2019 WNBA Draft

[j66kicker]

How hard is it for a 2nd round draft pick to make a roster?

I believe, on average, About 20 new draftees make rosters each year. First round usually a lock, 2nd round ~50/50, third round the odds are against you.

 

[maccca3232]

How hard is it for a 2nd round draft pick to make a roster?

Some stats from last year

 

[ocoandasoc]

I guess that's a double edged sword--when she took on pro-level posts or defenses, she was the SOLE FOCUS of their efforts, since she was Cal's best player by far. Yes, Turner has better FG% stats, but she was also surrounded by four other WNBA draft picks, and most of her scores were on put backs or lay-ups off of drives and assists from the three pro-level guards on her roster. Impossible to know how each would do if their roles were reversed.

Also, Anigwe definitely struggled against Baylor's Cox and Brown (but what post didn't), and somewhat against UConn, but I'd disagree with you on Stanford--she put up 20 and 20 on them in back to back games. Her Stanford averages this year: 19.7ppg, 19.3rpg. The Pac 12 was also the second best conference in the country, so ti wasn't like she was feasting on the sisters of the poor when she became the country's leading rebounder by nearly 3rpg. She's definitely rough offensively, but she reminds me a bit of a Rebekka Brunson coming out of college.

She made some free throws, but in the three Cal/Stanford games Anigwe was 17 for 44 (38%) from the floor and committed 14 fouls (yep, she fouled out twice). Cal lost by 25 and 18 points in the second and third games after winning by one in the first. Turner, in her one game against Stanford, shot 70%. She shot 57% against UConn, 70% in two games against Louisville, she shot only 36% against Baylor, but had 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Turner's season stats were better and she played in the BEST conference in the country and on a team with a tougher OOC schedule.

I'm not putting down Anigwe. She's a good player. I'm just saying that the Sun could have done better – and Turner is an example. If you were drafting, would you have taken Anigwe over Turner?

 

[maccca3232]

How hard is it for a 2nd round draft pick to make a roster?

Based on the last 9 years better than 50-50.

 

[Britt87]

She made some free throws, but in the three Cal/Stanford games Anigwe was 17 for 44 (38%) from the floor and committed 14 fouls (yep, she fouled out twice). Cal lost by 25 and 18 points in the second and third games after winning by one in the first. Turner, in her one game against Stanford, shot 70%. She shot 57% against UConn, 70% in two games against Louisville, she shot only 36% against Baylor, but had 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Turner's season stats were better and she played in the BEST conference in the country and on a team with a tougher OOC schedule.

I'm not putting down Anigwe. She's a good player. I'm just saying that the Sun could have done better – and Turner is an example. If you were drafting, would you have taken Anigwe over Turner?

Anigwe is not a good offensive player but she's a beast on the glass. I would take Turner over her in a heartbeat. Turner is also a better defender.

 

[Carnac]

Anigwe is not a good offensive player but she's a beast on the glass. I would take Turner over her in a heartbeat. Turner is also a better defender.

I'm bias. I'm a HUGE Turner fan since she arrived at ND, so of course I agree with you on this one.

 

[VA Huskie]

I'm bias. I'm a HUGE Turner fan since she arrived at ND, so of course I agree with you on this one.

Turner does have a pretty bad injury history though.

 

[Carnac]

Turner does have a pretty bad injury history though.

No argument there. Let's hope she leaves the injury bug behind when she leaves South Bend after graduation.
The climate in Phoenix is not conducive to injury bugs, or so I hear.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Anigwe dropped 50 in a game I believe during her Fr. year. How the hell does someone who is not a good offensive player manage that? Stats aren't everything but Anigwe's scoring and rebounding numbers are way better than Turner's throughout both of their careers.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Anigwe dropped 50 in a game I believe during her Fr. year. How the hell does someone who is not a good offensive player manage that? Stats aren't everything but Anigwe's scoring and rebounding numbers are way better than Turner's throughout both of their careers.

Anigwe's shooting percentage is way below Turner's. She has good rebounding numbers but she was the ONLY rebounder on the CAl team where ND had three with over 250 rebounds this year. (I think the highest number on Cal next to Anigwe was just over 100, and even with Anigwe Cal was frequently out-rebounded. Turner also played against better competition. Also, check out the assist and personal foul numbers. Turner is clearly superior to Anigwe.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Anigwe's shooting percentage is way below Turner's. She has good rebounding numbers but she was the ONLY rebounder on the CAl team where ND had three with over 250 rebounds this year. (I think the highest number on Cal next to Anigwe was just over 100, and even with Anigwe Cal was frequently out-rebounded. Turner also played against better competition. Also, check out the assist and personal foul numbers. Turner is clearly superior to Anigwe.

Well, it really depends on how you define things. Anigwe was option 1, 2 and 3 for Cal. Defenses routinely collapsed on her. Turner was option 4 or 5 for the Irish. How often did she face a double team? Her FG% was definitely better than Anigwe's, but I'm willing to bet she got more easy looks at the bucket than Anigwe did. I'll give Turner is more well rounded (passing, defense). I don't know about better though. Switch the 2 players and I don't think Turner is anywhere near as productive (point and rebounding) for Cal as Anigwe was. Of course impossible to prove, just my opinion.

 

[Dokey]

She made some free throws, but in the three Cal/Stanford games Anigwe was 17 for 44 (38%) from the floor and committed 14 fouls (yep, she fouled out twice). Cal lost by 25 and 18 points in the second and third games after winning by one in the first. Turner, in her one game against Stanford, shot 70%. She shot 57% against UConn, 70% in two games against Louisville, she shot only 36% against Baylor, but had 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Turner's season stats were better and she played in the BEST conference in the country and on a team with a tougher OOC schedule.

I'm not putting down Anigwe. She's a good player. I'm just saying that the Sun could have done better – and Turner is an example. If you were drafting, would you have taken Anigwe over Turner?

PAC-12 is best conference top to bottom.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Anigwe is not a good offensive player but she's a beast on the glass. I would take Turner over her in a heartbeat. Turner is also a better defender.

Well, subjective assessments can differ, but it was Anigwe, not Turner, who won Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. And that's especially impressive considering that Anigwe was not on a team getting lots of national press attention, unlike Turner. (Incidentally, Turner had 109 blocks to Anigwe's 57, and Anigwe had 353 defensive rebounds to Turner's 201. And of course, Turner played in three more games than Anigwe.)

I think they're similar players but hard to compare because Turner had so much more help than Anigwe did. Turner attempted 353 shots this year; Anigwe attempted 547. Of course Anigwe's shooting percentage will be lower. That's simply a much heavier load to carry throughout a season. And Anigwe ended up in the top 10 in scoring and #1 in rebounds despite being basically double and sometimes even triple-teamed all season. Turner having another big like Shepard meant that she had so many more open looks to the basket than Anigwe ever got - many, many more clean shots.

(And BTW: the only player in the country who was among the top 25 in total FG attempts and also top 25 in FG shooting % was Megan Gustafson, a big who was taken 17th overall/5th in the second round. So apparently neither of those statistics is, on its own, overly important to sizing up WNBA potential.)

I do think Turner is a bit more agile and versatile as a scorer than Anigwe, but I definitely don't think it's right to say that she's a better defender than Anigwe, and I think it's a reasonable toss-up as to who I'd take if I were a WNBA coach.

 

[maccca3232]

How about you view it from another angle.

Given Turner was traded for Gulich. Who is better: Gulich or Anigwe?

 

[Robin]

she deferred so much to her in the final that ND lost by 1. Actually, rather than deferred, I'd say she disappeared. she had one more point than turnovers.

JY's best attribute is driving to the basket. Do you think that is really possible against Cox and Brown? She is not a three point shooter like Arike and Mabrey and she doesn't post up in the paint. This was a game that was not going to favor JY's strengths. ND fans, who watched every possible game, know that JY was the best overall player on the team. Everyone was good but she just had a little extra and is a more versatile player. If she had a bad game, everyone had a bad game, and she could energize the team more than any other.

 

[Britt87]

Well, subjective assessments can differ, but it was Anigwe, not Turner, who won Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. And that's especially impressive considering that Anigwe was not on a team getting lots of national press attention, unlike Turner. (Incidentally, Turner had 109 blocks to Anigwe's 57, and Anigwe had 353 defensive rebounds to Turner's 201. And of course, Turner played in three more games than Anigwe.)

I think they're similar players but hard to compare because Turner had so much more help than Anigwe did. Turner attempted 353 shots this year; Anigwe attempted 547. Of course Anigwe's shooting percentage will be lower. That's simply a much heavier load to carry throughout a season. And Anigwe ended up in the top 10 in scoring and #1 in rebounds despite being basically double and sometimes even triple-teamed all season. Turner having another big like Shepard meant that she had so many more open looks to the basket than Anigwe ever got - many, many more clean shots.

(And BTW: the only player in the country who was among the top 25 in total FG attempts and also top 25 in FG shooting % was Megan Gustafson, a big who was taken 17th overall/5th in the second round. So apparently neither of those statistics is, on its own, overly important to sizing up WNBA potential.)

I do think Turner is a bit more agile and versatile as a scorer than Anigwe, but I definitely don't think it's right to say that she's a better defender than Anigwe, and I think it's a reasonable toss-up as to who I'd take if I were a WNBA coach.

That's a fair assessment but numbers will always be higher when you're the best player on a bad team.

 

[asuwish]

How about you view it from another angle.

Given Turner was traded for Gulich. Who is better: Gulich or Anigwe?

Turner is a great athlete that until this year wasn't guarded if she went out to the foul line (where she use to be a horrible foul shooter). She basically shoots from 3 feet in. I have not been her biggest fan but during the end of the year her foul shooting was solid and she even made a couple of mid range shots. Any offensive out put will make her team thrilled, but with Griner they form a tough defensive back line.

 

[boontonbomber]

JY's best attribute is driving to the basket. Do you think that is really possible against Cox and Brown? She is not a three point shooter like Arike and Mabrey and she doesn't post up in the paint. This was a game that was not going to favor JY's strengths. ND fans, who watched every possible game, know that JY was the best overall player on the team. Everyone was good but she just had a little extra and is a more versatile player. If she had a bad game, everyone had a bad game, and she could energize the team more than any other.

well, she's probably going to encounter some bigs in the WNBA. then what? I agree that she was their best player, but in that role, and as the #1 pick in the draft, I would have expected more than 4 points in their biggest game of the year. she certainly has shown other ways to score outside of taking the ball to the hoop, like that nice 15-foot jump shot of hers. she showed none of it.

 

[bbsamjj]

Well, subjective assessments can differ, but it was Anigwe, not Turner, who won Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. And that's especially impressive considering that Anigwe was not on a team getting lots of national press attention, unlike Turner. (Incidentally, Turner had 109 blocks to Anigwe's 57, and Anigwe had 353 defensive rebounds to Turner's 201. And of course, Turner played in three more games than Anigwe.)

I think they're similar players but hard to compare because Turner had so much more help than Anigwe did. Turner attempted 353 shots this year; Anigwe attempted 547. Of course Anigwe's shooting percentage will be lower. That's simply a much heavier load to carry throughout a season. And Anigwe ended up in the top 10 in scoring and #1 in rebounds despite being basically double and sometimes even triple-teamed all season. Turner having another big like Shepard meant that she had so many more open looks to the basket than Anigwe ever got - many, many more clean shots.

(And BTW: the only player in the country who was among the top 25 in total FG attempts and also top 25 in FG shooting % was Megan Gustafson, a big who was taken 17th overall/5th in the second round. So apparently neither of those statistics is, on its own, overly important to sizing up WNBA potential.)

I do think Turner is a bit more agile and versatile as a scorer than Anigwe, but I definitely don't think it's right to say that she's a better defender than Anigwe, and I think it's a reasonable toss-up as to who I'd take if I were a WNBA coach.

100% agree here. Reasonable people can prefer Turner over Anigwe, but pointing to Turner's FG % as a reason for that preference doesn't quite check out given the very different circumstances and teams they were on this year.

 

[Carnac]

Anigwe's shooting percentage is way below Turner's. She has good rebounding numbers but she was the ONLY rebounder on the CAl team where ND had three with over 250 rebounds this year. (I think the highest number on Cal next to Anigwe was just over 100, and even with Anigwe Cal was frequently out-rebounded. Turner also played against better competition. Also, check out the assist and personal foul numbers. Turner is clearly superior to Anigwe.

Right now ....today, I don't know who will be the better player at the next level. They are going to encounter players and situations they didn't in college. How they handle and adjust to those dynamics will determine how quickly they adjust and grow their game. We can use stats to make or refute an argument in our particular direction. As we know, numbers don't always tell the complete story. Players can contribute in was/areas that don't show up in the box score.

We'll find out over the next three years how good/effective they are. How their respective teams uses them THIS SEASON may be so different, that statistical comparisons would not be accurate. I'm rooting for BOTH of them. I hope they both have a l-o-n-g and lucrative careers as professional basketball players.

 

[eebmg]

With Stewie out and Maya retired and my home Liberty just a joke (and a joke I cant even travel to) , I can't find much optimism for this WNBA season. Maybe, it will come in time but for now,

 

[Argonaut]

With Stewie out and Maya retired and my home Liberty just a joke (and a joke I cant even travel to) , I can't find much optimism for this WNBA season. Maybe, it will come in time but for now,

I'm just looking forward to watching Lou, Gabby, and Stef play for Chicago. That is going to be a DANGEROUS high-low formula.

And I'd like to think Maya is just on sabbatical. I need to believe she's going to come back.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Damn, Lou and Phee look right out of Hollywood. Stunners and ballers!

Either could be, should be models. The dress that KLS is wearing is pure CD, classy.

 

[BroadwayVa]

With Stewie out and Maya retired and my home Liberty just a joke (and a joke I cant even travel to) , I can't find much optimism for this WNBA season. Maybe, it will come in time but for now,

Is it just me or is there really a slow decline in the WNBA?