Connecticut Sun Now Have 2 Of The Top 4 Picks In WNBA Draft

[JavaMan]

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 3, 2016) – The Connecticut Sun announced today it has acquired the fourth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft from the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Elizabeth Williams.

“We are excited about the trade with Atlanta allowing us to have two of the top four picks in the deep 2016 WNBA Draft,” said Sun coach Curt Miller, who now has the Nos. 3 and 4 picks. “It is always hard trading a talented player and great person like Elizabeth Williams, but we believe the draft provides us with a tremendous opportunity to address specific needs.”

[LINK]

 

[carpe diem]

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 3, 2016) – The Connecticut Sun announced today it has acquired the fourth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft from the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Elizabeth Williams.

“We are excited about the trade with Atlanta allowing us to have two of the top four picks in the deep 2016 WNBA Draft,” said Sun coach Curt Miller, who now has the Nos. 3 and 4 picks. “It is always hard trading a talented player and great person like Elizabeth Williams, but we believe the draft provides us with a tremendous opportunity to address specific needs.”

[LINK]

I know too little about the SUN personnel to even hazard a guess, but given the many experts here (mostly) what are the chances this is meant to enable drafting MO?

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting move - there should be some very nice talent available. I think Williams may turn out to be a very good pro, but not exceptional and perhaps a little redundant to needs for the Sun.

 

[OldAlum]

They already had the #3 pick, so they could have chosen her then if the wish. Anyone with ideas on their needs or possible plans?

 

[EricLA]

So they have the 3rd and 4th picks? Assuming that Stewie and Moriah go 1-2, they could choose Mitchell, Jonquel Jones, Bulgak, Hamblin, Jillian Alleyne, Courtney Williams, etc. Lots of great choices, and I don't think letting Williams go is a bad idea given they could replace her with Jones, Bulgak, Hamblin or Alleyne...

 

[hoopsdiva]

I don't expect Mo to be available at #3. If she is, the Sun will grab her. More likely they'll take Tiffany Mitchell (not a bad choice) and Morgan Tuck if she's available, and maybe Courtenay Williams if she isn't.

 

[Orangutan]

Interesting move - there should be some very nice talent available. I think Williams may turn out to be a very good pro, but not exceptional and perhaps a little redundant to needs for the Sun.

I tend to agree - Williams' numbers look better than I remember her being but still not a key piece with Bone and Ogwumike in the fold. I'd rather have the 4th pick. I guess Atlanta decided they liked her better than any of the bigs available at 4.

 

[EricLA]

I don't expect Mo to be available at #3. If she is, the Sun will grab her. More likely they'll take Tiffany Mitchell (not a bad choice) and Morgan Tuck if she's available, and maybe Courtenay Williams if she isn't.

No offense to Morgan, but given her knee history, any GM who drafts her as their first pick is playing Russian Roulette. Not as risky as taking Brit Hunter, but the kid has limited years as a pro given her history and need to take games off during the year even at UCONN. And the WNBA schedule is much more demanding than the college schedule.

 

[Wbbfan1]

At the risk of getting a lot of grief, I'd probably would take Jillian Alleyene over Morgan. Primarily because of Morgans future playing days. Morgan MAY only have a one or two year WNBA career while I'm not aware of any limitation on Alleyne. Alleyne is a better rebounder then Morgan as well.

Hopefully as a UConn fan, Morgan sees the same, as decides her long term earnings might benefit her more by returning next year to work on her Masters full time.

 

[Zorro]

I guess the Huskyphobia departed with AD?

 

[Alydar]

I've watch Hamblin for 2 years. She is great against weak competition but I've never seen her play well against top level teams and that's what she'll face in the W. Feet too slow, can't catch and can't shoot.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sun trade away one of those picks for 2 journeymen and a second round pick in 2017. That seems to be their pattern over the years.

The Sun traded Whalen to Minn to get Charles. Charles was traded to NY for what became Williams. The Sun always seem to lose out on these deals. Some might believe that it's just bad luck that the Sun have lost out in nearly every draft lottery they have been in but to me it's obvious that the whole draft process is fixed. The league wants it's stars in big markets and if one of those stars ends up in CT they don't stay there long. The Sun seems to be a team filled with young players learning the pro game and old pros well past their prime.

 

[johnnyc]

I think Jonquel Jones should be one of those picks.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . . I'd probably would take Jillian Alleyene over Morgan. . .

Yeah, me too. Because Jillian plays out West for a not very good Oregon team, I think a lot of fans
don't realize what a great player she is.

Whether the Sun really need her is another question.

 

[UcMiami]

Given their roster in San Antonio which has some pretty good guards, I am not sure they do select Moriah at #2 - I could definitely see them going for a higher scoring guard/forward or being open to trading out of #2

 

[reno tony]

Maybe they will trade the 3rd and 4th picks for the first overall Breanna can stay in Connecticut.

 

[Orangutan]

Maybe they will trade the 3rd and 4th picks for the first overall Breanna can stay in Connecticut.

I'm guessing you are joking, but it would take WAY, WAY more than that to pry that pick away from Seattle.

 

[Orangutan]

Given their roster in San Antonio which has some pretty good guards, I am not sure they do select Moriah at #2 - I could definitely see them going for a higher scoring guard/forward or being open to trading out of #2

I don't think it would actually work out well but it would be entertaining to see Jefferson and D-Rob in the same backcourt. So much speed!

 

[mrmojack]

The Sun passed on Kia Stokes(a Uconn player) and took Williams(with a bad knee).. Now, a year later Williams is traded off and the person who drafted her, Anne Donovan is also gone. Stokes ends up
being the runner up for Rookie of the Year in the WNBA and having a great season under Bill
Laimbeer with the NY Liberty.

Thank heaven the Sun are going in a different direction this year. Maybe they will draft Mo Jefferson
and Morgan Tuck if she comes out. That would put some fannies in the seats at the Mogehan Sun
Arena. The Sun have a nice young team to work with and maybe a couple more Uconn players
will get them over the hump.

What if they trade the 3rd and 4th pick to Seattle for the #1 pick Stewie. Bingo!!!! Interesting
thought.

 

[JoePgh]

I've watch Hamblin for 2 years. She is great against weak competition but I've never seen her play well against top level teams and that's what she'll face in the W. Feet too slow, can't catch and can't shoot.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sun trade away one of those picks for 2 journeymen and a second round pick in 2017. That seems to be their pattern over the years.

The Sun traded Whalen to Minn to get Charles. Charles was traded to NY for what became Williams. The Sun always seem to lose out on these deals. Some might believe that it's just bad luck that the Sun have lost out in nearly every draft lottery they have been in but to me it's obvious that the whole draft process is fixed. The league wants it's stars in big markets and if one of those stars ends up in CT they don't stay there long. The Sun seems to be a team filled with young players learning the pro game and old pros well past their prime.

Let's straighten out the historical facts here. It is NOT true that Tina was traded to the Liberty for what became Williams. Tina was traded to New York for Kelsey Bone, who has been the Sun's starting center since she arrived, and has been quite adequate in that role (although not likely to make fans forget Tina). It also needs to be pointed out that the trade was far from voluntary on the Sun's part -- Tina had said she would not play if she was not traded.

I hope that the Sun will draft Jonquel Jones with one of their picks, although San Antonio might take her with the #2 pick. I doubt that SA will take Moriah because they need help more urgently in the front court than in the back court, so the Sun should be able to get Moriah. If so, they might trade one of their current guards (perhaps Chelsea Gray, the recent Duke grad) for an experienced forward to come off the bench. So they should be able to get Moriah and a very good post player for Williams, which will be a good trade. Since they need bigs more than guards, they probably couldn't afford to take Moriah with the #3 pick if they weren't assured of having another high pick to help in the paint.

Between her knees and her desire to go to medical school, Elizabeth Williams is not likely to have any more longevity than Morgan Tuck, so recycling her for a high pick is probably a good move.

 

[Alydar]

Let's straighten out the historical facts here. It is NOT true that Tina was traded to the Liberty for what became Williams. Tina was traded to New York for Kelsey Bone, who has been the Sun's starting center since she arrived, and has been quite adequate in that role (although not likely to make fans forget Tina). It also needs to be pointed out that the trade was far from voluntary on the Sun's part -- Tina had said she would not play if she was not traded.

My mistake in the facts but you only reinforce my point. Whalen begat Charles who begat Bone. Is this the sort of trade-down history that puts championships together? And if Charles didn't want to play in CT why did the Sun trade for her? I understand that the teams have little leverage except to let Charles sit and not play and the last thing the league wants is it's well-known players sitting out a season, but if NY wanted Tina and Tina wanted NY the Sun should have asked for a lot more and let Tina sit if the Liberty didn't pony up. Tina was a top 2-3 draft pick. Bone isn't in her class. Bone is what you said, "quite adequate". Nothing more. And that's too often what the Sun end up with, adequate players.

The team has been in the lottery for 5 of the last 7 years. The only elite player they have on their roster from all those bad seasons is Chiney. I'll wager that she'll be gone by the 2018 season.

 

[UcMiami]

My mistake in the facts but you only reinforce my point. Whalen begat Charles who begat Bone. Is this the sort of trade-down history that puts championships together? And if Charles didn't want to play in CT why did the Sun trade for her? I understand that the teams have little leverage except to let Charles sit and not play and the last thing the league wants is it's well-known players sitting out a season, but if NY wanted Tina and Tina wanted NY the Sun should have asked for a lot more and let Tina sit if the Liberty didn't pony up. Tina was a top 2-3 draft pick. Bone isn't in her class. Bone is what you said, "quite adequate". Nothing more. And that's too often what the Sun end up with, adequate players.

The team has been in the lottery for 5 of the last 7 years. The only elite player they have on their roster from all those bad seasons is Chiney. I'll wager that she'll be gone by the 2018 season.

The Sun got Williams, Thomas, and Bone in exchange for Charles - that is the 2015 #4 pick, the 2014 #4 pick, and #5 pick from 2013 - not a bad haul for a player threatening to sit out the year. Compared to what Chicago got for Fowles, I would say the Sun dig extremely well and they are now turning the 2015 pick into perhaps Moriah which should make their fans happy.

WNBA teams cannot pay enough money to have a whole lot of leverage over players who decide they want to move to another team.

 

[VA Huskie]

Th

The Sun got Williams, Thomas, and Bone in exchange for Charles - that is the 2015 #4 pick, the 2014 #4 pick, and #5 pick from 2013 - not a bad haul for a player threatening to sit out the year. Compared to what Chicago got for Fowles, I would say the Sun dig extremely well and they are now turning the 2015 pick into perhaps Moriah which should make their fans happy.

WNBA teams cannot pay enough money to have a whole lot of leverage over players who decide they want to move to another team.

Thank you for clarifying that! I knew it was more than Williams for Tina, but couldn't remember the remainder of the trade

 

[DICKG]

I hope they trade both picks for a veteran power forward. If everyone comes back healthy, the team is definitely a playoff team. I don't think we need another guard.

 

[Gate81]

You guys really should watch Jonquel Jones play first. She is REAL and would be a terrific pick at 4 after either Mitchell or Mo (if she doesn't go at 2).
Unless they trade both picks for Nneka - and reunite the O sisters!

 

[Waquoit]

The Sun continues to pay the price for the disaster that Donovan was. Remember when those that were calling BS on her real time were called "haters"?