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Mechelle VoepelESPN.com
Now that the 2020-21 women’s college basketball season is over, we finally know which players will be available for the April 15 WNBA draft. With the general waiver of NCAA eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic, seniors may return for another season, and some players who were on our project committee earlier have opted for this. Among the prominent juniors eligible for the project, one of the elections scheduled for the first round – Evina Westbrook of UConn – also remains in college for 2021-22.
WNBA coaches and general managers use the NCAA tournament for evaluation and can sometimes increase a player’s stock. Aari McDonald of Arizona, for example, started 2nd in our first fake sketch in December last year, then dropped to 8th. Her March Madness success takes her back to the top five.
There are a little more than a week before the project, which, like last year, will take place practically. And things could change before our final mockery, especially if Dallas trades any of the four first-round picks. But here’s how he plans the three rounds a few days after Stanford was crowned national champion. (Note: * denotes junior eligible for the project)
First round
1. Dallas Wings: Charli Collier *, C, Texas
Collier is still option no. 1 designed, but let’s face it: there are questions about how she handled teams with strong players and what that means for her professional future. Collier finished the season averaging 19.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 51.1% from the field. But in three meetings with Baylor, she averaged 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds, scoring 5-of-14 combined (35.7%). She played well in Sweet 16 upset at No. 2 Maryland (16 points, 11 rebounds), but fought in Elite Eight vs. South Carolina (four points, four rebounds, 2 out of 10 from the field). After that end-of-season loss, Texas coach Vic Schaefer went on to talk about Collier, saying, “Whoever gets it will have an engine, a work ethic. It took us many nights. Obviously, the level next is a batch [more] physical.”
2. Dallas Wings: Awak Kuier, PF, Finland
Everyone wondered what Dallas would do with all his choices. We leaned to the wings, taking Collier and Kuier, both 6 meters and 5 meters. The consensus remains that 19-year-old Kuier has a very bright future and a high ceiling, and as he gets stronger, he can make an impact in the WNBA. But he will have to adapt to the more physical style of the league. She plays for Ragusa in Italy, averaging 8.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks and has made 14 triples this season in the EuroLeague game.
3. Dream of Atlanta: Arella Guirantes, SG, Rutgers
He finished with a 30-point game in Scarlet Knights’ angry loss to BYU in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He was a constant scorer all season – and his entire Rutgers career after spending his first year at Texas Tech. She finished this season averaging 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Guirantes would give the dream another marker that can create its own opportunities and extend the defense.
4. Indian fever: Rennia Davis, SF, Tennessee
Davis is 6-2 and can score from many places on the floor, plus to defend at a fairly high level. Fever would probably like to see his 3-point shooting improve, but for a team still trying to find its identity in Marianne Stanley’s second season, Davis could offer a multidimensional size option. good. She finished her senior season averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, but shot just 26 percent from behind the arc.
5. Dallas Wings: Aari McDonald, PG, Arizona
Will we see if Dallas chooses a goalie with that choice, and if so, will it be McDonald’s or Dana Evans of Louisville? McDonald was the star of the NCAA tournament, coming so close to winning the championship. He had a great career and finished his senior season averaging 20.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Has her performance in San Antonio increased her stock of projects? Or did the fact that he shot 5 out of 20 in the finals against Stanford, the opponent of the NCAA tournament who knew her best, temper this? She is an interesting player, with a high speed and a skill to reach the foul line. She is a ruthless defender. Sure, she’s small, but her willpower is strong and she’s “hungry,” as Arizona coach Adia Barnes said.
6. New York Liberty: Dana Evans, PG, Louisville
Dallas could opt for Evans in 5th place; if not, he could join the cardinal contingent with Liberty. Evans went through a shooting crisis for most of March, but then had 29 points in a Sweet 16 win over Oregon and 24 in an Elite Eight loss to Stanford. She was known for entering the clutch in her college career. Former teammates from Louisville, Asia Durr, Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook are on the New York list, although Durr did not play last season due to COVID-19, which for her had persistent serious effects. But it means Liberty has a good indicator of what kind of players they will get from Louisville, because Evans was one of the best schools.
7. Dallas Wings: Chelsea Dungee, SG, Arkansas
So we are, back with another choice Wings if there are no trades. Provided she is still available, Dungee’s scoring ability (22.3 PPG as a senior) probably makes it difficult for her to give up. Dallas already has a premiere guard in Arike Ogunbowale, but Dungee could offer another offensive option, which may require defense. It would also be interesting to see the impact that Dungee would have on the better players around it.
8. Chicago Sky: Kiana Williams, PG, Stanford
It seems that Sky will opt for a guardian who could learn from the great Courtney Vandersloot. Williams was the backbone for Stanford national champion this season, leading the cardinal in scoring (14.0 PPG), assists (3.1 APG) and minutes played (32.3 MPG). He finished his career with a program with the best 311 3 points. He struggled to shoot during the Final Four (6 of 20 combined vs. South Carolina and Arizona) because he seemed to be pressing, wanting so much to win a title in his hometown. But he still played all 40 minutes of both games, and his overall trajectory this season has been up.
9. Minnesota Lynx: Jasmine Walker, PF, Alabama
Walker seems to have all the skills you’d want to see in a striker, including a strong 3-point shooting ability. She has averaged 19.1 PPG and 9.4 RPGs this season and has made 78 of 196 attempts behind the arc (39.8%). After their dynastic years, the Lynx was repopulated with drafts, transactions, and free agency, and you might see a player like Walker who fits the Minnesota style of play.
10. Los Angeles Sparks: Natasha Mack, PF, Oklahoma
Mack finished this season as the leader of Division I in blocked shots (112, 4.0 BPG). This could help Sparks, who were at the bottom of the league in that category last season. Mack averaged 19.8 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior. Although he may need to become a little more versatile offensively, he has a lot of physical tools to work with at 6-4 with a long range.
11. Seattle Storm: Michaela Onyenwere, SF, UCLA
She moved into our fake project: to number 7 and number 13. The question with Onyen remained whether her extraordinary athleticism compensates for the fact that she is a tweener depending on her size at 6 feet. She has averaged 19.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this season and has hit 23 of 3 points, so this is a part of her game that can continue to improve. Storm lost Alysha Clark to a free agency, and perhaps Onyen could find a role as a universal defender, as Clark did. If so, it could fill a hole for defending champions.
12. Las Vegas Ace: DiJonai Carrington, SG, Baylor
Carrington had an impressive final season after transferring from Stanford to Baylor, including leading Lady Bears in scoring (22 points) in the loss of Elite Eight to UConn. She has averaged 14.1 points and 4.9 rebounds this season. He is a big, strong guard at the age of 5-11, who does not shy away from physical play, which could make him a good fit in Bill Laimbeer’s team.
Second round
13. Dallas Wings: Iliana Rupert, C, France
14. Aces from Las Vegas: Thompson Unique, PF, Auburn
15. Atlanta Dream: Chelsey Perry, PF, UT Martin
16. Chicago Sky: Lindsey Pulliam, SG, Northwestern
17. New York Liberty: Jenna Staiti, C, Georgia
18. Seattle Storm: Shyla Heal, PG, Australia
19. Indian fever: Stephanie Watts, SG, North Carolina
20. Connecticut Sun: Destiny Slocum, PG, Arkansas
21. Connecticut Sun: Ivana Raca, SF, Wake Forest
22. Los Angeles Sparks: DiDi Richards, PG, Baylor
23. Seattle Storm: Janelle Bailey, C, North Carolina
24. Indian Fever: Ciera Johnson, C, Texas A&M
Third round
25. New York Liberty: Raquel Carrera, F, Spain
26. Indian fever: Selena Lott, PG, Marquette
27. Atlanta Dream: Tiana Mangakahia, PG, Syracuse
28. Los Angeles Sparks: Aaliyah Wilson, SG, Texas A&M
29. New York Liberty: Kysre Gondrezick, PG, West Virginia
30. Connecticut Sun: Jenn Wirth, PF, Gonzaga
31. Indian Fever: N’dea Jones, PF, Texas A&M
32. Phoenix Mercury: Natalie Kucowski, PF, Lafayette
33. Indiana Fever: Cece Hooks, SG, Ohio
34. Los Angeles Sparks: Aleah Goodman, SG, Oregon
35. Seattle Storm: Nancy Mulkey, C, Rice
36. Las Vegas Aces: Micaela Kelly, PG, Central Michigan