WNBA Draft

[CamrnCrz1974]

I'm surprised that D. Williams, and T. Spani were not drafted.
Some other thoughts: Diggins will make Tulsa interesting (she looked real fine and she can sure talk = she'll be the face of the team for years to come).
I think that IN and LA will be really sorry they didn't pick Kelly.

Williams has a shot as a free agent, as an undersized post player for bench depth. A team like Seattle could use her.

As for Spani, I am not surprised. What WNBA-level skill does she have? She is a hard worker, and she hustles. She had a good shooting year and has good size, but she cannot create off the dribble and is not known for court vision or as a passer. She is not a lockdown defender. Spani was a good college player who had a nice career. Just because she graduated from Tennessee does not make her a WNBA player, just as graduating from UConn did not make Maria Conlon a WNBA player.

As for Indiana not taking Kelly, I do not think the franchise will be sorry. Among its guards, Indiana is pretty set with January and Douglas as starters and players like Zellous and Erin Phillips as backups. Sure, you may see Douglas at the three, when Catchings move to the four. But Indiana already has a Faris-type player in Jeannette Pohlen (a player known as a glue player who broke out her senior year to become the PAC 12 Player over the Year over Nneka Ogwumike).

As for Los Angeles, that is a pretty good question. There is concern that Beard's injuries overseas may limit her ability to play many minutes, if at all in the WNBA this year. Harding and Toliver are the likely starters, with Beard at the three, but without Beard, there is a glaring hole, to say nothing of the fact the roster is severely lacking in bench depth at the perimeter positions. There is definitely a positional need. For LA, the question is whether the franchise thought Mathies was the better player (or could be the better) or the better fit with the roster. Only Penny Toler can answer those questions (as an aside, I do not think much of her GM abilities).

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tina Charles was National HS Player of the Year.

Kelsey Bone was rated just behind Griner and even ahead of Griner by at least one group.

 

[easttexastrash]

Kelsey Bone was rated just behind Griner and even ahead of Griner by at least one group.

Yes she was. LOL.

 

[UcMiami]

Tina Charles was National HS Player of the Year.

Whoops! But as I remember it Bone and Griner were trading turns being the top ranked player in their class, too.

 

[UcMiami]

Williams has a shot as a free agent, as an undersized post player for bench depth. A team like Seattle could use her.

As for Spani, I am not surprised. What WNBA-level skill does she have? She is a hard worker, and she hustles. She had a good shooting year and has good size, but she cannot create off the dribble and is not known for court vision or as a passer. She is not a lockdown defender. Spani was a good college player who had a nice career. Just because she graduated from Tennessee does not make her a WNBA player, just as graduating from UConn did not make Maria Conlon a WNBA player.

As for Indiana not taking Kelly, I do not think the franchise will be sorry. Among its guards, Indiana is pretty set with January and Douglas as starters and players like Zellous and Erin Phillips as backups. Sure, you may see Douglas at the three, when Catchings move to the four. But Indiana already has a Faris-type player in Jeannette Pohlen (a player known as a glue player who broke out her senior year to become the PAC 12 Player over the Year over Nneka Ogwumike).

As for Los Angeles, that is a pretty good question. There is concern that Beard's injuries overseas may limit her ability to play many minutes, if at all in the WNBA this year. Harding and Toliver are the likely starters, with Beard at the three, but without Beard, there is a glaring hole, to say nothing of the fact the roster is severely lacking in bench depth at the perimeter positions. There is definitely a positional need. For LA, the question is whether the franchise thought Mathies was the better player (or could be the better) or the better fit with the roster. Only Penny Toler can answer those questions (as an aside, I do not think much of her GM abilities).

Good analysis - And I sort of see Mathies in the mold of Toliver and Harding - volume shooters - which makes me wonder with Parker being their prize player. I would think a KF type player would have been a pretty perfect fit - someone who doesn't need to shoot much but will work to get everyone else their shots.