Best collegiate players whose pro careers didn't pan out

[From France]

Chamique Holsdclaw has a pretyy goodpro career but she should have been a 30 players for 30 years

Also, a disppointment from Shoni Schimmel

 

[From France]

In another way Angel McCoughtry was way better as a pro than in college

 

[Panthers]

IF Alana Beard didn't stay injured, it's no telling how good she could have been. She was better than Taurasi, no doubt about it!

 

[nwhoopfan]

IF Alana Beard didn't stay injured, it's no telling how good she could have been. She was better than Taurasi, no doubt about it!

Oh, that's gonna get an interesting response.

 

[bballnut90]

Chamique Holsdclaw has a pretyy goodpro career but she should have been a 30 players for 30 years

Also, a disppointment from Shoni Schimmel

Agree on Holdsclaw. She went to a poorly run franchise that gave her a new coach each year and she went through severe depression after her grandmother died and she was never the same player after. Collegiately she has a strong case for best player ever and her game should have (and early on it did) translate effortlessly to the pros. She still had a solid pro career but you can’t help but feel she would have had a Moore/Catchings/Taurasi/Parker-esque pro career if she had better mental health, coaches and teammates.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Agree on Holdsclaw. She went to a poorly run franchise that gave her a new coach each year and she went through severe depression after her grandmother died and she was never the same player after. Collegiately she has a strong case for best player ever and her game should have (and early on it did) translate effortlessly to the pros. She still had a solid pro career but you can’t help but feel she would have had a Moore/Catchings/Taurasi/Parker-esque pro career if she had better mental health, coaches and teammates.

I posted this on Volition and maybe here too but:

Catching is my all time favorite LV as she played with full effort and energy whenever she stepped on the court. Even in college if her shooting was off she impacted the game in other ways.

Parker was probably the most athletically gifted to play for Pat in that she could do everything and make it look easy. She didn't always give 100% effort like Catchings but she oozed athleticism from day one and you knew it was there and could be turned on at any moment with little opposition could do to stop it.

However, Holdclaw had a better UT career than either of them. To me Chamique should be in the basketball HOF. Her WNBA career went very well until she lost her grandmother and began to suffer from mental illness, which I gathered she's struggled with in the past but her family and UT basketball family helped her cope with. Without that support network she was missing that piece to balance her out.

While her pro career didn't match college though, she still played 11 years and averaged almost 17 points per game. That's not a disappointment but just a failure to match what were truly unreasonable expectations from college.

 

[Jackalope]

Respectfully, Kara Walters didn't have a spectacular professional career after being named AP National Player of the Year in 1997. She joined the ABL for 2 years and then had a four year WNBA career averaging 6.5 pts and 3.2 rebounds per game before being released by the Sacramento Monarchs in 2003.

 

[bballnut90]

Respectfully, Kara Walters didn't have a spectacular professional career after being named AP National Player of the Year in 1997. She joined the ABL for 2 years and then had a four year WNBA career averaging 6.5 pts and 3.2 rebounds per game before being released by the Sacramento Monarchs in 2003.

Same with Kate Starbird who was the Naismith winner that year.

 

[Kaizen]

I think most people know Jackie and believe she is a great player. This video just tells you more about her.

 

[FormerCTrez]

I think most people know Jackie and believe she is a great player. This video just tells you more about her.

This video really brought back some good memories of Jackie Stiles. During her college years, I’d lived in CT and was captivated by the Huskies, but I can vividly remember hearing and reading about her STATS. I cheered her on from a distance, and also thought how wonderful it must have been, to be celebrated, loved, and supported by everyone in one’s town, regardless of the town‘s size. She was good!
Thanks @Kaizen for sharing it.

 

[Millenial23]

How about Moriah Jefferson due to injury so far. Although I am holding out hope for her still!

 

[ISUnorth]

Collier made a verbal commitment to UConn and later changed her mind and committed to Texas. I can’t help feeling that UConn would have prepared her for the WNBA better than she was.

Although not first round draft pick, Megan Gustafson, won virtually every player of the year award as a senior at Iowa, struggled in her first year in the WNBA. She appears to have improved her game in Europe and is now playing for the Mercury. I wish her well for a pro career.

Megan has seemed to have carved herself out spot in WNBA now and had a great off season playing Euro League this year. Both state of Iowa rivals, Gustafson and Cyclones Bridget Carleton, got cut first year but have found their niche, Carleton with the Lynx as a reliable trustworthy player Reeves really seems to like.

And Megan does have the official corgi of the WNBA, Pancake Gustafson.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

There is a laundry list of players who were Elite college players but their pro career did not measure up. Just off the top of my head, I have:

Alana Beard/Duke

Let's try this again ...

Alana Beard

• 4× WNBA All-Star (2005–2007, 2009)
• All-WNBA Second Team (2006)
• 2× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018)
• 5× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2012, 2016–2018)
• 4× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006, 2009, 2014)
• WNBA champion (2016)
• #4 in WNBA history in career steals
• Top 30 in WNBA history in both points and assists

@triaddukefan

 

[ISUnorth]

I’d say Collier was a bit of a disappointment as a college player. I am a Texas fan who was not that sorry to see her leave a year early. I don’t know how much Geno could have gotten her to develop more.

Bit late in responding to this but as a fellow Big 12 fan I agree with you. It sometimes seemed like the light would come on for her and it looked she might finally sustain effort and motivation and than it seemed to dim again. Not really trying to take a shot at her here, everyone is wired differently and what comes naturally for some is just really hard for others.

 

[The deacon]

Let's try this again ...

Alana Beard

• 4× WNBA All-Star (2005–2007, 2009)
• All-WNBA Second Team (2006)
• 2× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018)
• 5× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2012, 2016–2018)
• 4× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006, 2009, 2014)
• WNBA champion (2016)
• #4 in WNBA history in career steals
• Top 30 in WNBA history in both points and assists

@triaddukefan

That really is an enviable career. I always enjoyed watching Alana play (except against the Deacs), but admittedly had no idea her WNBA credentials were so, so good.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

They would have all shined brightly, but the WNBA ran out of teams unlike the NBA. lol SO, is this fair? lol

 

[jdote33]

Of course getting to the w and spending time there is an accomplishment. So no shade. But here's who comes to mind.

Lindsey Harding - her final season at Duke she was amazing. She was super quick and really good defensively. Definitely thought she'd be an all star caliber guard.

Marissa Coleman - I think she did make an all star team but I remember watching her drop 40 in the tournament. I also remember Maryland was confident they could be UConn that year when UConn was undefeated. They thought they matched up well. And in particular Maya moore vs Coleman.

Kelsey Griffin- absolute monster her senior year at Nebraska. Was physical, athletic, just a bit undersized. Didn't have that long of a run in the W.

Cameo Hicks - this is a throwback and I had just started watching wcbb (besides UConn). She was a great scorer, I legit don't know what happened after Washington.

Katie Geralds- always liked big guards. She was 6'1 could post and shoot. Led Purdue to the elite 8 I believe. I was surprised she didn't have a more impactful career in the W.

Shalee Lehning - she was small and wasn't a super athlete but she was fun to watch and a triple double threat. She did have meaningful stint in the W but I thought she'd have a long career just how savvy she was.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Cameo Hicks - this is a throwback and I had just started watching wcbb (besides UConn). She was a great scorer, I legit don't know what happened after Washington.

Whoa! I bet not many people on this board remember her (or were ever aware of her). I went to a handful of games back when she was playing.

I'm really surprised that other than Plum, Whitcomb is the one former UW player to find a niche in the WNBA. They've had a few ballers here and there. I really thought Talia Walton would stick in the W. Good size, decent athleticism for a wing (or combo forward maybe), fairly versatile. She washed out instantly and never got another look as far as I know. I just can't figure it sometimes.

 

[faninwisc]

Courtney Paris comes to mind

 

[Bone Dog]

Respectfully, Kara Walters didn't have a spectacular professional career after being named AP National Player of the Year in 1997. She joined the ABL for 2 years and then had a four year WNBA career averaging 6.5 pts and 3.2 rebounds per game before being released by the Sacramento Monarchs in 2003.

Like Rebecca Lobo, Kara’s pro career was hampered by injury.

 

[jdote33]

Courtney Paris comes to mind

This is a great one. Also Danielle Adams.

I was also going to say Candice Wiggins. I know she had some injuries but she was a superstar in college.

Rachel Banham has had a long career but I thought she really was gonna be a star

 

[faninwisc]

This is a great one. Also Danielle Adams.

I was also going to say Candice Wiggins. I know she had some injuries but she was a superstar in college.

Rachel Banham has had a long career but I thought she really was gonna be a star

I never really thought Danielle Adams was going to be a great WNBA player. She was too small to play in the post and not quick enough to be a wing. I would also add Jayne Appel to the list.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I would also add Jayne Appel to the list.

Injuries. She was a pale shadow of herself by the time she was a pro.

 

[jdote33]

I never really thought Danielle Adams was going to be a great WNBA player. She was too small to play in the post and not quick enough to be a wing. I would also add Jayne Appel to the list.

Great one! Jayne Appel. I remember her and Tina Charles used to battle. And I thought she was just as good if not better. She was a great college player.

 

[faninwisc]

Great one! Jayne Appel. I remember her and Tina Charles used to battle. And I thought she was just as good if not better. She was a great college player.

I will never forget her game against Iowa State in 2009, she was unstoppable.

 

[faninwisc]

I am going to toss Jessica Davenport's name on the list too. She had a great career at Ohio State but didn't do much after that.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Off the top of my head that was the 3rd dumbest trade in the history of my life.

What were the first two?

 

[triaddukefan]

What were the first two?

Herschel Walker from the Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings.

Milwaukee Bucks sent Dirk Nowkizi to Dallas for Robert Tractor Traylor (RIP)

Ha. I see i already answered it earlier.guess that is the top 4

 

[VAUConnFan]

1. Dallas trading Herschel Walker to the VIkings (Jerry Jones is still laughing)

2. New Orleans trading their entire draft class and a first round pick the following year for Ricky Williams.

Who here goes far enough back to remember the San Francisco Giants trading Orlando Cepeda to St. Louis for Ray Sadecki?
How about the Cubs trading Lou Brock to St. Louis for Ernie Broglio and Bobby Shantz?
Nolan Ryan from the Mets to the Angels for Jim Fregosi.

 

[VA Huskie]

Courtney Paris comes to mind

Courtney is a perfect example of “built to be a great college player, but doesn’t translate to the pros”. I wonder if Pili and the kid on Iowa St (Combs?) will see the same future? Of course Pili has an outside shot, so she may be different.