Notre Dame achieves a first

[SVCBeercats]

Notre Dame women’s basketball team just made history
With Arike Ogunbowale, Brianna Turner, Jessica Shepard and Marina Mabrey following Young, the Fighting Irish became the first team to have its starting five selected within the first 20 picks. It became only the second team — 2008 Candace Parker Tennessee team — to have all of its starters drafted.

In the WNBA UCONN is represented by 8 starters excluding the injured Stewart, Bird, Taurasi and Moore on sabbatical.
Atlanta - starter: Montgomery and Hayes
Chicago - starter: Williams and Dolson (bench - Samuelson)
Dallas - starter: Stevens (? - Jefferson)
New York - starter: Charles, Hartley, and Nurse (bench - Stokes)
Connecticut - (bench - Tuck)
Minnesota - (bench - Collier; sabbatical - Moore)
Phoenix - (injured - Taurasi)
Seattle - (bench - KML; injured: Stewart, Bird)

18 UCONN alumnae - 13 active and 5 inactive

 

[MilfordHusky]

Good for N.D. Jackie looked as if she fit. Brianna didn't get much PT, but she's a nice player to bring in off the bench. Jess had a nice rebounding and assist game. Mabrey made the roster and hit some threes. Arike did her usual of shooting the team into or out of games. This was one of the latter.

 

[UConnCat]

And they didn't win the championship with that lineup.

Imagine the 2002 draft if Diana had left early.

 

[HuskylnSC]

I don't know about history, it's more like an idiosyncrasy to have five players leave school at the same time. It's typical for Baylor, Stamford, and UConn to have all five starters drafted in the top 20. Just not at the same draft. History would be more like 2002 when 4 of the top six were drafted at the same draft or 2016 when 1,2, and 3 were all from the same school.

 

[Kaizen]

Naphessa and KML both started their game.
Naphessa played 33 mins, 27 pts, 2 stls and 3 blks, and is the best WNBA player so far this season.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Notre Dame women’s basketball team just made history
With Arike Ogunbowale, Brianna Turner, Jessica Shepard and Marina Mabrey following Young, the Fighting Irish became the first team to have its starting five selected within the first 20 picks.

A fine accomplishment to be sure.

Thanks for this list. Isn't Hartley still with NY?

 

[eebmg]

Naphessa and KML both started their game.
Naphessa played 33 mins, 27 pts, 2 stls and 3 blks, and is the best WNBA player so far this season.

I certainly appreciate Naphessa's game but maybe Tina Charles may have something to say about "best WNBA" player so far. Her 32 pts 12 rebounds 10/10 from FT while basically being triple teamed all game has to count for something.

 

[JordyG]

Naphessa and KML both started their game.
Naphessa played 33 mins, 27 pts, 2 stls and 3 blks, and is the best WNBA player so far this season.

I certainly appreciate Naphessa's game but maybe Tina Charles may have something to say about "best WNBA" player so far. Her 32 pts 12 rebounds 10/10 from FT while basically being triple teamed all game has to count for something.

I agree with @eebmg. If you would have appended that statement with "so far" I'd be with you. I love Phee and her game, but let's slow our roll just a bit. Let's see how Phee adjusts when defenses start to key on her, let's see how she handles bigger and quicker 3's, and let's see how other players and teammates react to her success or failures. Most importantly, if she has success, let's see how long she can sustain it. I always thought she would be a handful at the next level, and as I said, Dawn chose her last summer for a reason. So let's enjoy the ride and see where it takes her.

 

[Kaizen]

I certainly appreciate Naphessa's game but maybe Tina Charles may have something to say about "best WNBA" player so far. Her 32 pts 12 rebounds 10/10 from FT while basically being triple teamed all game has to count for something.

Sorry I forget Tina ....

 

[Plebe]

Absolutely bewildering that such a stacked Notre Dame team lost 4 games this season. On paper they should've been one of the most dominant teams of all times, right up there with Tennessee 1998 and UConn's undefeated great teams.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Naphessa played 33 mins, 27 pts, 2 stls and 3 blks, and is the best WNBA player so far this season.

after 1 game...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Caroline had pro potential, but at least one too many knee injuries. The Honey Badger was talented and a total Badass.

 

[Engineer90]

And they didn't win the championship with that lineup.

Imagine the 2002 draft if Diana had left early.

And they needed a lot of help from the refs the previous year.

 

[SVCBeercats]

A fine accomplishment to be sure.
Thanks for this list. Isn't Hartley still with NY?

Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa! Yes, Hartley is with New York and is a starter! So it is 8 starters and 18 UCONN alumnae - 13 active and 5 inactive.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa! Yes, Hartley is with New York and is a starter! So it is 8 starters and 18 UCONN alumnae - 13 active and 5 inactive.

I thought I'd read 18 somewhere. Seems like last year it was 17 as far as opening day rosters were concerned. We lost Saniya sometime soon after. So we lost one and gained two. I wonder if the 18 is a record.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I don't think Stokes is on the roster currently. She wasn't with the team for their opener Stokes shows on New York's depth chart. Depth Charts - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA
I think Collier and KML both started their teams openers. Yes, they did but I'm not counting them as starters just yet.

Trivia: who was the last UConn starter not to be drafted? Technically Doty started but it was more of a Geno gesture. She was not drafted.

 

[arch]

Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa! Yes, Hartley is with New York and is a starter! .

Not a starter. Boyd was starting point.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Not a starter. Boyd was starting point.

A starter is not a starter if they are filling in for an injured teammate etc. Boyd is New York's #3 guard on the Liberty's depth chart. Hartley is the #1 guard on the NY's depth chart. See Depth Charts - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA #1 and 2 are starting guards.

 

[Bayloralum]

A starter is not a starter if they are filling in for an injured teammate etc. Boyd is New York's #3 guard on the Liberty's depth chart. Hartley is the #1 guard on the NY's depth chart. See Depth Charts - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA #1 and 2 are starting guards.

Lol boyd has been starting for years now whenever she is healthy

 

[VAMike23]

Caroline had pro potential, but at least one too many knee injuries. The Honey Badger was talented and a total Badass.

She was our nasty piece of business before the next version arrived from Canada !

 

[Vowelguy]

Notre Dame achieves a first

 

[UConnCat]

Notre Dame achieves a first

How ‘bout first team to have all 5 starters drafted and NOT win the championship. That must be a first as well.