Most players don't peak until their late 20s / early 30s, so I don't understand your point. There are plenty of players who don't get their first minutes in the W until their mid 20s...Erica Wheeler comes to mind as an example. She still has plenty of time to grow.
Yes--after entering the league in their early 20s. This means that they've been facing pro competition (playing against the best of the best) for years as they're developing. Everyone marvels at how well Europeans and Australians are able to contribute to their teams at young ages. Well, they've been playing against grown women since their teens. Of course they're prepared.
Similar argument could be made for Paige who is just a year and a half younger and also has significant injury history. Paige at the end of her rookie season will be 24 years old, and guards often have a tougher time adjusting to the pros than post players do (although I think she will adjust just fine). No one is making a case that PB is a risky pick or has hit her ceiling.
That's likely because this draft is weak overall (hence all of the Prince talk). If Caitlin, Kamilla, Cam, and Rickea were in this year's draft, then people would be making that argument.
Again, she's darn near 25 years old doing this against players who were in middle school when she first stepped foot onto a college campus. Hard pass.
You can literally say this about any WNBA prospect. Prince is no different.
I thought it was interesting that Hunter Cruse said this, but then in the comments of another recent video he put a message stating he will not make an in-depth video covering Prince’s draft prospects as he has with other players, due to her off-court controversies/issues.
Where did you see this? I don't see a link to one in this thread.
Like what, exactly? Because none of those bigs entered/will enter the WNBA at age 25 (Malonga is 19) like she will. At least half of them can dunk with ease. BG was one of the biggest game-changing presences in WCBB in at least a generation. Cardoso, Amihere, and Griner have NCAA rings. Malonga was part of a medal-winning senior national team as a teenager. What is Prince doing that most collegiate All-American bigs don't do?
Again, we can say this about pretty much every prospect. IF this, then that. This is not unique to Prince. What is unique to Prince is that she's doing this at 25 years old while the average college senior is about 21-22 (23 if they take the extra year and/or have a late birthday).
It is, actually. Curt Miller doesn't thumb his nose publicly at his old organization just to take a 25-year-old 6'7 player while having two 6'7 players (and a recent 6'6 lottery pick) on his roster. He's taking Paige because (1) his team needs her and (2) he can keep the team that needs her more (the Sparks) from getting her.
The Sparks are not chomping at the bit to pair Brink up with a 25-year-old rookie big when they have a 26-year-old "veteran" international big who is just as tall and versatile offensively.
You really like that Prince is 25.
Explain how Paige has changed a program.
Her ability to create and finish in the midrange is better than any of the players listed above, she has a quicker release, and she moves smoothly like a guard or a wing rather than a 6-7 post. She also has better handles than anyone listed above besides maybe Amihere, but I'd probably bet on Sedona being the stronger ball handler. I don't think anyone is saying she's necessarily better than the players above, but she's more of a unicorn than anyone there besides Griner based on her unique size and skillset. You'll get to see her first hand this weekend when she goes up against South Carolina.
No, you can't say that though about any of the other highly projected picks like Iriafen, Miles, Morrow, Pao Pao, or Janiah Barker. None are performing at a NPOY or NDPOY level this season. Prince is. And she's 24, not 25.
Agree 100%. But she's not changing the program like Prince/Hailey Van Lith are doing at TCU right now.
Thanks as I've never seen this site before. Personally, I'd chalk it up to a random outlier who sees things very differently than most who have put out mock drafts.
I was referring to Prince having a better midrange than the other 6-7 players listed above, not Paige. I’m fully in the camp that Bueckers is a better player and prospect and is the clear cut number 1 pick.
In ESPN's latest article on the upcoming 2025 WNBA draft, she appears in 6th place, just behind Lauren Betts. It has to be said that in this article, the author predicts three tall players at positions 5 to 7. Dominique Malonga just turned 19 less than three weeks ago, she's on the rise and appears at No. 7, Sedona Prince will be 25 (attachment) when the next WNBA season starts, so it remains to be seen whether the team that has priority will prefer to go with a more mature player or a more promising talent, and especially a player who is nearly six years her junior. Personally, I'd choose her over Prince.
See above for where I did give Hailey Van Lith credit.
Oh, my gosh, bballnut90, now we have Hailey as a program changer? The only manner in which I'd agree with that is that she changes programs each season.
I'll definitely be watching. I can't imagine a player being THIS skilled and this tall yet having to be in college for seven seasons. Something isn't adding up. Even her former Oregon teammate (same age as Sedona) left school early and has been in the WNBA for a few seasons (just won a WNBA title and played in the Olympics during the summer).
How many of those players are turning 25 and spent seven years in college? Heck, Te-Hina is only 22--which is a little young for a fifth-year. Olivia Miles is only 21.
In regards to “something’s up” with Prince, she’s been injured virtually her whole career and was a much more passive player at Oregon. She’s also had a lot of off court issues while in college and was rumored to be a negative locker room presence in Oregon. Had she declared for the 2023 draft as she originally stated, I doubt she would’ve been picked in the first two rounds. She looks like a completely different player this year compared to how she played in Eugene. Watching her go up against SC’s slew of bigs will be her biggest challenge of the season so far.
For the record, this is Prince’s 6th year. In her first 5 years she played in only 71 games, roughly 2 seasons worth of games. The severe broken leg and subsequent infection that Prince suffered in HS during the Fiba Americas tournament almost ended her career, and prevented her from playing during her first 2 years in college.
