Beard had a 15-year career in the W. That in and of itself is pretty remarkable. She also like Nikki Powell won a championship and was DPOY twice-consecutively- and nine times was on the first or second all defensive team.
A lot of Stanford players had nice careers but never panned out to the level of success they had in college or were able to sustain careers at a high level. Chiney/Wiggins both were great as rookies but never improved much beyond that.
KML didn't have the size, or guickness to excell in the WNBA. She was a shooter, and not much else, so she reached her potential.
Connecticut Sun drafting Tuck and Banham at #3/#4 has to be 2 of the worst picks in hindsight considering the next 5 picks were Powers (consistent double figure scorer), Jonquel Jones (2021 MVP), Kahleah Copper (2021 Finals MVP and All Star), Courtney Williams (All Star) and Tiffany Mitchell (consistent for 10ppg).
Playing in UCONN’s system hid a lot of her short comings, but she never got into better shape to improve at the next level. She was always a strong passer too, but it is hard to be a successful shooting specialist without being quick.
Agree that a lot of the players you listed had very nice pro careers. Given how competitive the league is, anyone who is able to stay in the league for around a decade has had a very nice career, imo.
Beard was a great scorer until injuries in 2010/2011. She never was a DT caliber player (which many thought she’d be in the pros) but she had a stellar career. Especially when you compare her to the previous and following #2 picks (Tan White and Chantelle Anderson).
What were the top 2?
Okay a few on this list had pretty darned good careers. Riley, Currie, Young weren't world beaters but all were good players who did well for their teams and made names for themselves in the league. Beard is one of the best defensive players in league history and just because she never put up huge numbers doesn't mean she didn't measure up.
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.
Sophia Young came out of nowhere and led Baylor to their first championship and was a top WNBA player for years.
For me, I am of the mindset of "right fit". With a lot of these college players who were "great" at the college level and things did not pan out for them at the pro level, stateside, it is all about that "right fit". Players need a good coach who can see the vision of a player like Collier for that particular team, in this case the Wings. A player like Collier needs the right players around her, like Aliyah Boston found out at the start of the season and how those players could blend her talents into the offensive flow.
Agreed. She was more of a finesse 6-5 forward who had a tendency to completely shut down against better competition. She wasn't a banger inside. Had she picked UCONN I think it would've been a case similar to Azura Stevens, where she didn't like being primarily a lowpost player for Geno.
I mean the hype behind Beard in college and when she hit the draft was pretty high. I am not trying to diminish her longevity in the W.
The dysfunction in Phoenix over the past three years has been well documented. Really glad to see her having an opportunity to display her skills with the Sky.
Take thiis with a grain of salt:
She needs to learn not to force things, the same thing with Laney.
It was very high, and you have to look at her career in almost two series:
McCarville wasn't terrible, just nothing to write home about.
