Gruda was never coming back to Uncasville. While she is talented and still has upside, getting the 11th pick is great for UConn.
Think about this...the Conn franchise is rebuilding, plain and simple. Lawson, a great team leader, is gone. Bass, who was a solid roleplayer and played very well next to Charles, is gone. Douglas is past her prime. Charles is not in her prime just yet, but will continue to grow and develop. Bentley is young. Montgomery is young and very talented, but she has to learn to balance scoring for herself and playmaking for others. The key is to mentor younger players (Douglas's role), but bring in talent.
With the 11th pick, Conn can take a player and wait for her to recover. Chelsea Gray would be a perfect pick here (provided she is expected to recover 100 percent). A post player would also be ideal here , though it depends on whether the team wants Charles at center or power forward (she has the shooting range to play the four, as evidence by her elbow and foul line jumpers). Natasha Howard, if available, would be a steal (and Jen Gillom, as an assistant, might just be the coach to help her develop her game as a post player). Jen Hamson might be good, if she decides on the WNBA instead of volleyball. I don't see Jordan Hooper as a viable option, because she is too similar to players already on the roster (Kelsey Griffin and Kayla Pedersen).
