WNBA Draft Thread

[wire chief]

UConn's Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck go 1-2-3 in WNBA Draft, 1st time 1-3 picks from same school.

 

[wire chief]

UConn's Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck go 1-2-3 in WNBA Draft, 1st time 1-3 picks from same school.

Am I remembering wrong? Wasn't Asjha the 3rd pick, or was it Dales?

 

[Blueconn]

Pulido's extraordinary track record? I thought she only did track her first year at UConn?

Congrats ! Was hoping someone would get that.

 

[Charliebball]

The team trainer/Doctor draft wasn't televised by The Worldwide Leader because the consensus # 1 pick, Briana Pulido, turned out not to be available in the draft pool. Anonymous sources are claiming that a secret deal is in place between Pulido and the University of Connecticut that would secure her services as team trainer after she completes medical school. It is expected, given Pulido's extraordinary track record, that she will finish med school in as little as two or three semesters- not the usual seven to eight years. Sources further report that in the interim the position will be "held down" by Heather Buck. Questions about Buck's eligibility and the secret arrangement with Pulido were raised with the NCAA in a 999 page document submitted by an SEC school. The NCAA dismissed that complaint after pointing out that both have been classified 4F...Forever Final Four Finishers.

Since you are usually in the know, I'm taking your sources very seriously on this......looking forward to the fastest and most enthusiastic trainer in WBB history................in about 18 months..........................

 

[UcMiami]

Anyone else surprised at Copper before Williams? That said, I think Courtney has a great spot!

Not really - they are very different type players and it gets down to specific team needs. Out side of the first two picks who I believe, even with my love for what Morgan can bring to a team, the rest of the high draft picks really came to differing opinions of potential and fits within the current roster. There really are not that many teams that have a lot of roster space for draftees - even the Sun who have failed to make the playoffs for three years have players returning that will not be easily displaced.

I am surprised that two of the Suns top three draftees are forwards and they even traded a guard for one of them. With Bone, Chiney, Thomas, Pedersen, Little, Lacy, Stricklen, as well as Henry, Greene, and Macauley that is quite a log jam that they are adding Morgan and Jonquel to.

I am really surprised that SA didn't find a trade in which they got multiple potential starters in return for the #2 pick - they need more help than a single great player, but I guess it is a complement to Moriah that they valued her so highly.

 

[JoePgh]

And they traded away a pretty good point guard in Gray and next year's 1st round pick in that Jones trade. That was a steep price to pay for Jones.

Yes, it was. Why didn't they just take Jones with the #4 pick and then try to arrange a trade for Banham? You would think that they would have paid a lesser price in talent to acquire her than to acquire Jones.

 

[Waquoit]

Am I remembering wrong? Wasn't Asjha the 3rd pick, or was it Dales?

IIRC, UConn had the 1-2-4-6 picks.

 

[DaBrook4Tuck]

It was great to see Coach Anthony Smith (Bolingbrook Coach during her time in high school) there with Morgan when she went up on the stage.
Here is a interview of Morgan when she won the Ms. Illinois Basketball her senior year. With interviews with Coach Smith and Ariel Massengale (who went to Tennesse)


We are proud of you Morgan - Hope to see you when you play the Sky here in Chicago.

 

[HGN]

I don't believe any player from ND was drafted this year.

 

[UcMiami]

IIRC, UConn had the 1-2-4-6 picks.

And interestingly the 3 and 4 picks that year were owned by the same team, so it could have just as easily been reversed with Jones at three and Dales at four.

 

[Orangutan]

I don't believe any player from ND was drafted this year.

Correct. I thought Cable might have had a shot at a 3rd round pick, hopefully she gets a camp invite. Mabrey was eligible but realistically she was already over-matched athletically at the D-1 level.

 

[EricLA]

FWIW I'm not sold on Banham. An unathletic, dare I say chunky, 5'9" guard who is a great shooter... It's not like she's Lindsay Whalen and is more of a PG and can barrel into the post and score with tons of contact. What she faced in college is light years different than what she will face in the pros. Having said that, you can't judge her based on her first year. Many really really good players struggle their first year, one of the most notable recently was Diggins who had a stellar 2nd season.

But... the sun now only have the following guards on the roster: Faris, O'neill, Bentley and Thomas. To trade Grey away for Jones when they have no less than 10 forward/center types and to add Morgan - I'm just not sure they did the right thing. I'm sure some of those forwards can play the 3 (Stricklen, Tuck and maybe a few others), so maybe Banham was a good pick for them, but still... I guess time will tell...

 

[meyers7]

Not really. I think that is yours. And maybe you should follow that rule as well.

Excuse me?

 

[meyers7]

Am I remembering wrong? Wasn't Asjha the 3rd pick, or was it Dales?

IIRC, UConn had the 1-2-4-6 picks.

And interestingly the 3 and 4 picks that year were owned by the same team, so it could have just as easily been reversed with Jones at three and Dales at four.

2002 1st round draft.

1. Sue Bird - Storm
2. Swin Cash - Shock - Wings now
   
3. Stacey Dales - Mystics
4. Asjha Jones - Mystics
5. Nikki Teasley - Fire (Portland)
6. Tamika Williams - Lynx
7. Sheila Lambert - Sting (Charlotte)
8. Deanna Jackson - Rockers (Cleveland)
9. Shaunzinski Gortman - Sting
10. Michelle Snow - Comets (Houston)
    
11. Danielle Crockrom - Starzz - Stars now
    
12. Hamchetou Maiga - Monarchs (Sacramento)
13. Tawana McDonald - Indiana Fever
14. Laneisha Caufield - Starzz
    
15. Tamara Moore - Sol (Miami)
16. Rosalind Ross - Sparks

Folded teams in parenthesis. Damn.

 

[malevocalist#]

I know what you said and I still disagree. This is the pros, the teams that win have stars, not numbers. And to go even further, you need athletes, not just players that had good numbers in college. Compare and contrast KML and Kiah Stokes. KML was a multi-All American in college and and could barely get off the bench on the 2nd worst team in the league. Meanwhile, Stokes, the bench player in college, is a budding star on a team that won in the playoffs.

I think this draft is another bust for the Sun. They chose two unathletic college players that project to be journeymen at best at the next level. As bad as their coaching has been lately, their personnel moves have been almost as bad. They don't know what they are doing. It's clear that any success they had in the past was due to Mike T. and no one else.

Great points. But what about the 3rd and 4th pick?

Morgan and Minnesota girl in definitely offense. Sure offense.

And the kid from Oregon State can shoot the 3 ball as well. They brought in (3) Sure shooters...Now I know you notice that. But nevertheless it's a wait and see.

We shall see it or not.

 

[malevocalist#]

Some scouting reports had Tuck as #1 or #2 in the nation before her ACL injury in high school.

Yes I remember that. I was very high on Tuck once I heard What she was doing her freshman year of high school.

 

[Waquoit]

Great points. But what about the 3rd and 4th pick?
Morgan and Minnesota girl in definitely offense. Sure offense.

I'm just not sure these two have the game that's going transition well to the WNBA. I would trade them both for Mo Jeff in heartbeat.

 

[HGN]

Correct. I thought Cable might have had a shot at a 3rd round pick, hopefully she gets a camp invite. Mabrey was eligible but realistically she was already over-matched athletically at the D-1 level.

I couldn't remember their seniors but you reminded me. They apparently were good college players but didn't project well to the pro level.

I guess the pros want players to know more than how to flop.

 

[malevocalist#]

I'm just not sure these two have the game that's going transition well to the WNBA. I would trade them both for Mo Jeff in heartbeat.

See here is where I stand as someone who has played the game for a long time. And do have a good eye for good talent.

I saw the tapes. That Minnesota girl is a sure pure shooter. She needs to work on her defense yes...But Man I kid you not she has confidence to shoot that ball.

We both already know what Morgan can do. And yes i know the WNBA is loaded with good players that plays fast. That's why geno coaches the way he does. Morgan will find her way. I pray she stays healthy.

The Oregon State gal? She's gritty. She doesn't take no for an answer. Tell her she can't do something is like telling Betty Crocker she can't bake a cake. She will have some Learning curves but the potential is there to be good.

 

[TFintheMix]

Anyone else surprised at Copper before Williams? That said, I think Courtney has a great spot!

I am not surprised. Copper is a very athletic, 6 ft guard. Copper has had a great career at Rutgers. She has been a contributor since day 1 and has gotten better every year. And I am not biased because I have seen her play since 8th grad.

 

[MilfordHusky]

1, 2, and 6 I think.

Yep, HoopGurlz had them at 1, 2, and 6. Stewie and Mo were the only players rated 98. Put an asterisk on Morgan's #6. She was #1 in her class as a 9th grader, before her knee injury. One can plausibly argue that they were 1, 2, and 3, even before you look at their college exploits.

 

[MilfordHusky]

And interestingly the 3 and 4 picks that year were owned by the same team, so it could have just as easily been reversed with Jones at three and Dales at four.

Washington had the #3 and #4 picks. They also had Pat Summitt as a draft consultant.

 

[MilfordHusky]

2002 1st round draft.

1. Sue Bird - Storm
2. Swin Cash - Shock - Wings now
   
3. Stacey Dales - Mystics
4. Asjha Jones - Mystics
5. Nikki Teasley - Fire (Portland)
6. Tamika Williams - Lynx
7. Sheila Lambert - Sting (Charlotte)
8. Deanna Jackson - Rockers (Cleveland)
9. Shaunzinski Gortman - Sting
10. Michelle Snow - Comets (Houston)
    
11. Danielle Crockrom - Starzz - Stars now
    
12. Hamchetou Maiga - Monarchs (Sacramento)
13. Tawana McDonald - Indiana Fever
14. Laneisha Caufield - Starzz
    
15. Tamara Moore - Sol (Miami)
16. Rosalind Ross - Sparks

Folded teams in parenthesis. Damn.

Picks 1, 2, and probably 4 are still in the league. Some of the others had very brief careers.

 

[JoePgh]

I know what you said and I still disagree. This is the pros, the teams that win have stars, not numbers. And to go even further, you need athletes, not just players that had good numbers in college. Compare and contrast KML and Kiah Stokes. KML was a multi-All American in college and and could barely get off the bench on the 2nd worst team in the league. Meanwhile, Stokes, the bench player in college, is a budding star on a team that won in the playoffs.

I think this draft is another bust for the Sun. They chose two unathletic college players that project to be journeymen at best at the next level. As bad as their coaching has been lately, their personnel moves have been almost as bad. They don't know what they are doing. It's clear that any success they had in the past was due to Mike T. and no one else.

Morgan Tuck is unathletic???

That will come as news not only to UConn fans but to many of the players that she guarded on defense or beat on offense this year. Alaina Coates and Imami Boyette would not agree with you, I am quite sure. And I predict that this summer we will see Morgan beat both Kiah and Stef for layups, just as she has done consistently against top college competition. If Morgan does not have a very good pro career, it will be because of her knee, not any athletic limitations.

And you didn't even mention Jonquel Jones -- is she also unathletic?

 

[Waquoit]

Morgan Tuck is unathletic??

Hasn't Geno said essentially the same thing?