of the ball, run the correct tempo in game situations, leadership, and the ability to score when required but not one looking to shoot first.

Let's compare her stats to Jefferson so that we are looking at facts. These are not very compelling stats to support the argument of a long and successful career for Jefferson and a non-future for Johnson. Johnson has much more responsibility in the Baylor offense than Jefferson has in the UCONN offense.

PPG
Johnson: 8.2
Jefferson: 14.3

APG
Johnson: 8.3
Jefferson: 5.0

Assist to TO Ratio
Johnson: 3.81
Jefferson: 1.54

TOG
Johnson: 3.17
Jefferson: 3.25

RPG
Johnson: 5.7
Jefferson: 2.5

SPG
Johnson: 2.17
Jefferson: 2.5
 

Orangutan

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The same features that make Johnson an excellent point guard with a bright future are the same features that keep Sue Bird on the USA National team: ability to pass, take care of the ball, run the correct tempo in game situations, leadership, and the ability to score when required but not one looking to shoot first.

Let's compare her stats to Jefferson so that we are looking at facts. These are not very compelling stats to support the argument of a long and successful career for Jefferson and a non-future for Johnson. Johnson has much more responsibility in the Baylor offense than Jefferson has in the UCONN offense.

Facts, ha. Those stats are useless for a number of reason. First, you're using this year's stats when we don't yet have anything approaching a reasonable sample size and UConn has played a tougher schedule. Second, those are all counting stats and Johnson plays more, so she is naturally advantaged in that respect.

Using last years stats:
Jefferson is a much more prolific scorer (17.3 pts/40 vs. 8.7) and, importantly for the pro game, is a 3-point threat (56-113 from 3 vs. 0-5). The assist disparities are partially a function of UConn sharing the ball more. Baylor had three players with 74 or more assists last year (Johnson 322, Wright 91, Wallace 74). UConn had 6 (Jefferson 191, Stewart 122, Tuck 115, Nurse 108, KML 104, Chong 74). Jefferson has a slight advantage in raw steals totals and a more significant one in steal percentage (4.93 vs. 2.71).

Personally, I think if you put Jefferson on that Baylor team, she would rack up equally gaudy assist totals. She's a better defender. She's a MUCH better scorer. The only clear advantage I see for Johnson is that she's a better rebounder but that's a pretty minor consideration for a point guard. In comparison, the fact that Johnson has basically no 3-point shot to speak of is a MAJOR issue at the pro level.
 

easttexastrash

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Facts, ha. Those stats are useless for a number of reason. First, you're using this year's stats when we don't yet have anything approaching a reasonable sample size and UConn has played a tougher schedule. Second, those are all counting stats and Johnson plays more, so she is naturally advantaged in that respect.

Using last years stats:
Jefferson is a much more prolific scorer (17.3 pts/40 vs. 8.7) and, importantly for the pro game, is a 3-point threat (56-113 from 3 vs. 0-5). The assist disparities are partially a function of UConn sharing the ball more. Baylor had three players with 74 or more assists last year (Johnson 322, Wright 91, Wallace 74). UConn had 6 (Jefferson 191, Stewart 122, Tuck 115, Nurse 108, KML 104, Chong 74). Jefferson has a slight advantage in raw steals totals and a more significant one in steal percentage (4.93 vs. 2.71).

Personally, I think if you put Jefferson on that Baylor team, she would rack up equally gaudy assist totals. She's a better defender. She's a MUCH better scorer. The only clear advantage I see for Johnson is that she's a better rebounder but that's a pretty minor consideration for a point guard. In comparison, the fact that Johnson has basically no 3-point shot to speak of is a MAJOR issue at the pro level.

I guess time will tell. Maybe Johnson will be like Stokes and surprise the WNBA by playing even better at the pro level than she did at the college level. Stokes was considered by most as the most deserving ROY candidate despite the analysis of most that she had very little offensive game coming out of college.
 

easttexastrash

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http://www.draftsite.com/wnba/mock-draft/2016/

Draft Site has Tuck going 5th. I don't think the WNBA pay enough for someone to leave early "but" if this was the NBA Tuck would be gone.

Is it considered leaving early if you have completed four years of college, gained your degree and have 4 championship rings on your hand? Might this be the perfect way to ride off into the sunset and start a pro career, which could probably include playing in Europe making a couple hundred thousand a year? The WNBA is hardly the only way to make money as a professional player, and probably least lucrative.

What Jewell Loyd and Epiphanny Prince did is what I consider "leaving early."
 
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bballnut90

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The same features that make Johnson an excellent point guard with a bright future are the same features that keep Sue Bird on the USA National team: ability to pass, take care of the ball, run the correct tempo in game situations, leadership, and the ability to score when required but not one looking to shoot first.

Let's compare her stats to Jefferson so that we are looking at facts. These are not very compelling stats to support the argument of a long and successful career for Jefferson and a non-future for Johnson. Johnson has much more responsibility in the Baylor offense than Jefferson has in the UCONN offense.

PPG
Johnson: 8.2
Jefferson: 14.3

APG
Johnson: 8.3
Jefferson: 5.0

Assist to TO Ratio
Johnson: 3.81
Jefferson: 1.54

TOG
Johnson: 3.17
Jefferson: 3.25

RPG
Johnson: 5.7
Jefferson: 2.5

SPG
Johnson: 2.17
Jefferson: 2.5

Bird was a much more proven scorer coming out of college, averaging double figures her last three years and shooting over 40% from 3 all three years. Johnson averaged a career high of 7.3 ppg last year, and shot a career best of 41.7% from the floor after shooting in the low and mid 30s as a freshman/sophomore. Niya Johnson has attempted a grand total of 19 three point shots in her collegiate career.

Bird was also incredibly clutch, played in 3 Final Fours and led her team to 2 titles in college. Johnson has yet to play in a Final Four and is a major liability offensively because she has no outside shot. Solid point guard, actually, she's a terrific point guard, but her limitations as a scorer prevent her from lasting as a pro in my opinion.

And comparing stats from 2015-16 doesn't prove much at this point in the season. Each squad has only played 1-2 good teams and we are 5-6 games deep. Regardless of assist numbers or any other stats, Jefferson most likely wraps up her career with 4 titles and being a starting point guard on 3 of the most dominant teams of all time, assembling a record of 117-1 as a starter over her final 3 years. Yes, it's premature to say that but I think most people will be absolutely stunned if UCONN doesn't go undefeated again this year. And this is all without mentioning Jefferson's play on the defensive side of the ball..
 

easttexastrash

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Bird was a much more proven scorer coming out of college, averaging double figures her last three years and shooting over 40% from 3 all three years. Johnson averaged a career high of 7.3 ppg last year, and shot a career best of 41.7% from the floor after shooting in the low and mid 30s as a freshman/sophomore. Niya Johnson has attempted a grand total of 19 three point shots in her collegiate career.

Bird was also incredibly clutch, played in 3 Final Fours and led her team to 2 titles in college. Johnson has yet to play in a Final Four and is a major liability offensively because she has no outside shot. Solid point guard, actually, she's a terrific point guard, but her limitations as a scorer prevent her from lasting as a pro in my opinion.

And comparing stats from 2015-16 doesn't prove much at this point in the season. Each squad has only played 1-2 good teams and we are 5-6 games deep. Regardless of assist numbers or any other stats, Jefferson most likely wraps up her career with 4 titles and being a starting point guard on 3 of the most dominant teams of all time, assembling a record of 117-1 as a starter over her final 3 years. Yes, it's premature to say that but I think most people will be absolutely stunned if UCONN doesn't go undefeated again this year. And this is all without mentioning Jefferson's play on the defensive side of the ball..

I agree that UCONN will go undefeated and win a 4th consecutive title. And I agree that Jefferson is the best PG in the nation, especially because of her defense. She is super fast and can get to the rim a lot. I don't know that she is going to get to the rim very often as a pro, which is going to limit her scoring at the next level. I would like to see her work on her mid-range game a bit more because that is the shot that is going to make a diminutive guard successful in the pros. Through 5 games this year she has made 4 three-pointers and has an assist to TO ratio of 1.8, which is obviously going to need to be cleaned up, and I feel confident that she will.

Johnson is a much more capable scorer than she is being given credit for. She is just a past-first PG but scores when it is needed, like her 19 points against Michigan State and 13 points against USF. And I wasn't comparing Johnson to Bird in any other way than to demonstrate that a PG does not always have to be offensive-minded to be effective. Bird scored very little in the World Championships yet still started because she knows how to run a team and is very skilled at managing tempo and getting her teammates involved.
 
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From everything I have read, Morgan has indicated that she intents to return next year to work on her Master's Degree and possibly go for a fifth NC. I really don't believe that the WNBA pays enough money to entice her to give up her redshirt year. If she does return, her and Butler will make up for the fact that we don't have a "big" coming in next year and give Geno another recruiting season to entice one to come. Also, Morgan is the leader of the band and she knows she will be the "Leader of the Band". I hope she does return because we can really utilize both her leadership and skills next year.
 

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I really don't believe that the WNBA pays enough money to entice her to give up her redshirt year.

She may very well return, and it would be great for UCONN, but the WNBA is not the only place for a female to earn some cash playing basketball. Leagues is most other are much more lucrative than the WNBA. If her main goal is to get a Masters Degree then this is an incredible opportunity to do that. But will she eventually feel the pull to follow her classmates into the next phase of her life?
 

triaddukefan

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Me thinks Niya Johnson is being overrated by all of these. That draft site is just silly, some of those choices, uh uh

Which choices were silly? Who would be your top 12 ?
 

bballnut90

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I agree that UCONN will go undefeated and win a 4th consecutive title. And I agree that Jefferson is the best PG in the nation, especially because of her defense. She is super fast and can get to the rim a lot. I don't know that she is going to get to the rim very often as a pro, which is going to limit her scoring at the next level. I would like to see her work on her mid-range game a bit more because that is the shot that is going to make a diminutive guard successful in the pros. Through 5 games this year she has made 4 three-pointers and has an assist to TO ratio of 1.8, which is obviously going to need to be cleaned up, and I feel confident that she will.

Johnson is a much more capable scorer than she is being given credit for. She is just a past-first PG but scores when it is needed, like her 19 points against Michigan State and 13 points against USF. And I wasn't comparing Johnson to Bird in any other way than to demonstrate that a PG does not always have to be offensive-minded to be effective. Bird scored very little in the World Championships yet still started because she knows how to run a team and is very skilled at managing tempo and getting her teammates involved.

As I said, it's 5 games into the year....you can't judge stats based off that. She had better than a 3:1 A/TO ratio last year and hit 56 three pointers. She also has improved her midrange game and is taking on a larger load this season. Can you name a better PG prospect who has entered the pros since Sue Bird? The only one that really comes to mind is Lindsay Harding because she was a #1 pick, but she is the top prospect since Sue Bird, and possibly a better prospect than Bird was.

And in reference to Bird scoring little in the World Championships. She doesn't have to score, but she is a scoring threat so defenses can't sag off of her. Johnson hasn't proven to be a reliable offensive threat, so once she hits the pros defenses will sag off of her unless she improves her jump shot and scoring ability.
 
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She may very well return, and it would be great for UCONN, but the WNBA is not the only place for a female to earn some cash playing basketball. Leagues is most other are much more lucrative than the WNBA. If her main goal is to get a Masters Degree then this is an incredible opportunity to do that. But will she eventually feel the pull to follow her classmates into the next phase of her life?
No one knows, perhaps including Morgan, what April will bring. I think Loyd's decision was based at least in part by finances. I believe the fact that she was eligible by age and was a junior academically was also a factor. Tuck will most assuredly earn her degree this May. To be able to chase a 5th NC and being the undeniable leader of the team all the while working towards her Master's degree on scholarship may be enough to bring her back. Plenty of time before that decision needs to be made.
 

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No one knows, perhaps including Morgan, what April will bring. I think Loyd's decision was based at least in part by finances. I believe the fact that she was eligible by age and was a junior academically was also a factor. Tuck will most assuredly earn her degree this May. To be able to chase a 5th NC and being the undeniable leader of the team all the while working towards her Master's degree on scholarship may be enough to bring her back. Plenty of time before that decision needs to be made.

It will be interesting to see. If I were in that position I would choose to go out on a high note with my four consecutive titles and degree and graduate with my classmates and start the next phase of my life.

I found it interesting to hear that Tuck and Geno have had this conversation and that Geno told her that he does not expect her return but that she is welcome to return if she wants to. That is very classy of him not to put pressure on her for selfish reasons and makes me respect Geno even more.
 
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