WNBA Mock Draft

[TC22]

I’m not denying these points, but for her career she’s only averaging 6 points and 5 rebounds (6 & 4 to go along with over 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks a game this year) and defense-focused players don’t have the best track records in the league (Kiah Stokes is a good exception to that). No doubt she’d be a good player, but the 7th pick? As opposed to the other options still available at that point? I didn’t expect to see her that high in any mock draft.

We aren’t talking about her career. We are talking about this year. She’s shooting 40% from 3. 28/67. Brea is a stat filler. Rebounds, terrific passer, blocks shots and has a pro body. Natasha Cloud, Kia Stokes, Emily Engstler, Didi Richard’s are all defensive specialists. Heck, Veronica Burton out of Northwestern is another one, although she’s also a PG. Whoever gets Brea is getting a baller.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

We aren’t talking about her career. We are talking about this year. She’s shooting 40% from 3. 28/67. Brea is a stat filler. Rebounds, terrific passer, blocks shots and has a pro body. Natasha Cloud, Kia Stokes, Emily Engstler, Didi Richard’s are all defensive specialists. Heck, Veronica Burton out of Northwestern is another one, although she’s also a PG. Whoever gets Brea is getting a baller.

Don’t see Beal making a WNBA roster next year. Maybe after a few years overseas and she’s able to develop her offensive game a bit more.

 

[bballnut90]

I don’t see Beal being a solid pro unless she can consistently score. She’s a great defender but if you’re going to be successful in the league you need to be a playmaker or be able to score. Her shooting is okay but most of her looks are wide open without a defender in sight which won’t be the case in the pros. She isn’t a big playmaker either, most of the time on offense she floats around the perimeter and looks for angles to make entry passes. She fits SC’s system well and is a good athlete with good size but I think needs to develop more offensively if she’s going to stick.

 

[southofnorth]

We aren’t talking about her career. We are talking about this year. She’s shooting 40% from 3. 28/67. Brea is a stat filler. Rebounds, terrific passer, blocks shots and has a pro body. Natasha Cloud, Kia Stokes, Emily Engstler, Didi Richard’s are all defensive specialists. Heck, Veronica Burton out of Northwestern is another one, although she’s also a PG. Whoever gets Brea is getting a baller.

Hence why I brought up her current stats. The players you mentioned all averaged better stats than Beal:

• Cloud averaged 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game her senior year at St. Joseph's. Her shooting percentages weren't great (36.8%, 35.1%), but her assists and steals make up for that.
• Kiah, as I said, is a notable exception. However, she still averaged 4.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and over 3.7 blocks per game in her senior year. She's the exception (as I said before).
• Emily Engstler averaged 11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior.
• DiDi Richards averaged 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game as a senior. Not really a threat from 3, but those assists numbers complimented her defensive reputation.
• Veronica Burton averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals per game as a senior.

All of these players offered something other than defense, again, with the exception of Kiah Stokes. All that said, Brea Beal is a great 3 point shooter and could very well make a team. As I said, I am not denying that she could make the league or that she's a good player. What I am saying is that picking her at 7th given the talent there is in this year's draft seems excessive.