WNBA Draft 2015

[RSHERMVIKES]

People see what they want to see. Except for the 2 picks from UConn, the crowd seems to react the same way for all the other picks. As far as your opinion of EW being overrated, you can't have stat line like this playing in the toughest conference in WCBB if you are not any good.

## SUMMARY GP-GS Min FG% 3PT% FT% R/G A/G STL BLK PTS/G
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
01 Elizabeth Williams.. 32-32 32.0 .488 .000 .599 9.0 2.5 48 95 14.5

pvdoggy- - - Eliz. Williams is the only GREAT player that can disappear completely in games vs quality opponents!
Here is DUKE vs Florida St. and vs SoCar as 2 examples! vs UCONN except for this year she was non-existent, K. Stokes always kicked her butt!
01 Elizabeth Williams.. c 7-19 0-0 1-3 3 5 8 0 15 2 3 1 2 35 / was the stat line this season vs UCONN and even this wasn't dominating!
I don't blame EW, the media built her up since her freshman year as ALL-WORLD and she's good but not nearly as great as the talking suits have built her up to be! A brilliant student, and nice girl but not worthy of 4 years AA consideration!
She'll fold in the ultra physical WNBA! And as far as the ACC being "the toughest conference in WCBB" that's your opinion!

vs FSU
VISITORS: #16/16 Duke 11-5, 2-1 ACC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF Tyler Phommachanh A TO BLK S MIN
21 Kendall Cooper...... f 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 3 4 0 3 0 1 12
01 Elizabeth Williams.. c 1-8 0-0 1-2 1 2 3 5 3 3 4 0 1 25
12 Mercedes Riggs...... g 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 2 1 0 1 24
14 Ka'lia Johnson...... g 1-3 1-1 1-3 0 2 2 4 4 2 2 0 0 22
23 Rebecca Greenwell... g 4-8 4-5 7-7 1 4 5 2 19 2 5 0 0 38
11 Azura Stevens....... 7-9 0-0 3-5 2 2 4 2 17 1 1 1 1 26
22 Oderah Chidom....... 1-4 0-0 2-2 1 3 4 4 4 2 3 0 2 24
30 Amber Henson........ 2-9 0-3 0-0 1 1 2 3 4 0 5 0 0 23
32 Erin Mathias........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 6
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 19-45 6-10 14-19 8 20 28 27 58 12 25 1 6 200

vs SoCar
HOME TEAM: #8/7 Duke 5-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF Tyler Phommachanh A TO BLK S MIN
11 Azura Stevens....... f 2-9 1-3 0-0 3 9 12 3 5 1 4 1 1 31
01 Elizabeth Williams.. c 2-7 0-0 1-2 5 3 8 4 5 0 5 5 1 25
04 Sierra Calhoun...... g 3-12 2-8 0-0 1 2 3 2 8 2 3 0 0 36
12 Mercedes Riggs...... g 1-3 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 0 19
23 Rebecca Greenwell... g 4-9 0-3 4-4 0 5 5 1 12 0 4 0 4 37
14 Ka'lia Johnson...... 2-6 0-2 5-6 2 3 5 2 9 1 4 0 0 25
21 Kendall Cooper...... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3
22 Oderah Chidom....... 3-8 0-0 0-1 2 5 7 3 6 3 1 0 2 15
30 Amber Henson........ 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 8
34 Lynee Belton........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
TEAM................ 3 1 4
Totals.............. 18-57 4-19 10-13 16 28 44 16 50 8 22 8 8 200

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

As a non fan of Elizabeth William's game I was thrilled she was taken by the CT SUN! Maybe this will hastened Anne (I have no clue!) Donovan ride out of CT, tarred and feathered! Brittany Hrynko is a really good guard though so they may balance out! But knowing AD she might cut Hrynko because she has real promise!

After I wrote this AD traded Hrynko to Atlanta for Jasmine Thomas!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

She probably had meniscus damage which happens with about 75% of all tears, depending on how bad the damage crutches can be need for up to 6 months after surgery.

2Husky - - Harrison of TN had ACL surgery! She'll be out the whole 2015 WNBA season!

 

[TFintheMix]

I expected Sara Hammond to have been chosen...her senior season didn't meet expectations but she's a stellar athlete with a high basketball IQ.

Both Sara Hammond and Bria Hartley looked like afterthoughts watching Louisville WBB this year.

 

[TFintheMix]

Laney is kind of like Stokes as far as a shot blocker goes. She can also score. I think she'll be just what the Sky need. I went to several Rutgers games and was always impressed by her.

Will Chicago keep both Laney from Rutgers and Welsh from S.C.? Laney is similar to Aleighsa Welch being roughly the same height, fierce defenders and rebounders. Welsh is a small PF who is physically stronger than Laney. Laney is a big SF who was played in the PF role at Rutgers. She is not as strong but she is quick and very active and hard to box out. Laney is a better shooter than Welch and can hit free throws. Her short game is really good but can hit 3s.

 

[TFintheMix]

Laney is a bit of a tweeter in the WNBA because of her heights (6ft), but she has a pro-ready body and has drastically improved her guard skills while at RU. She is deadly from midrange and in transition, and has worked hard on developing a 3-pt shot. Incredibly strong lower body, and she's an instinctual rebounder who has a sense for where the ball will go off the rim--she had close to 20 double doubles this year.

Welsh or Laney?

 

[Huskies Rule]

I wouldn't say stellar athlete. For her "size" she was mobile and can step out and hit deep shots. But still, I agree, I'm surprised she wasn't drafted. Maybe she will be invited to a training camp or 2?

Shut up, errr I mean hush up. You're spending too much time in Tijuana, man. Or you're a closet cardinal. Come on- Hammond played terribly in Louisville's 3 NCAA tournament games. Against BYU she had 6 points and 5 rebounds; against USF she had 4 pts. and 4 rebounds, and against Dayton, Hammond had 3 pts. and 4 rebounds. In the games that mattered most, she came up short and failed to impress- gotta believe that factored into her non-draft status. She's upper-body strong, but lacks the height or athleticism to play inside or a decent 3 to stretch the defense. When she "steps out,"E, she knocks 3's down at a sorry 29% (17 for 58). No WNBA for you, kid. And I'm taking back your Pulitzer, E.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Both Sara Hammond and Bria Hartley looked like afterthoughts watching Louisville WBB this year.

HaHaHa. Yes, Bria Smith does look an awful lot like our Bria (though not even in the same universe when it comes to cuteness, talent, and the ability to drive Geno nuts).

 

[Gus Mahler]

They went to Ms. Dailey's Finishing School. Both of them looked great.

Precisely!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Shut up, errr I mean hush up. You're spending too much time in Tijuana, man. Or you're a closet cardinal. Come on- Hammond played terribly in Louisville's 3 NCAA tournament games. Against BYU she had 6 points and 5 rebounds; against USF she had 4 pts. and 4 rebounds, and against Dayton, Hammond had 3 pts. and 4 rebounds. In the games that mattered most, she came up short and failed to impress- gotta believe that factored into her non-draft status. She's upper-body strong, but lacks the height or athleticism to play inside or a decent 3 to stretch the defense. When she "steps out,"E, she knocks 3's down at a sorry 29% (17 for 58). No WNBA for you, kid. And I'm taking back your Pulitzer, E.

While the ESPNers liked to gush about Hammond, I never saw her game expand or improve and her athleticism actually declined. She got caught in the middle - not a nimble guard, not a big banger, and a mediocre mid-range shooter.

 

[NOI33]

Both Sara Hammond and Bria Hartley looked like afterthoughts watching Louisville WBB this year.

I know you meant Bria Smith...but yes, you're right. Their offense this year (at least from mid-season until the end) was primarily run through Hines-Allen and Moore. Hammond had 3 big games (points wise) all season, and that was quite disappointing as a Cards fan. Watching her play in the 3x3 tourney this summer was impressive, but just like Burdick, she seems to perform much better in that type of unstructured format than she does in actual in-season games. Just my take on it though. I hope she makes a training camp roster nonetheless.

 

[NOI33]

I wouldn't say stellar athlete. For her "size" she was mobile and can step out and hit deep shots. But still, I agree, I'm surprised she wasn't drafted. Maybe she will be invited to a training camp or 2?

As a 3/4 she's quite athletic and has developed a strong build over her 4 years (albeit she had a college-ready body since her junior year of highschool). As others have stated, her inability to assert herself on the big stage really cost her during the draft. I too hope that this snub motivates her to make an impression at some training camps.

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm with triad and pvdoggy-- As a Husky fan/CT SUn fan I loved the pick if EW. Hopefully as RSHER says CT Sun can finish at the bottom and win that lottery. Then with a healthy Chiney - CT Sun become championship contenders -maybe not year one but after that -- look out. Just have to do what RSHER says- they stink this year and start anew the following year. To have that chance they have to sink this year.

As for triad and pvdoggy - as they say - for me I do like EWill's game. She's just not a premiere option on offense but a pretty good one. She's darn active all over and very athletic. And she has played well vs ND considering they probably collapsed on her too. I would if I were defending Duke. I liked this pick a lot. And it was the "projected" pick.

 

[triaddukefan]

I meant to mention this yesterday, but the Commissioner... or whomever it was announcing the picks...... should practice pronouncing players names before she gets up to the mike. And if she has any questions... just ask the players in attendance. De-ar-ica De-ar-ica

 

[MilfordHusky]

The arena appeared much smaller because the majority of it was blocked off with the set decorations. What you saw on TV was perhaps a quarter to a third of the actual size of the arena.

Ok, so it was the actual arena. I thought it might have been in a theater that could be part of the complex.

 

[MilfordHusky]

People see what they want to see. Except for the 2 picks from UConn, the crowd seems to react the same way for all the other picks. As far as your opinion of EW being overrated, you can't have stat line like this playing in the toughest conference in WCBB if you are not any good.

## SUMMARY GP-GS Min FG% 3PT% FT% R/G A/G STL BLK PTS/G
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
01 Elizabeth Williams.. 32-32 32.0 .488 .000 .599 9.0 2.5 48 95 14.5

I think she's good, but also overrated. I like the pick by the Sun. She'll help them.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I meant to mention this yesterday, but the Commissioner... or whomever it was announcing the picks. should practice pronouncing players names before she gets up to the mike. And if she has any questions... just ask the players in attendance. De-ar-ica De-ar-ica

That was sad. Not polished at all!

 

[DaddyChoc]

Woah, where the hell you been? You missed a NC.

I've been right here... enjoying the run to 10

 

[easttexastrash]

Ok draft for Chicago. Almost got lucky and got to take Parker and Gray. With Fowles' situation up in the air, it was more important to take a 4 that can play 5 rather than a 4 that can play 3. Don't really know much about Parker but she's basically taking Gennifer Brandon's roster spot and she can't possibly be worse than Brandon because Brandon couldn't do *anything* at a pro level besides run and jump.

I don't really know that Laney or Welch will make a difference, but Welch is a tough cookie. She's worth at least a look in camp.

I'm out of the know. What's going on with Fowles?

 

[Huskies Rule]

The Connecticut Sun got a really super pick at #4 with Elizabeth Williams. When I saw her play in high school, I thought she was definitely going to be a star. But she had the great misfortune of spending 4 years veritably stagnating under JP McCallie, and though she did often played like an AA, she never fully and consistently developed her vast potential. With the Sun, she will finally have that opportunity, getting top-notch coaching from the great Jennifer Gillom and Donovan. I expect better things, great things from Elizabeth Williams in the years ahead.

 

[psconn]

When the Sun were at their best in recent years they had a consistent mid-range game from the post (#15, #31). Kelsey B and Chiney do not offer that as yet and so far I haven't seen it from Elizabeth either. If that reliable mid-range does come to pass, a big gap will be filled.

 

[hoophuskee]

When the Sun were at their best in recent years they had a consistent mid-range game from the post (#15, #31). Kelsey B and Chiney do not offer that as yet and so far I haven't seen it from Elizabeth either. If that reliable mid-range does come to pass, a big gap will be filled.

I expect Ogwumke to develop a mid-range game. Secondly, imo there is only 1 player 2 years from now that can totally eliminate an inside game. And that's Griner. In time there may be another two by that time Ogwumike would develop mid-range. Her sister isn't so bad now and Chiney is a better shooter than her sister. This year the CT Sun doesn't need to win. Once Chiney comes back the -CT Sun will have an excellent front-line defensive wall to go along with strong rebounding and an expectation that Chiney will have a mid-range game - not right off the bat - but soon - maybe the year after.

They need to stink this year - not over-achieve (though I'm worried they won't). Get themselves one more top-flight player. If they ever got Stewie an eventual four player rotation of Bone/EWill/Chiney/Stewie in which Stew can play a lot of sf is championship caliber I'm just worried that EWill is better than many think and with Little/Striklen in the weak east and with Gray coming back and another year Thomas has under her belt we wind up surprising and as a result we're "mediocre."

We just need one more real bad year.

 

[j66kicker]

I'm out of the know. What's going on with Fowles?

She apparently has asked to be traded, but nobody seems to know why or current status.

 

[easttexastrash]

She apparently has asked to be traded, but nobody seems to know why or current status.

Very interesting, especially since she is playing for her college coach. Maybe she is not pleased with the offensive scheme, which, which seems to be more perimeter oriented and she would like to be a bigger influence on the offensive end of the court. She was getting TONS of shots in the Chinese league and putting up huge numbers.

 

[Orangutan]

Latest rumor on Fowles, courtesy of Clay Kallam on Rebkell:

"I got a little update on Fowles ...

It seems likely she won't come back to Chicago. She, like many WNBA players, apparently doesn't care for the low-budget ways of the Sky organization nor the relative remoteness of the Sky from downtown.

And so it's just not worth it her at this point in her career.

It's possible, of course, that there are places she would want to play, but it's also possible that she will just take the summer off. After all, she won't get a break at all next year, and she will need to play in the WNBA to get ready for Rio. In other words, she'll start playing this fall in Europe, and not stop until March of 2017."

Tough blow for the Rosemont Sky. Too bad there isn't a suitable arena in Chicago proper. Maybe the new DePaul arena when that's finished. I imagine that Chicago would be a much more appealing destination if the players could live in, say, River North as opposed to Rosemont or Skokie or wherever. It's like when the Liberty were playing in New Jersey, only...permanently.

Hopefully, she'd take a trade elsewhere. If Chicago can get a decent starting center back, they'll still be pretty good with Sloot, Cappie, Delle Donne, and Breland as the other 4 starters plus Young and Quigley off the bench.