Why would Azzi go unless the team is willing to have her sit for a year or most of it? Per the Link below, Paige's 1st comment is about her having her 1st off-season in a while to work on her game and strength etc. Azzi has been hurt the past 4-5 years. So, she is automatically going to jump into the WNBA rigors after this season?
IMO that's nuts. Expect a different mock draft eventually without Azzi's name until next year.
I think it entirely depends on what sort of year Azzi has. If she seems gimpy and tentative all year, I doubt she'd attract much attention in the W next spring. And this is a real possibility. On the other hand, if she and Paige engineer a dominant march to an NC that she is seen as integral to, I think she'll want out of college and there will be teams that will pick her. This is a real possibility, too.Expect a different mock draft eventually without Azzi's name until next year.
I don't agree. I don't believe kids wanting out will be relevant. The kids that have wanted out have played at least one year a full season including working on their game during the summer. Azzi hasn't done this in at least 4 years maybe up to 6.
You have a point. But there's an injury risk in playing another year of college ball too. And the risk of sitting seems to me to be a red herring. It won't deter any team from picking her. Will it discourage her from entering the draft? Maybe, but I doubt it.
There is a risk for any player. There is a risk for driving a car too. One has to weigh their own risk. I would think the more you work to get stronger as a player, the less risk you have of future injury. Risk vs reward. IMO too great of a risk in year 1 for Azzi going through WNBA rigors vs getting one full year under her belt.
I have to admit. the premise of my posts is that Azzi has pretty much a full year this season. I could be mistaken about this.
They may well expect this, but a cursory review of past WNBA drafts does not support this being a realistic expectation. It is sadly too common for early picks not to play, or even to fall out of the league altogether all too quickly.
I meant a full year. Just as Paige spoke that this year she got work herself strengthened up for the summer. I had mentioend Azzi hasn't had a full year summer/season to strengthen herself in at least 4 if not up to 6 years. Paige is talking about how beneficial it was for her on this 1 year in whch she specifically noted she hasn't had the ippoiortuniuty. So, I find it hard ot beleive that Azzi wouldn't be thinking along the same lines.
Who is Kaitlin Clark or do you mean Caitlin Clark?