WNBA 2024 pre-season

[WBBTakeover]

Any revision of draft boards or opinions as we are now through two rounds of the tournament.

Rickea may have played her way into the Top 2.

 

[bballnut90]

Any revision of draft boards or opinions as we are now through two rounds of the tournament.

I made a summary of what I think the draft board might look like for round 1 and put in WNBA player comparisons:

WNBA Mock Draft with Comparisons:

1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana-Diana Taurasi. Unlimited range, great passer. Relies more on quickness where DT relies more on strength. Both play with a ton of fire and argue with the refs a lot.

2. Cameron Brink, LA-poor man's Lauren Jackson/A'ja Wilson. Exceptional athlete with terrific length and is a top tier defender. Solid all around offensive skill, not the most efficient scorer though. LA is a good market for her and she has a clear path to start in year 1.

3. Rickea Jackson, Chicago-poor man's Sheryl Swoopes. Great athlete and can score on you from anywhere. So much potential still and will be deadly if she can develop her 3pt shot. Chicago badly needs help and Jackson has star power.

4. Kamilla Cardoso, LA-Kalani Brown/Teaira McCowan hybrid. Great shot blocker and rebounder like Big T, not as polished offensively as Brown but is a better defender. Good athlete who runs the floor well. If Jackson falls here, they should take Jackson as she's a better fit roster wise. A future frontcourt of Cardoso and Brink is scary for opponents.

5. Aaliyah Edwards, Dallas-Asjha Jones 2.0. Strong, perfect build for a PF in the WNBA. Great lateral defense and defender but isn't a shot blocker. Good but not great mid range and excels around the basket and beating opposing bigs off the dribble. Should get solid minutes off the bench behind Howard/Sabally in the rotation if picked here.

6. Angel Reese, Washington-Glory Johnson 2.0. Elite athlete with the highest motor of any player in this class. Not a lot of offensive polish but a great rebounder and defender, extremely physical and can put up points. She has good value at #6 and is a hometown kid from DC. I think it's become popular to underrate her, but she has a lot of potential and is already a very good player even if her game could use some tweaks.

7. Jacy Sheldon, Minnesota -Lexi Hull/Gracer Berger hybird. Does everything well like Berger, has a good jump shot and hustles her butt off like Hull. She has the tools to be a high energy guard off the bench for the Lynx.

8. Alissa Pili, Atlanta-Danielle Adams. Undersized 4 with good quickness and range. Likely lacks the height and defensive quickness needed to stick in the league though.

9. Charisma Osborne, Dallas-Zia Cooke. Athletic, good defender and brings quality size so the SG role. Not a great shooter though and struggles with efficiency. Will need to hit shots if she'll last in the pros.

10. Georgia Amoore, Connecticut-maybe a poor man's Becky Hammon? Great shooter with range and facilitates well, undersized like Hammon was. Very shifty and fun to watch but is an inefficient scorer. I could see her thriving in the right situation.

11. Jessika Carter, New York Liberty-Tammy Sutton Brown. A solid athlete, great size and length at 6-5. More of a classic post player. I could see her being a sleeper pick in this draft who winds up having a nice pro career.

12. Sedona Prince, LA-Can't think of a solid comparison aside from a poor man's Candace Parker but that seems way too generous. All that said, Prince may be a darkhorse pick here and I don't see LA taking 3 posts in the first round, but she is an absolute beast of a player when she applies herself and could develop into a really good WNBA player if given the opportunity. 6-7 with handles, she's a smooth finisher, has a jumper, finishes with either hand. Just a lot of ability and intangibles you don't see in other players.


I haven't seen the international prospects so I can't comment on Puoch or Lacan, but it sounds like Puoch is a first rounder.

Players that will likely be 2nd round draft picks:

Nika Muhl, good size and passing ability. Not a strong scorer though and inconsistent decision making skills.

Hailey Van Lith, great individual playmaker but has regressed as a senior, doesn't distribute well and isn't a good passer. I think she'd be smart to come back for a 5th year, either at LSU or elsewhere.

Elizabeth Kitley, great scorer and rebounder. Has an ACL so she will be out this year and she has holes in her game as noted by other posters on here.

Celeste Taylor, good defender but offense is not where it needs to be.

Mackenzie Holmes, poor man's Megan Gustafson, great college player but hasn't looked as sharp as a senior against strong competition. Isn't a great rebounder and lacks range and athleticism to excel at the next level.

Ashley Owusu, no idea if she'll get picked or not but I think she is 100% worth a 2nd round gamble. Owusu is a baller and was projected to be a top 5 pick a few years ago. Her game is similar to Chelsea Gray and I think she has the potential to still be an excellent pro if she can find the right opportunity.

 

[WBBTakeover]

If Cameron Brink projected to be anywhere close to Lauren Jackson or A'ja Wilson (two of the top players in the history of the WNBA and two players with sky high PERs), then she--not Caitlin Clark--would be the no brainer #1 pick of this draft.

 

[GamecockFam]

Any revision of draft boards or opinions as we are now through two rounds of the tournament.

Not concerning 2024, but I think that Iriafen will be in a battle with Bueckers as the #1 overall draft pick in the 2025 draft. I think it will come down to the needs of the team in that slot. Both look like future WNBA All-Stars and USA representatives in the Olympics.

Rikea Jackson is probably the eye opener of the 2024 crowd but I really think those first few picks are basically set in stone.

 

[oldhusky]

I see three distinctive tiers here. Caitlin and Cameron future stars, and way ahead of the next tier with Rickea, Kamila, Aaliyah, and Angel projecting to long solid WNBA careers. Then everyone after that is a maybe IMO, some WNBA level skills, but question marks as well, and far from being certain for a long pro career, at least in the W.

 

[Geew1992]

I see three distinctive tiers here. Caitlin and Cameron future stars, and way ahead of the next tier with Rickea, Kamila, Aaliyah, and Angel projecting to long solid WNBA careers. Then everyone after that is a maybe IMO, some WNBA level skills, but question marks as well, and far from being certain for a long pro career, at least in the W.

I'm gonna have to disagree here. Angel needs to improve her game if she's going to make. Just being able to rebound out back isn't going to cut it. I also don't think Kamila is that good. She has zero moves and only shows up part time. The W is a lot tougher and if she doesn't improve her foot work, she may not last.

 

[jdote33]

I made a summary of what I think the draft board might look like for round 1 and put in WNBA player comparisons:

WNBA Mock Draft with Comparisons:

1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana-Diana Taurasi. Unlimited range, great passer. Relies more on quickness where DT relies more on strength. Both play with a ton of fire and argue with the refs a lot.

2. Cameron Brink, LA-poor man's Lauren Jackson/A'ja Wilson. Exceptional athlete with terrific length and is a top tier defender. Solid all around offensive skill, not the most efficient scorer though. LA is a good market for her and she has a clear path to start in year 1.

3. Rickea Jackson, Chicago-poor man's Sheryl Swoopes. Great athlete and can score on you from anywhere. So much potential still and will be deadly if she can develop her 3pt shot. Chicago badly needs help and Jackson has star power.

4. Kamilla Cardoso, LA-Kalani Brown/Teaira McCowan hybrid. Great shot blocker and rebounder like Big T, not as polished offensively as Brown but is a better defender. Good athlete who runs the floor well. If Jackson falls here, they should take Jackson as she's a better fit roster wise. A future frontcourt of Cardoso and Brink is scary for opponents.

5. Aaliyah Edwards, Dallas-Asjha Jones 2.0. Strong, perfect build for a PF in the WNBA. Great lateral defense and defender but isn't a shot blocker. Good but not great mid range and excels around the basket and beating opposing bigs off the dribble. Should get solid minutes off the bench behind Howard/Sabally in the rotation if picked here.

6. Angel Reese, Washington-Glory Johnson 2.0. Elite athlete with the highest motor of any player in this class. Not a lot of offensive polish but a great rebounder and defender, extremely physical and can put up points. She has good value at #6 and is a hometown kid from DC. I think it's become popular to underrate her, but she has a lot of potential and is already a very good player even if her game could use some tweaks.

7. Jacy Sheldon, Minnesota -Lexi Hull/Gracer Berger hybird. Does everything well like Berger, has a good jump shot and hustles her butt off like Hull. She has the tools to be a high energy guard off the bench for the Lynx.

8. Alissa Pili, Atlanta-Danielle Adams. Undersized 4 with good quickness and range. Likely lacks the height and defensive quickness needed to stick in the league though.

9. Charisma Osborne, Dallas-Zia Cooke. Athletic, good defender and brings quality size so the SG role. Not a great shooter though and struggles with efficiency. Will need to hit shots if she'll last in the pros.

10. Georgia Amoore, Connecticut-maybe a poor man's Becky Hammon? Great shooter with range and facilitates well, undersized like Hammon was. Very shifty and fun to watch but is an inefficient scorer. I could see her thriving in the right situation.

11. Jessika Carter, New York Liberty-Tammy Sutton Brown. A solid athlete, great size and length at 6-5. More of a classic post player. I could see her being a sleeper pick in this draft who winds up having a nice pro career.

12. Sedona Prince, LA-Can't think of a solid comparison aside from a poor man's Candace Parker but that seems way too generous. All that said, Prince may be a darkhorse pick here and I don't see LA taking 3 posts in the first round, but she is an absolute beast of a player when she applies herself and could develop into a really good WNBA player if given the opportunity. 6-7 with handles, she's a smooth finisher, has a jumper, finishes with either hand. Just a lot of ability and intangibles you don't see in other players.


I haven't seen the international prospects so I can't comment on Puoch or Lacan, but it sounds like Puoch is a first rounder.

Players that will likely be 2nd round draft picks:

Nika Muhl, good size and passing ability. Not a strong scorer though and inconsistent decision making skills.

Hailey Van Lith, great individual playmaker but has regressed as a senior, doesn't distribute well and isn't a good passer. I think she'd be smart to come back for a 5th year, either at LSU or elsewhere.

Elizabeth Kitley, great scorer and rebounder. Has an ACL so she will be out this year and she has holes in her game as noted by other posters on here.

Celeste Taylor, good defender but offense is not where it needs to be.

Mackenzie Holmes, poor man's Megan Gustafson, great college player but hasn't looked as sharp as a senior against strong competition. Isn't a great rebounder and lacks range and athleticism to excel at the next level.

Ashley Owusu, no idea if she'll get picked or not but I think she is 100% worth a 2nd round gamble. Owusu is a baller and was projected to be a top 5 pick a few years ago. Her game is similar to Chelsea Gray and I think she has the potential to still be an excellent pro if she can find the right opportunity.

Thanks for this. I really appreciate the breakdown and I appreciate that some of the picks are not on all the mock drafts from other sites. I agree with Ashley Owusu. I also really liked the Osbourne pick for Dallas. Sedona Prince is another one I liked. She's super skilled and more physical than a lot of other bigs. I thought she may have another year of eligibility but she may want to come out. Reese to the Mystics is fun as they lost their star and her and Shakira Austin are homegrown stars.

Only slight correction is I think Chicago may have a second pick in the top 8.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I see three distinctive tiers here. Caitlin and Cameron future stars, and way ahead of the next tier with Rickea, Kamila, Aaliyah, and Angel projecting to long solid WNBA careers. Then everyone after that is a maybe IMO, some WNBA level skills, but question marks as well, and far from being certain for a long pro career, at least in the W.

There's a growing contingent of people who believe that Rickea, not Caitlin or Cameron, will be the top player from this draft when we revisit it 10 years from now. We'll have to see how things play out, but I'm not in agreement that there's an upper tier that doesn't include Rickea Jackson.

 

[bballnut90]

If Cameron Brink projected to be anywhere close to Lauren Jackson or A'ja Wilson (two of the top players in the history of the WNBA and two players with sky high PERs), then she--not Caitlin Clark--would be the no brainer #1 pick of this draft.

That's why I indicated "Poor Man's" to signify I don't think she's at their level, but she has elements of both in her skill set. She's going to be very good but I don't see her turning to a multiple time MVP in the pros. Similar to Jackson being compared to Swoopes--similar type of players but Swoopes was several notches ahead of Rickea coming out of college. Clark on the other hand--sky is the limit for her.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

There's a growing contingent of people who believe that Rickea, not Caitlin or Cameron, will be the top player from this draft when we revisit it 10 years from now. We'll have to see how things play out, but I'm not in agreement that there's an upper tier that doesn't include Rickea Jackson.

Delusional people, maybe.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Delusional people, maybe.

What makes them delusional? Because they don't agree with you?

We've had instances in which the top pick (or top 2 picks) did not end up as the best players from said draft class. Who's the best player from the 2014 WNBA Draft (which took place 10 years ago)? I guarantee that it's not the player who was drafted #1 overall or the one who came right after her.

I'm not saying that Rickea will definitely be the top player from this draft class. I'm saying that she could be and the belief that she could be is shared by a growing number of people associated with women's basketball.

 

[WBBTakeover]

That's why I indicated "Poor Man's" to signify I don't think she's at their level, but she has elements of both in her skill set. She's going to be very good but I don't see her turning to a multiple time MVP in the pros.

I don't agree with that, either.

I don't see anything in Brink's game that would scream "Lauren Jackson" like or "A'ja Wilson" like. In fact, I believe that Lauren and A'ja are much closer to each other than either is to Cameron Brink. That's not to say that she won't be a good pro--she has the tools to be a good one. But comparing her skill set to that of a player who could have been the GOAT if not for injuries (LJ) and to that of a player who, IMO, will be the GOAT (AW), is a bit much.

 

[azfan]

Not concerning 2024, but I think that Iriafen will be in a battle with Bueckers as the #1 overall draft pick in the 2025 draft. I think it will come down to the needs of the team in that slot. Both look like future WNBA All-Stars and USA representatives in the Olympics.

Rikea Jackson is probably the eye opener of the 2024 crowd but I really think those first few picks are basically set in stone.

Completely agree. Her play in Vegas demonstrated she is WNBA ready and she may have a more impactful career than her teammate

 

[WBBTakeover]

I also don't think Kamila is that good. She has zero moves and only shows up part time. The W is a lot tougher and if she doesn't improve her foot work, she may not last.

Not seeing this at all. Kamilla is an elite shot blocker and rim runner who is light on her feet. While she needs to work on her finishing around the rim and could stand to add some more range to her game, she's still an elite prospect with athletic gifts that WNBA GMs will covet.

 

[cancontent]

Statement on Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Ownership

Minneapolis/St. Paul – Glen Taylor, Chairman of Taylor Sports Group, Inc., the general partner of Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball Limited Partnership (“Timberwolves and Lynx”), this morning confirmed the expiration of the option of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to acquire controlling interest...

lynx.wnba.com

So, if I read this correctly, Rodriguez and his partner are still part owners. With the team no longer for sale, I wonder what this means long term for the Lynx. Is status quo with the current ownership group a good thing for them?

 

[cancontent]

 

[triaddukefan]

Not concerning 2024, but I think that Iriafen will be in a battle with Bueckers as the #1 overall draft pick in the 2025 draft. I think it will come down to the needs of the team in that slot. Both look like future WNBA All-Stars and USA representatives in the Olympics.

Rikea Jackson is probably the eye opener of the 2024 crowd but I really think those first few picks are basically set in stone.

She's a beast.

 

[nwhoopfan]

People seem to be up on Iriafen and down on Brink all of a sudden. The one thing I will say is that Kiki is not the shot blocker that Cameron is. Brink had 7 in limited minutes tonight.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

What makes them delusional? Because they don't agree with you?

We've had instances in which the top pick (or top 2 picks) did not end up as the best players from said draft class. Who's the best player from the 2014 WNBA Draft (which took place 10 years ago)? I guarantee that it's not the player who was drafted #1 overall or the one who came right after her.

I'm not saying that Rickea will definitely be the top player from this draft class. I'm saying that she could be and the belief that she could be is shared by a growing number of people associated with women's basketball.

Because Rickea’s a dime a dozen player. Brink is much more rare and a two way player. Rickea will stick around the WNBA I’m sure but she nothing special imo.

 

[triaddukefan]

People seem to be up on Iriafen and down on Brink all of a sudden. The one thing I will say is that Kiki is not the shot blocker that Cameron is. Brink had 7 in limited minutes tonight.

I looked up her block numbers and they were relatively low for a 6'3 springy athlete as she is. Perhaps the numbers will go up next year without Brink.

 

[Dillon77]

Griner Signs One-Year Deal with Mercury
Many viewed this as pro-forma, but It's now done. Brittany stays in the valley for the 2024 season.

Free agent Griner re-ups with Mercury for 2024

Nine-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on a one-year deal. Said Griner: "Phoenix is home."

www.espn.com

 

[WBBTakeover]

Because Rickea’s a dime a dozen player. Brink is much more rare and a two way player. Rickea will stick around the WNBA I’m sure but she nothing special imo.

So again--your opinion?

And you're entitled to it. Just know that it's not shared by everyone. And that doesn't make them "delusional".

 

[Geew1992]