#1 WNBA Draft Pick: A'Ja or Gabby or Someone Else?

[JoePgh]

I don't think that Azura is going anywhere after this season. I think she realizes how much she is learning and how much she still has to learn, and she appreciates that it helps to spend as much time as possible at the WBB version of West Point before she gets deployed into professional combat. At the WNBA level, it's unlikely that coaches will have the time or interest to teach her what she can and will learn from another year at UConn.

 

[chj001]

I'd love to see Seattle trade Jewell Loyd for the right to get Gabby at No. 2. She's streaky, doesn't move well without the ball, is not a team player, nor a very good defender. The next time I see her set a screen for a teammate will be the first time. She wants to play like Kobe, but she doesn't have the skills for that.

 

[Rixxx]

chj001, Seattle is desperate for a contributing center. Anybody that Seattle can move to obtain a center will be an improvement for that franchise. They should go after Kiah Stokes.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don't think that Azura is going anywhere after this season. I think she realizes how much she is learning and how much she still has to learn, and she appreciates that it helps to spend as much time as possible at the WBB version of West Point before she gets deployed into professional combat. At the WNBA level, it's unlikely that coaches will have the time or interest to teach her what she can and will learn from another year at UConn.

Wow---Brilliant.

 

[BroadwayVa]

chj001, Seattle is desperate for a contributing center. Anybody that Seattle can move to obtain a center will be an improvement for that franchise. They should go after Kiah Stokes.

Kiah Stokes had a WNBA Coach that believed in Kiah's offensive skills --and has not been sorry. THANKS..

 

[cbraarj]

Hopefully you can see the error in your logic:
If Azura can do what she did against Michigan State for the rest of the year, why couldn't A'ja do for the rest of the year what she did against ND?
The right answer is that neither player can, so let's get back to reality.

So coco this is all you got really. No error in my logic just your last 6 words. What I saw in Azura Saturday had really nothing to do in points. It really is the way she played the whole game hard all the time, not timid and had fun. If she plays like that every game. She can dominate without big stats!

 

[GoCardinal]

Entering last year’s draft, their biggest need was a SF. This could be why DeShields was thought to be the #1 pick by some a year ago. Now with the team going to Vegas, they still have a glaring weakness at the SF position. Harrison is a keeper and it could be argued that she works best as a PF. Laimbeer is on record saying Wilson will more than likely be a 4 as well. I’m not so sure it would be wise to bench Harrison since she’s so young and had a great season last year. It of course remains to be seen if they’d compliment each other very well. With DD or Gabby they’d fill a need and get a talented player. Maybe he takes Wilson and tries to make it work, maybe he trades the pick for extra talent that will fit immediately, or maybe he moves players on the current roster. He has his fair share of options.

 

[CocoHusky]

Are you talking about the same aja Wilson that never goes after loose balls and jogs down the court and is winded by the 4th quarter? I think its funny how some are saying gabby is too short. Maya the goat is only 1" taller. Only a smart GM that wants to win will take gabby for the first pick in the draft.

 

[CocoHusky]

So coco this is all you got really. No error in my logic just your last 6 words. What I saw in Azura Saturday had really nothing to do in points. It really is the way she played the whole game hard all the time, not timid and had fun. If she plays like that every game. She can dominate without big stats!

No, I have plenty more. Since you are not talking about points, before the Michigan State Game Azura was averaging 10.2 pts per game did you really think that was going to put her ahead of of A"ja Wilson for the number 1 overall pick when A'ja was averaging more than twice as many?
I'm not familar with this concept where a player dominates a basketball game without putting up big stats-looking forward to seeing it- "for the very first time".

 

[sharris952]

Well, we must be talking about different A'ja Wilson than the one I watched play against my alma mater and rooting interest, Notre Dame, last night. A'ja Wilson scored a career high last night and she was not just firing away, but getting into position in the high and/or low post and shooting accurately and/or getting fouled. All this was taking place while ND was throwing waves of post players at her, from Jessica Shepard and Koko Nelson to Mik Vaughn and Kat Westbeld. And the vast majority of that scoring took part in the second half, when ND threatened to run away to Orlando.

In addition to scoring, she jumped passing lanes twice, leading to break-away layups and showed plenty of enthusiasm and resolve. And she was involved in rebounding battles all night. That's where she could've gotten help from her teammates, because ND's guards (particularly Jackie Young and Arike Ogunbowale) were virtually untouched hitting the boards.

I don't see Ms. Wilson that often but have been summarily impressed with her continued growth in all respects of her game.

You have to excuse the bias. Good college player do not always translate to the next level. I think it was apparent that Aja belongs in the WNBA as spoken by many coaches and the effectiveness of her scrimmage plays against pros at the National Team practices earlier this year. Give me all the Gabby greatness you want but at the next level, she does not yet have a true position. I think Gabby will be a good pro, but they will have to figure out where she will fit given her skills. THERE IS NO SUCH QUESTION WITH A'JA. Skill level and size, she fits that position perfectly. She will be the #1 pick. I will save this post for next spring.

 

[Orangutan]

I'd love to see Seattle trade Jewell Loyd for the right to get Gabby at No. 2. She's streaky, doesn't move well without the ball, is not a team player, nor a very good defender. The next time I see her set a screen for a teammate will be the first time. She wants to play like Kobe, but she doesn't have the skills for that.

If that's such a slam-dunk trade for Seattle, why would Indiana ever agree to it?

I love how you spend the whole post trashing Loyd and then you still think she's good enough to be traded for the #2 pick in a strong draft.

 

[Orangutan]

Gabby Williams is the female Kawhi Leonard, I think she will be a nice wing prospect at the next level. Call her an undersized post, but she can and has guarded and shut down all 5 positions on the floor, unlike players like Davis who played post at Baylor but could't guard smaller players, or Thomas at FSU who can't guard smaller players, Gabby has. I think Gabby will be a top defensive player in the WNBA from day one. Indy could use her but they might let Dupree and run the team next year, and she would get compared to Catchings, things like that could slow down her star potential. Gabby also plays with a little Nasty in her game, so she'll play hard no matter where a coach puts her.

The difference is that Kawhi is a career 39% shooter from 3. Gabby is not a 3-pt. shooter at all.

Other than that, it is a pretty interesting comparison. She does everything else well so she'll be a good player at the next level even if she never develops deep range. I'm sure I've said this before but at the worst case she'd be the wealthy man's Tamera Young.

 

[CocoHusky]

The difference is that Kawhi is a career 39% shooter from 3. Gabby is not a 3-pt. shooter at all.

Other than that, it is a pretty interesting comparison. She does everything else well so she'll be a good player at the next level even if she never develops deep range. I'm sure I've said this before but at the worst case she'd be the wealthy man's Tamera Young.

You are going to have to educate the masses just a little more than this.

 

[GoCardinal]

It’s also a little premature to talk about who is the #1 pick before we even get to free agency. For all we know, a player like Tina Charles could demand to play for her old coach, and Vegas’ approach to the draft changes.

 

[CocoHusky]

@GoCardinal which variety of "Cardinal" are you reppin? Is it the one UCONN has already stomped this season or the one UCONN gets to stomp later in the season.

 

[GoCardinal]

@GoCardinal which variety of "Cardinal" are you reppin? Is it the one UCONN has already stomped this season or the one UCONN gets to stomp later in the season.

The one UConn has already stomped

 

[Orangutan]

You are going to have to educate the masses just a little more than this.

I think Gabby's natural position in the WNBA will be the 3 spot. Normally I would expect a 3 to be something of a 3-pt. threat, which Gabby has not been during her college career. As a Sky fan, Tamera Young immediately comes to mind as a 3 who is a bad shooter but has nonetheless had a long WNBA career due to her versatility and being a solid defender and rebounder.

Gabby is basically better than TY in every way (except for being a couple inches shorter) and will be a much, much, much better pro. So it's not really a great comparison. But I think of her in similar way as a player whose greatest strength may just be her versatility.

 

[bballnut90]

Entering last year’s draft, their biggest need was a SF. This could be why DeShields was thought to be the #1 pick by some a year ago. Now with the team going to Vegas, they still have a glaring weakness at the SF position. Harrison is a keeper and it could be argued that she works best as a PF. Laimbeer is on record saying Wilson will more than likely be a 4 as well. I’m not so sure it would be wise to bench Harrison since she’s so young and had a great season last year. It of course remains to be seen if they’d compliment each other very well. With DD or Gabby they’d fill a need and get a talented player. Maybe he takes Wilson and tries to make it work, maybe he trades the pick for extra talent that will fit immediately, or maybe he moves players on the current roster. He has his fair share of options.

They need a premier post player, plain and simple. Harrison, Hamby, and Alexander are not going to cut it when they're going up against Candace/Nneka, or Fowles/Brunson. Not to mention Stewart or Griner who are also in the western conference. They should ship away Plum for another draft pick or a quality front court player, and they can have a lineup of:
Harrison
Wilson
Trade received for Plum
McBride
Jefferson

Now they'd have a really strong starting 5 and could compete in the west, provided players stay healthy. Wilson is a player you can build a franchise around similar to how Connecticut and New York built their teams around Tina Charles. A'ja is a workhorse and is the exact type of player that Laimbeer loves to coach.

Gabby is a great player, but she's not Maya Moore. She's never going to have the shooting accuracy, quick release, or ability to score 20+ every night in the pros like Maya does. They're different players with different abilities. Gabby can develop into a really good pro player, but when evaluating her as a prospect compared to Wilson, there's just 0 question that Wilson is the better prospect.

 

[GoCardinal]

They need a premier post player, plain and simple. Harrison, Hamby, and Alexander are not going to cut it when they're going up against Candace/Nneka, or Fowles/Brunson. Not to mention Stewart or Griner who are also in the western conference. They should ship away Plum for another draft pick or a quality front court player, and they can have a lineup of:
Harrison
Wilson
Trade received for Plum
McBride
Jefferson

Now they'd have a really strong starting 5 and could compete in the west, provided players stay healthy. Wilson is a player you can build a franchise around similar to how Connecticut and New York built their teams around Tina Charles. A'ja is a workhorse and is the exact type of player that Laimbeer loves to coach.

Gabby is a great player, but she's not Maya Moore. She's never going to have the shooting accuracy, quick release, or ability to score 20+ every night in the pros like Maya does. They're different players with different abilities. Gabby can develop into a really good pro player, but when evaluating her as a prospect compared to Wilson, there's just 0 question that Wilson is the better prospect.

And who is to say Wilson is the answer to their post questions? She’s undoubtably a talented player, but she is no Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner or Breanna Stewart imo. She isn’t a banger like the first two, and doesn’t have the perimeter game or versatility Stewart does. I say that meaning I don’t think she’s going to dominate right off the bat like many are thinking. She could, but I just don’t think it’ll happen immediately. I think it’s clear Vegas needs a SF more than anything else, Montgomery and whatever else they want to throw out there on the perimeter isn’t going to cut it either.

A trio of MoJeff/McBride/Wilson is just as intriguing as MoJeff/McBride and Williams or DeShields. I too think trading Plum would be a good idea, someone like Nurse could actually be a better complementary piece next to MoJeff and McBride than Plum was.

Again, team needs could easily change depending on what happens with free agency and/or trade.

 

[chj001]

If that's such a slam-dunk trade for Seattle, why would Indiana ever agree to it?

I love how you spend the whole post trashing Loyd and then you still think she's good enough to be traded for the #2 pick in a strong draft.

Despite my negative opinions about Loyd, she has a lot going for her that would make her attractive to other teams---she was a number 1 overall pick just a few years ago, she's very athletic, she was in or near the top 10 in scoring last year, she was an all-star, she's been invited to play on the U.S. Olympic training squad. It wouldn't be the first time in the history of sports that a GM over-estimated the worth of a player he or she traded for. I'm sure that a lot of GM's would love to add her to their team. I just don't share their opinion.

 

[Charliebball]

A'ja! By a mile! Don't see Gabby being a star right away in the WNBA because she doesn't have a natural position.

I agree that Wilson should go #1 and know what your saying about GW but I wouldn't be surprised if she shocks some folks right from the start...................nobody works harder and that and her athleticism should serve her well at the next level

 

[bballnut90]

And who is to say Wilson is the answer to their post questions? She’s undoubtably a talented player, but she is no Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner or Breanna Stewart imo. She isn’t a banger like the first two, and doesn’t have the perimeter game or versatility Stewart does. I say that meaning I don’t think she’s going to dominate right off the bat like many are thinking. She could, but I just don’t think it’ll happen immediately. I think it’s clear Vegas needs a SF more than anything else, Montgomery and whatever else they want to throw out there on the perimeter isn’t going to cut it either.

A trio of MoJeff/McBride/Wilson is just as intriguing as MoJeff/McBride and Williams or DeShields. I too think trading Plum would be a good idea, someone like Nurse could actually be a better complementary piece next to MoJeff and McBride than Plum was.

Again, team needs could easily change depending on what happens with free agency and/or trade.

Wilson is a banger...did you watch the Final Four last year? She was relentless on the glass and is not afraid to get physical like she was earlier in her career. I'm not expecting her to stop Fowles or Griner, but she's a much better option to counteract them than what they have right now. Her game reminds me so much of Tina Charles in that she can has very good length and athleticism, can hit the face up jumper, has good basketball IQ and can finish inside. Similar build and potential IMO. Plus A'ja is a workhorse and seems to have the drive and motivation to be great.

I do not think she is going to dominate, but she has all the makings to be an outstanding PF for years to come and be a player San Antonio can build around. They need a SF too, but the biggest issue is they do not have a viable post threat or defensive presence to stop opposing bigs. They need someone who can battle on the glass, block shots, and provide an inside presence to open things up for McBride and Plum/Jefferson.

If they take a SF, Deshields in theory is a better option than Williams since she has more size and better ability to create her own shot, but she has big red flags around her considering her marginal success collegiately and she's never shown great basketball IQ or shot selection, both of which can be death warrants in the W. I wouldn't want Deshields taking 10-15 shots per game over McBride or Jefferson.

Williams is a great facilitator and finisher, but San Antonio already has a slew of good passing guards...they need a front court player who can put the ball in the hole, and Wilson fits that bill.

 

[GoCardinal]

Wilson is a banger...did you watch the Final Four last year? She was relentless on the glass and is not afraid to get physical like she was earlier in her career. I'm not expecting her to stop Fowles or Griner, but she's a much better option to counteract them than what they have right now. Her game reminds me so much of Tina Charles in that she can has very good length and athleticism, can hit the face up jumper, has good basketball IQ and can finish inside. Similar build and potential IMO. Plus A'ja is a workhorse and seems to have the drive and motivation to be great.

I do not think she is going to dominate, but she has all the makings to be an outstanding PF for years to come and be a player San Antonio can build around. They need a SF too, but the biggest issue is they do not have a viable post threat or defensive presence to stop opposing bigs. They need someone who can battle on the glass, block shots, and provide an inside presence to open things up for McBride and Plum/Jefferson.

If they take a SF, Deshields in theory is a better option than Williams since she has more size and better ability to create her own shot, but she has big red flags around her considering her marginal success collegiately and she's never shown great basketball IQ or shot selection, both of which can be death warrants in the W. I wouldn't want Deshields taking 10-15 shots per game over McBride or Jefferson.

Williams is a great facilitator and finisher, but San Antonio already has a slew of good passing guards...they need a front court player who can put the ball in the hole, and Wilson fits that bill.

The Final 4 is a small sample size compared to how she actually prefers to play. And even in the FF, she had some trouble dealing with McCall’s athleticism and activity. She’s not a player that relies on banging 24/7 in the post, she’s a finesse type player. Collier and Williams also had little to no trouble scoring over both her and Coates and they are at least 4 inches shorter than the both of them. Those were the best bigs she faced all year. Wilson prefers to face up not battle down low, Laimbeer has acknowledged this. If they want someone to battle on the glass and be physical, maybe they should wait for Brown from Baylor next year, cause this team is likely bound for the lottery again regardless of who they pick this year.

And slew of passing guards, as in? Jefferson and Plum is all I count? Montgomery is a UFA, so there’s no guarantee she’ll even be on the team, it’s also worth noting Laimbeer traded her away once before. Laimbeer is a smart guy, so I’m sure he’s going to scout and evaluate every player that has an argument to be picked first. He’s already scouted Wilson and Mitchell, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he made the trip to Reno to see UConn.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Admittedly, I haven't read all of the previous posts. I've scanned a few. So apologies if I am reiterating someone else's point.

Gabby will not be the #1 pick. Someone aptly put - Las Vegas needs a "big". A'ja is the best big other than M.Billings coming out. (height is at a premium)

Laimbeer's comments on Wilson was pretty telling. She will be the #1 pick but he doesn't think that she is a center.
Something along the lines of her being too small for the big post players in the WNBA. But he was certainly grinning at the prospect of A'ja coming to his team.

 

[bballnut90]

The Final 4 is a small sample size compared to how she actually prefers to play. And even in the FF, she had some trouble dealing with McCall’s athleticism and activity. She’s not a player that relies on banging 24/7 in the post, she’s a finesse type player. Collier and Williams also had little to no trouble scoring over both her and Coates and they are at least 4 inches shorter than the both of them. Those were the best bigs she faced all year. Wilson prefers to face up not battle down low, Laimbeer has acknowledged this. If they want someone to battle on the glass and be physical, maybe they should wait for Brown from Baylor next year, cause this team is likely bound for the lottery again regardless of who they pick this year.

And slew of passing guards, as in? Jefferson and Plum is all I count? Montgomery is a UFA, so there’s no guarantee she’ll even be on the team, it’s also worth noting Laimbeer traded her away once before. Laimbeer is a smart guy, so I’m sure he’s going to scout and evaluate every player that has an argument to be picked first. He’s already scouted Wilson and Mitchell, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he made the trip to Reno to see UConn.

We must be looking at different players because the Wilson I've seen is not afraid of physical contact or battling in the paint. She took 6+ FT/game last year and is shooting more than 10/game so far this year. She's aggressive and can dominate the glass. On multiple occasions last year she dominated Mississippi State's physical front line on both ends of the court.

Regardless though, they do not need a big bruising post like a Kalani Brown, they just need an inside presence who can disrupt opposing posts, battle on the glass and score. Wilson checks all of those boxes.

And the guards comment--Plum, Jefferson and McBride, who is actually a very solid passer as a 2 guard. A'ja will get a lot of touches and good looks next year with Plum/Jefferson and McBride on the perimeter. Laimbeer will definitely evaluate all of the top players, but I think just about everyone will be stunned if he opts for anyone other than Wilson.