This should be a much closer vote, then Chiney was for the CT Sun. I suspect most will choose Odyssey even with Skylar Diggins on their roster. I voted for Alyssa Thomas because she's a prototype Wing and has size.
I think a lot of teams will look at Natasha Howard. She sort of labored in obscurity at FSU - they never really made much of a splash nationally in her 4 years there, but she was one of the top 3 kids in the class originally and I bet she goes in the first round. Maybe 5th or 6th even.
Natasha Howard should definitely be a first round and has lottery-level talent. She is great around the rim, stronger than her frame would suggest (based on appearance), has a very good wingspan, and has shown the ability to hit jumpers from the elbow and the free throw line (she did that in the Duke game). And she is a great rebounder (as NBA scouts often say, rebounding is the one statistic that really translates well to the NBA, when looking at college numbers). But she needs to really increase her proficiency from the foul line, as she has been in the low-to-mid 60s in terms of percentages for the past three years, despite a high volume of attempts. Plus, she is listed at 6-3, but very well could be closer to 6-2 or 6-1.5, which means that she might have to be a power forward in the WNBA, not a center (or would have to play with a center who has tremendous shooting range, so Howard could play the 5 on offense, but the 4 on defense). Also, her carelesness with the ball and the ability to pass out of double teams are causes for concern; her A/TO is atrocious. Now, we do not expect our post players to be primary ballhandlers. But at the next level, she needs to be able to protect it, to recognize double coverage and hit the open player, and to not create off the dribble by overpowering people (because you cannot do that right away in the WNBA the way players do in college, with few exceptions), leadnig to turnovers.
I see Howard as a good fit in San Antonio, playing next to Appel or Adams, as both can score from outside the paint and work a high-low with Howard (a healthy Sophia Young will start at the four). And Howard would be a great upgrade in terms of rebonding. But #3 is a bit high for her. She would be a steal at #12 for the Lynx (the Amber Harris experiment has failed, and she would work nicely with Devereaux Peters off the bench). Indiana could definitely use more size up front, but with the loss of Phillips, the Fever may look to take a guard at #9, the pick the team acquired from the Mercury in exchange for Erin Phillips (and I have the Fever taking Thomas at #5; see below).
As for #2, it should Sims. Tulsa needs ballhandling, playmaking, and scoring. Yes, the team took Diggins, but she struggled. Sims can play off the ball, though she is a tad undersized for the two. But it provides two ballhandlers in the backcourt, not to mention having the ability to score in the halfcourt as well as in transition. Sims ran the pick-and-roll with Griner and could do the same thing with Glory Johnson and/or Elizabeth Cambage. To make the team more dangerous would be the expansion of Glory Johnson's shooting range; if she can turn into a deadly weapon from 12-15 feet, Tulsa can run a pick-and-pop with her all day long (her athleticism and leaping ability allow her to elevate over shotblockers; plus, she can use a pump fake to drive, elevate, and score closer to the glass).
As for Thomas, she is a very strong player, who could be a great combo forward in the mold of Tamika Catchings. She can score, rebound, pass, create for others, etc. But she needs to work on her outside shot more, especially its consistency, in order to be an All Star at the wing position. She has the ability; generally, if someone is very good from the free throw line, you can work on expanding her range. Thomas is shooting over 80 percent from the foul line this year (having taken over 150 free throws, for a very good sample size). But she is only 4-18 from three this year, and her three-point shot has been inconsistent during her tenure in College Park. She needs to make sure it is a weapon. Catchings can be inconsistent with her shooting, but she is a career 35.8 percent shooter from three, more than respectable and enough to make it a weapon that teams have to guard against. That is what Thomas's goal should be - expanding her range and developing into a combo forward.
I do not see that happening in Tulsa. In fact, I think the best spot for Thomas would be Indiana, where she and catchings could invert roles at the 3 and the 4, on both offense and defense, depending on matchups (to say nothing of being mentored by the best combo forward in the WNBA). And the best place for her to do that is in Indiana, with the 5th pick.
