Looks like the Sun will finally have the first pick

[willie99]

Not that anyone wants to earn the first pick, put the local team as missed out on many UConn greats over the years

Here's my question, will that pick be Azzi Fudd? The way she played in the last few games, I think it's a possibility

For selfish reasons, I hope she earns that number one spot and I hope she lands with the Sun. Win win

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Not that anyone wants to earn the first pick, put the local team as missed out on many UConn greats over the years

Here's my question, will that pick be Azzi Fudd? The way she played in the last few games, I think it's a possibility

For selfish reasons, I hope she earns that number one spot and I hope she lands with the Sun. Win win

Unfortunately, Chicago owns swap rights to CT’s 1st round draft pick &1. WNBA Historical Draft Data - Across the Timeline

&1 It’s not based solely on this season.

 

[psconn]

Unfortunately, Chicago owns swap rights to CT’s 1st round draft pick &1. WNBA Historical Draft Data - Across the Timeline

&1 It’s not based solely on this season.

Didn't they make draft order based on the last 2 years after the Mercury shamelessly gave up a season and blatently tanked for Griner?

 

[Bigboote]

Didn't they make draft order based on the last 2 years after the Mercury shamelessly gave up a season and blatently tanked for Griner?

Not the draft order, the lottery odds. That’s how Dallas got Paige despite LA having almost a 50% chance of landing the first pick.

 

[Cuango]

Not that anyone wants to earn the first pick, put the local team as missed out on many UConn greats over the years

Here's my question, will that pick be Azzi Fudd? The way she played in the last few games, I think it's a possibility

For selfish reasons, I hope she earns that number one spot and I hope she lands with the Sun. Win win

I love Azzi and hope that somehow things will work out in such a way as to make her the #1 but realistically, it is hard for me to see anyone but Betts in that spot. Betts is a much rarer commodity than Azzi and imo the only way our girl goes number one is if the #1 picking team already has a dominant post player. Even then, a 6’7” post with her skills is so rare, I think they might pick Betts anyway.

 

[Geew1992]

Didn't they make draft order based on the last 2 years after the Mercury shamelessly gave up a season and blatently tanked for Griner?

Not the draft order, but getting a lottery pick. The Sun made the playoffs last year, so it would be kind of her for them to make the lottery.

 

[Boreifs]

The Sun are very likely to be somewhere else next season.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Didn't they make draft order based on the last 2 years after the Mercury shamelessly gave up a season and blatently tanked for Griner?

Yes and that was what I meant with the &1 footnote. Lottery picks go to teams that miss the playoffs but the odds are based on these teams’ 2-year win-loss record.

• So, CT will most certainly get a lottery pick, not guaranteed to be the #1 pick, and Chicago will claim it.

 

[darrell]

Yes and that was what I meant with the &1 footnote. Lottery picks go to teams that miss the playoffs but the odds are based on these teams’ 2-year win-loss record.

• So, CT will most certainly get a lottery pick, not guaranteed to be the #1 pick, and Chicago will claim it.

In which I, a Chicago Sky fan, am hoping that I’d results in one Azzi Fudd.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

I think either way, it's a Win Win for Chicago, either with Betts or Fudd.

 

[EricLA]

IF the Sky get the #1 pick, they already have Cardozo and Reese - hard to see where they'd need Betts... Unless they want to trade one of the 3 (most likely Betts or Cardozo).

Azzi would need to have a 1st team AA season to be considered for the #1 or #2 pick, and even then, I think there are a few others who likely would go ahead of her - potentially Betts, Booker, Miles, and Latson off the top of my head. Averaging 13.6 PPG last season, Azzi wasn't even an HM AA, was she?

We all know how good she CAN be. If she goes out and has a 1st team AA type season, I could see her going in the top 2 or so, but honestly she's not shown consistently that she's deserving (with the exception of the first 10 games or so in 2022)...

 

[willie99]

Unfortunately, Chicago owns swap rights to CT’s 1st round draft pick &1. WNBA Historical Draft Data - Across the Timeline

&1 It’s not based solely on this season.

How does the Sun always end up on the short end of the stick? I guess I don't follow the league close enough to know these details

 

[oldhusky]

Well lets see. Chicago can swap with Connecticut if they get the number 1 pick. There is still a lottery for the 4 worst teams over a two year period to determine draft order. The team may not be in Connecticut next year because they are up for sale, and Azzi is probably not the number 1 pick anyway, so the chance of Azzi being picked number 1 by the "Connecticut" Sun is pretty close to zero.

 

[Steelerone]

Not that anyone wants to earn the first pick, put the local team as missed out on many UConn greats over the years

Here's my question, will that pick be Azzi Fudd? The way she played in the last few games, I think it's a possibility

For selfish reasons, I hope she earns that number one spot and I hope she lands with the Sun. Win win

While I love Azzi and am sure she will go near the top of the first round, if you give me a choice between a top shooting guard and someone who can control the paint, I'll take the paint everytime. I think that Lauren Betts might be the better choice.

 

[bballnut90]

AFAIK, Fudd hasn't had a fully healthy basketball season since she was a sophomore in high school.

Betts is the obvious pick for #1. Based on the WNBA's 2 year average rule for draft lottery odds, Seattle (from LA), Minnesota (from Chicago) and Dallas appear to be best positioned to land the #1 pick next year. Sky (from Connecticut) could also be in the mix, as could Washington.

Looking deeper, I'd probably go with Miles and Flaujae for #2/#3 and pencil in Fudd at 4 or 5 alongside Latson, assuming Azzi can stay healthy and produce consistently next year. Fudd is more of a wild card choice due to her history but she's the most explosive scorer in the draft and has developed into a very good defender. If she can stay healthy and find the right fit, she's going to be a very good pro.

 

[Bald Husky]

I think Paiges Dallas team has a shot at the #1 pick. I believe the Sun won 30 games last year, so they may not even make the lottery drawing. As far as the Wings are concerned, it all depends on the free agency and the CBA. They acquired Li Yueru from Seattle, sparingly used, but she is 25 years old and the best player on the Chinese National team. She looks pretty good but needs more experience. If they are not fully in on Li, Betts would be the pick from them, but if they are, wouldn't it be great to see Azzi join her best friend in Dallas?

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

I think Paiges Dallas team has a shot at the #1 pick. I believe the Sun won 30 games last year, so they may not even make the lottery drawing. As far as the Wings are concerned, it all depends on the free agency and the CBA. They acquired Li Yueru from Seattle, sparingly used, but she is 25 years old and the best player on the Chinese National team. She looks pretty good but needs more experience. If they are not fully in on Li, Betts would be the pick from them, but if they are, wouldn't be great to see Azzi join her best friend in Dallas?

Teams that don’t make the playoffs in the current year get to participate in the draft lottery whose lottery odds are determined using a 2-year look-back. Full Draft Rules - WNBA

So it’s a triple-safeguard to tanking (the third element is the random draw). Dallas found a way to get Paige by bolstering its own lottery pick chances by acquiring another via prior trade.

Re: Dallas and the BFFs reuniting. I hope so along with cleaning house of albatross players and acquiring better components.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

How does the Sun always end up on the short end of the stick? I guess I don't follow the league close enough to know these details

CT is probably a victim of being a perennial playoff team (they last had lottery picks in 2014-2016).

• CT was not a slingshot team that used perennial doormat years to become WNBA champions via retaining and developing high draft picks;
• Like most teams, CT pursued trades to become or stay competitive; they were not dumpster fires roster management exercises &1 (using high lottery picks as journeymen fodder which in turn stagnated the potential of those picks which in turn diminished league-wide future roster management success chances); but they did not net championships a la MN or recently, NY.

Those are my quick, shallow, probably inaccurate, impressions. From a casual fan of UConn alum WNBA teams following mostly through the BY’s WNBA threads.

• Divided loyalties and the WNBA game of most teams being far removed the UConn standard I am spoiled with, makes it hard for me to fixate on any one team.

&1 Maybe the new CBA and more teams will enable better resets based on better roster management which the Valkyries have shown to be very attainable.

 

[Horsebrnhil]

The Sun may get the #1 pick, but they may not be playing in Uncasville. Already there's talk about the team being sold, as was referenced in a previous post. Then today, (Wednesday), Massachusetts Governor Healey has chimed in that Boston needs a WNBA franchise. This, of course was after the Sun sold out the TD. Garden. Of course, it didn't have anything to do with the fact that Caitlin Clark was playing that night, did it? Just wondering......LOL.

 

[Alydar]

Didn't they make draft order based on the last 2 years after the Mercury shamelessly gave up a season and blatently tanked for Griner?

How did the Sparks get Parker? Tanking is common in pro football too.

CT has always lost in what is called the "lottery".

 

[Skeets]

The Sun may get the #1 pick, but they may not be playing in Uncasville. Already there's talk about the team being sold, as was referenced in a previous post. Then today, (Wednesday), Massachusetts Governor Healey has chimed in that Boston needs a WNBA franchise. This, of course was after the Sun sold out the TD. Garden. Of course, it didn't have anything to do with the fact that Caitlin Clark was playing that night, did it? Just wondering......LOL.

Live gate is only part of the revenue stream. You have to consider TV revenue and the Mohegans have to consider the revenue that flows into the slots. food, and other stuff that people do at the casino. Does anyone go to Mohegan Sun area and not spend another dime?

 

[psconn]

Live gate is only part of the revenue stream. You have to consider TV revenue and the Mohegans have to consider the revenue that flows into the slots. food, and other stuff that people do at the casino. Does anyone go to Mohegan Sun area and not spend another dime?

We lived close Mohegan (we're talking about 20 minutes from home couch to our arena seats) and had those wonderful seats for about 12 years. Very rarely went to dinner or spent anything before or after a game. Don't know how common or uncommon that is, but I assure you there was always a crush of traffic coming in last minute and a larger crush exiting the property immediately after a game. So does ANYONE go and not spend another dime? Yes.

Season ticket members get a discount "loyalty" card to use around the property. I'm sure those are tracked very closely to assess additional spending.

 

[cometjo]

IF the Sky get the #1 pick, they already have Cardozo and Reese - hard to see where they'd need Betts... Unless they want to trade one of the 3 (most likely Betts or Cardozo).

Azzi would need to have a 1st team AA season to be considered for the #1 or #2 pick, and even then, I think there are a few others who likely would go ahead of her - potentially Betts, Booker, Miles, and Latson off the top of my head. Averaging 13.6 PPG last season, Azzi wasn't even an HM AA, was she?

We all know how good she CAN be. If she goes out and has a 1st team AA type season, I could see her going in the top 2 or so, but honestly she's not shown consistently that she's deserving (with the exception of the first 10 games or so in 2022)...

Those first 10 games were the only time she came into a season healthy. I think they are the best indication we have of the player she really is.

 

[Cuango]

As I think it is very unlikely that Azzi would be chosen #1 with Betts being available I think the best scenario is for Dallas to choose Betts, then trade Arike, Carrington, and (if needed, as it likely would be) a draft pick or another player for Azzi. That would give Paige’s team a very solid foundation for dominating the W for the next eight years or so with a dominant frontcourt in Betts & Yueru, Hines-Allen, Siegrist, and Geiselsoder and an equally strong backcourt with Paige, Azzi, James, and Quinerly! I believe that roster could develop into a very strong team!