Did Kelly Raise Her WNBA Draft Stock Tonight, Or What?

[JoePgh]

Consider Ms. Faris's stat line:

30 minutes
10 points
3-7 from the floor; 4-4 from the line
6 rebounds including 5 offensive
6 assists
3 steals
2 blocks
1 turnover
2 fouls

For her role on the team, particularly when others are providing the scoring, you could not ask for more than this.

I will be astonished if she stays on the WNBA draft board for more than the first 6 picks.

 

[chrissaran]

Kelly has all the intangibles, but the pros often like flash. There will not be a better teammate, not a more dedicated player in this draft. Hopefully, Kelly gets drafted by a team who appreciates her abilities and will give her the playing time she deserves.

 

[cohenzone]

She's a winner because she does whatever it takes. It should not be lost on the pros that UConn plays a large number of the better teams and that Kelly almost always guards the best scorer, meaning somet of the top college talent who will be moving on to the pros. She stops them now and will stop them as a pro. Pretty valuable commodity and a great teammate.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It depends on team needs, but Kelly Faris is a winner. For a number of teams, she'll change the culture to hard work and winning.

 

[UcMiami]

What she has done this year is prove she can be a high percentage scorer - not a volume scorer, but can give you ten points without throwing up lots of shots. Most pro teams have plenty of volume scorers, but need the glue players who set the screens, grab the loose balls, fight for boards, make the passes, and make teams pay if they double off her. That is what Kelly did this year and her stock should be high.

 

[EricLA]

What she has done this year is prove she can be a high percentage scorer - not a volume scorer, but can give you ten points without throwing up lots of shots. Most pro teams have plenty of volume scorers, but need the glue players who set the screens, grab the loose balls, fight for boards, make the passes, and make teams pay if they double off her. That is what Kelly did this year and her stock should be high.

You totally nailed it. Look at the number of players in the WNBA who take 20 shots, hit 6 and including FT's average 15+ PPG. Diggins has had games like that vs. UCONN almost every game they've played. Simmons is the epitome of a streaky volume shooter. Schimmel is another player who never met a shot she didn't like.

The great thing about UCONN has mostly always been that Geno wants them to take the first and best shot in the flow of the offense, no matter who gets the shot. Yes sometimes they will run things to get the best shooter in the nation (KML) a shot, but generally it's all about getting the best available shot. That's why UCONN generally doesn't have a single player in the top 10 scoring in the nation but why our FG% and overall offense is usually in the top 5 every year.

Getting back to the OP, not sure Kelly "raised" her stock tonite - I already think it was pretty high. I'd be shocked if she doesn't go in the top 10 and could see her going in the top 7.

 

[Scotter]

t don't want her to move up. I really want her to fall to Minnesota. That's a perfect situation for her.

 

[rocky rococo]

Bill Laimbeer (now running the NY Liberty) holds the overall #5 and #7 picks. I would not be at all surprised to see him use that #7 on Kelly. Laimbeer is someone that wouldn't need to have the advantages of Kelly explained to him.

 

[RS9999X]

There are several mock draft sites. Kelly's a tough call. Is she the kind of player they can pick up undrafted or down the road? A likely role player, is she worth a pick?

 

[UConnNick]

Kelly is the best overall player on this team, because she does everything well. Other players on this team are better shooters, better rebounders, better ball handlers, but she does everything there is to do in a BB game well, which means there are always one or more categories where she's better than any other individual teammate. She's also No. 1 in the intangibles which don't show up in the boxscore, and she's the team leader as a senior.

 

[RS9999X]

I predict she follows the lead of Mel Thomas. But what do I know?

 

[Dawson]

Not only did she put up that great stat line, she was such a calming influence when she had the ball. Skylar had nothing for her when Kelly took the ball up the court, thus only 1 turnover.

 

[Bigpetunia]

The only thing I dread about Tuesday is that it will be Kelly's final performance as a UCONN player. If one loves basketball, and especially UCONN women's basketball, losing her to graduation is the one cause for genuine mourning in an otherwise exhilarating post-season. She was an inspiration on the floor tonight...all heart!

 

[Icebear]

t don't want her to move up. I really want her to fall to Minnesota. That's a perfect situation for her.

Maya would love to have her in Minnesota.

 

[bruinbball]

Yeah, I am not looking forward to tomorrow night. However, it will be made tolerable if she goes out with UConn winning a title. As Geno told her on senior night, they will find a way to send her out the right way.

Kelly will be drafted, and like Scotter, I think Minnesota would be a great fit. There are roughly 50 double digit scorers in the WNBA and FG%s are lower there due to the level of competition the offenses face night in and night out. To me, that helps her stock as players that were scorers in college have to learn to adapt to the WNBA. Kelly has no other areas that need great improvement. There is no doubt she will continue to work on her shooting and finishing around the rim (the only areas I see that could still use improvement). Her ability to lock people up is something EVERY team will find valuable.

 

[jdubct]

Maya would love to have her in Minnesota.

Agree. Any other team that wants her will have to draft her above Minnesota in the first round.

 

[4UConn]

Her defense on Diggins was the game changer. Years from now, Diggins will wake up screaming from nightmares with Kelly Faris in her face. Just outstanding defense.

 

[alexrgct]

Years from now, Diggins will wake up screaming from nightmares with Kelly Faris in her face.

And Diggins won't be the only one.

For somewhat different reasons, man do Kelly and Caroline deserve to go out as champions.

 

[JoePgh]

I predict she follows the lead of Mel Thomas. But what do I know?

Mel would certainly have been drafted if she had not been injured. She tore her ACL in February of her senior year, which ruled her out as a draft pick that year. The following year, Anne Donovan signed her to a training camp contract with Seattle, but then she got another injury so that fizzled as well. But it's pretty clear (to me at least) that she would have been a late 1st-round or early 2nd-round pick if she had been healthy at the end of her senior year.

Kelly is similar to Mel but is a much better athlete -- taller by about 2 inches, faster, better leaper, quicker on defense. Mel might be a better 3-point shooter, but that is the only dimension in which Mel compares favorably to Kelly.

 

[Shenandoah]

Kelly made great strides in her shooting this year. Throughout the season, when we needed her to put up points, she did. It is no longer a good strategy to play 4 on 5, leaving Kelly open. I felt pretty confident with her putting up shots. She also actually showed hereself to be faster than I thought, on a breakaway last night as well.

 

[pap49cba]

Kelly's first endorsement deal....

 

[Blakeon18]

Any chance that Kelly might wind up with Indiana? Her folks and friends....including our very own Kelly one seed [Bruin]....could see her play often. Indiana is excellent but might benefit bigtime
from our Swiss Army Knife....able to fill up the cracks when they occur whatever the category.
Reminder: WNBA draft is Monday night....prime time.

 

[JimGunther]

Great minds think alike. Indy can't get Skyler but, Kelly would be GREAT for their fans!

Any chance that Kelly might wind up with Indiana? Her folks and friends....including our very own Kelly one seed [Bruin]....could see her play often. Indiana is excellent but might benefit bigtime
from our Swiss Army Knife....able to fill up the cracks when they occur whatever the category.
Reminder: WNBA draft is Monday night....prime time.

 

[magical2]

There are several mock draft sites. Kelly's a tough call. Is she the kind of player they can pick up undrafted or down the road? A likely role player, is she worth a pick?

She is if you want to win CHAMPIONSHIPS

GO HUSKIES ONE TO PLAY FOR 8
IRA

 

[DobbsRover2]

Schimmel is another player who never met a shot she didn't like.

ES, probably not good mojo to rank on Shoni with wrong stats prior to Tuesday night. She takes 13 shots a game for the Cardinals as usually their top option, while KML takes 12 a game for UConn in kind of a similar position. There are a lot of top and not-so-top players who shoot a lot more than that. It would be unwise for UConn to base their defense around a "trigger happy" impression of the 2013 Shoni, and I'm sure Geno won't. Last year was a different situation when LVille lost two of their top three players to injury, and Schimmel was asked to do more than they wanted her to do.

What the Cardinals can be blasted for is taking 666 3-pters going into Tuesday, a scary number though it is 167 less than UConn's total.