2022 wnba draft prospects

This ranking reflects the skill sets of players rather than team need, which will be included in our final mock draft. During the 2021-22 collegiate season, she shot, Throughout her college career, Wells was both turnover and foul prone. Questions the prospect raises: She began the season with a leg injury, which she might not be completely healed from. 2 and Ole Miss center Shakira Austin at No. A'ja Wilson And The Aces Finally Fulfilled Their Championship Potential. 17) and Victaria Saxton of South Carolina (No. While Hollingshed's shot has improved, it's still not mechanically as sound as it could be. Expect that number to go up in the pros not down because Boston wont face triple-teams in the WNBA. Indiana Fever (11) Through a series of previous trades they do not have a lottery pick, but they do have No. Their remaining two picks are unlikely to make the roster, but it won't hurt to bring a few extra players into camp. Pro-talent evaluators will value that she has a shot from beyond the arc, although she wasn't always allowed to play as often on the perimeter. 1 to Fever, An inside look at the Wings' draft process, 2022 WNBA Draft: Teams needs and best fits, Aces' owner Davis denies improper payment reports, Brady acquires ownership stake in WNBA's Aces, Ionescu card sets new WNBA record for highest price. Last season was a complete disaster for the Dream, both on and off the court. Questions the prospect raises: While she's an effective playmaker, her scoring ability has been inconsistent. Her competitive spirit and 40-minute focus in college could be a concern at the pro level. Gray can score at three levels and can especially create her own looks driving through the lane and on mid-range fadeaways. What To Watch For In Each WNBA Semifinals Matchup, Politics Podcast: The Next Supreme Court Clash Over Abortion, The Rays' Dominance Goes Even Deeper Than Their 13-0 Start. But get excited for the teams that added the WNBAs next generation of stars including a Boston-led group that might turn the league on its head sooner than you think. During her senior season, she shot 39.3 percent from three on 4.3 attempts per game. As for the Fevers third pick, shooter extraordinaire Taylor Mikesell (No. While Henderson is well-built and muscular, she's listed at 5'7" and will be bound for mismatches. In her final years at UConn, she's proved that those natural skills can be translated over to the defensive side of the ball. And then on the flip side, there were games when Westbrook looked hesitant and afraid to play aggressively. She's an elite rebounder (11.1 per game in 2021-22) and has impressive anticipation as a help defender. Pro-ready skill: In her fifth year of eligibility at Notre Dame, Dodson proved she can crash the offensive glass at a high level. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: wnba | pageType: stories | Boston will join a former University of South Carolina teammate Destanni Henderson on the Indiana Fever roster. . Enough said. In any case, the Liberty will likely look for a defensive-minded player after finishing with one of the worst defenses in the league last season. 9. Round 1. 7 pick and a future first. The team will kickstart the 2022 WNBA Draft after trading for the No. While steals shouldn't wholly define what a player is or isn't defensively, Burton has still picked pockets at an impressive rate, racking up 117 of her. While her, three-point percentage exponentially increased. Pro-ready skill: All season, Smith was the Cardinals' go-to shot-maker, especially when the defenses collapsed on Hailey Van Lith, a more dynamic guard. Unfortunately, it's impossible to discuss the Mercury's prospects for the season without mentioning that Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia on suspected drug charges since February, and it's unclear when she'll be released. Cubaj's most transferable pro skill set is on the defensive end. 1 overall pick still remains to be seen. Pro-ready skill: At 6'4", Staiti can stretch as a mid-range and three-point jump-shooter. The Mystics were hoping to compete for a title last season, but ended up in the lottery instead because they were cursed with an absolutely horrible injury situation. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Pro-ready skill: Ramirez is an excellent spot-up shooter who canned 40.2 percent from three while averaging 6.5 attempts per game in her final collegiate season. Another question is: Will she improve her lateral quickness to defend other 3s when she plays on the wing rather than in the post? Pro-ready skill: In her six-year collegiate career, Lewis always had a free-throw rate (a percentage of two-point scoring trips that result in a trip to the free-throw line, according to Her Hoops Stats) in the 92nd percentile or above. Here's my (no, it's not too early) list of the top 15 prospects for the 2022 WNBA Draft. At 6'1", Burrell possesses the length and athleticism that could lead to her being a key rotation piece. The Indiana Fever added a massive amount of frontcourt help, headlined by No. 6. Their Lawmakers Are Delivering. Rhyne Howard of Kentucky could be the No. All rights reserved. Questions the prospect raises: Defensively, her footwork and quickness aren't where they need to be to help contain drives to the basket. Cunane live and up-close, it was clear she needs to improve her defense. Projected draft position: Early second round, 4. While scoring most likely won't be what she hangs her hat on at the next level, she can be relied upon to set a solid screen, roll and find the best look. Examining her performance in the national championship game against South Carolina versus her clutch showing in the Elite Eight against NC State illustrates those struggles. 1 pick. Rhyne Howard, Kentucky senior guard/wing. Projected draft position: Late first round to mid-second round. Questions the prospect raises: This season Clouden has turned the ball over 2.9 times per game, which is a result of her new role as a facilitator. 14 overall pick, plus rights to swap 2023 draft picks. What set her apart during her collegiate career was her ability to create off the dribble along with her exceptional footwork and a laundry list of pro-ready moves, such as her hesi and crossover. The draft order will be determined after the season ends (inverse order of standings) with the top four spots in the draft determined by a draft lottery (selected from the four teams not making the playoffs). It was exclusively televised on ESPN in the United States and on TSN3/5 in Canada. Pro-ready skill: For a big, the 6'2" Bibby can stretch the floor and hit three-point shots at a clip above 30 percent on around four to five attempts per game. They already weren't super deep there, and that's even more true without Griner. 3. But at the pro level, it's her 5'7" frame that presents her with a steeper challenge. If she starts hitting threes, shell be an All-Star. Following is an initial list of players who have filed for consideration as candidates for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. Olivia Nelson-Ododa (UConn, Forward/Center, Senior). @howardmegdal, Basketball (353 posts) Even when Smith has a defender with similar size guarding her, what makes her unique is her ability to elevate above the defense and score at 6'4". But before they could add a potential franchise-changing talent, head coach and GM Mike Thibault made a stunning trade to send the first pick to the Dream in exchange for the Nos. During her junior season, she showed the potential to shoot 40 percent from three, a number that dropped to 32.5 percent in fewer games as a senior. Every WNBA draft has the potential to reshape the league. Each player was slotted in that specific position in five of the six mock drafts. Pro-ready skill: Hull's pro-ready skills are mostly based upon her intangibles, or the attributes that she has that can't be taught. Traded Draft Picks: Wings get Sky first round pick. Destanni Henderson (South Carolina, Guard, Senior). With the 2022 WNBA Draft less than three weeks away, its time to start marking projections on how things may play out on Monday, April 11 (7:00 p.m., ESPN) in New York City. As we've just seen once again, Thibault is not afraid to forge his own path, but the most likely scenario now is that the Mystics will take Shakira Austin at No. Also, she has been known to struggle finishing over larger defenders. With the rotation largely set, it's going to be pretty difficult for any rookies to earn playing time in Connecticut this season, and that's if they even make the team. During the 2021-22 collegiate season, she shot 46.1 percent from beyond the arc on 76 attempts. But I think a part of my game that Ive always known I could be good at is finishing at the rim. Smith's ceiling is so high because of the amount of athleticism she possesses in conjunction with her competitive spirit. They head into draft night with just one meaningful pick, but at No. While Allen-Taylor showed out in the NCAA tournament, averaging 12.8 points in four contests, a glaring weakness in her game is her inefficiency from the three-point line, as she shot. Sjerven put her name on the map after three double-digit scoring performances against fellow W prospects in Shakira Austin, NaLyssa Smith and Naz Hillmon in the NCAA tournament. Questions the prospect raises: Inconsistency has been Williams' downfall throughout her college career and has prevented her from reaching her potential as a guard thus far. The Washington Mystics parlayed their lottery pick into an intriguing package for the future and didnt select their own pick until the 20th pick. 1 pick. Before we reveal our final mock draft the morning of draft day, we've compiled a big board of must-know prospects, outlined what makes them pro-ready and noted common concerns about the state of their game. The league is hosting an in-person draft for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started. (For teams with picks in multiple rounds, the possible fits focus on the first-round selection.). She also can stretch the defense on a pick-and-pop and slips well on pick-and-rolls. Khayla Pointer (LSU, Guard, Graduate Student), Pro-ready skill: Pointer can score at a very high level. It's still not entirely clear whether Rhyne Howard or NaLyssa Smith go No. To really appreciate Boston, though, youve got to watch her she simply doesnt miss defensive assignments. The Washington Mystics own the top pick in the WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm. to speak about Naz Hillmon's upside as a WNBA prospect, he praised her motor and ability to finish around the rim and rebound at a high level using her 6'7" wingspan. Here's a way-too-early look at the first-round projections in the 2023 NBA draft and players to keep tabs on during the 2022-23 college basketball season. section: | slug: wnba-draft-2022-biggest-needs-and-potential-prospect-fits-for-all-12-teams | sport: wnba | route: article_single.us | Be sure of this: Miller will work to make it happen. As Padover put it when he was hired, he is building things from the "ground up," and the team needs help in every single department. Joens has been gathering accolades since her very first year at Iowa State. 1 pick, the Indiana Fever got the second overall pick, and with . Lewis proved how versatile and tough she is to guard during her graduate year at Baylor. Games. Nia Clouden, Michigan State senior guard. Top prospects from across the country got to audition for the pros during March Madness as South Carolina won its second ever NCAA title. The centerpiece of Indianas rebuild is Boston, a 6-foot-5 big out of South Carolina who was both the consensus best player available and fit the largest needs of the team. These include her basketball IQ, her consistent motor and competitive toughness and her selflessness as a basketball player. Due to those factors, it was not surprising to see them trade the Nos. Prospects given approximate draft projections are divided into positions and ranked in order of their league readiness. Berger promptly put up a 31 percent assist rate while hitting 65.4 percent of her shots at the rim, according to CBB Analytics. Even if we don't get any other moves of that magnitude, this still figures to be an interesting draft. Dickey has fine size as a guard but might be a bit undersized as a wing. a 6-foot-5 center from France who was a highly coveted prospect in many WNBA war rooms, . They haven't made the playoffs since 2016, have won just six games in each of the last two seasons and have cut both of their last two lottery picks after a combined 44 games with the club. The 2024 WNBA Draft will take place in April of 2024. So how will they approach the draft? Her footwork while guarding players in the post is a bit lackadaisical, and sometimes she comes across as unfocused. 1 overall pick from the Washington Mystics. Questions the prospect raises: Sabally only played in two collegiate seasons due to two ACL tears, and during the 2021-2022 season, she reinjured her right knee. The top-two prospects of the 2022 draft class are Baylor University forward NaLyssa Smith and University of Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard. Evina Westbrook (UConn, Combo Wing, Redshirt Senior). 26 overall recruit ( ESPN HoopGurlz) and Miss Basketball for the state of Iowa, Joens averaged 11.7 points . Sign in with NBA ID; Select TV . In her final years at UConn, she's proved that those natural skills can be translated over to the defensive side of the ball. 9 overall and a few second-rounders. Offensively, Williams can score at all three levels and can be hard to guard when she's slashing through the paint. Questions the prospect raises: While Hillmon has notable intangibles, she has glaring downsides. Full round 2023 WNBA mock draft projections, with trades and compensatory picks based on weekly team projections and college and amateur player rankings. 1 pick.After going just 8-24 in the 2021 season, Atlanta now gets its first choice of a player from the incoming draft class. The draft will also be available live on the ESPN App. 3 and 14 selections this year, along with a 2023 first-round pick swap. From the pre-draft activities, including the Hoopbus tour . I think its going to allow me to be able to work a little bit better. Pro-ready skill: Egbo had difficulty adapting to new coach Nicki Collen's system at first, but according to Rebecca Lobo, talent evaluators appreciate the 6'3" Egbo's length and tenacity at the defensive end. "The great thing about Pointer is she plays taller than she is," Dunn, . While Henderson was known to step up during critical games this season, her inconsistency, especially on offense, remains her largest weakness. 5. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, plus the best pure point guard and the best perimeter shooter in this years class. The way she approaches crashing the boards is the sum of those parts. Questions the prospect raises: Bibby's athleticism and lack of lateral quickness are things she'll struggle with if she makes it to a WNBA training camp. After a pair of virtual drafts in 2020 and 2021, the 2022 WNBA Draft returned as an in-person event at Spring Studios in New York City. Even now, I know I have so much more to develop. She's an elite rebounder (11.1 per game in 2021-22) and has impressive anticipation as a help defender. NEW YORK, March 10, 2022 - The WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm will be held on Monday, April 11. Hillmon is also a proven winner. She recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in her fourth game. Like, ever. Ramirez can clearly shoot well from deep, but her field-goal percentage from everywhere else is troubling, as in her college career her two-point field-goal percentage. And then on the flip side, there were games when Westbrook looked hesitant and afraid to play aggressively. She also has a reliable mid-range jumper. She turned the ball over 2.1 times per game and picked up 2.2 fouls per contest this past season. Smith, who averaged . 3. NEW YORK, April 6, 2022 - The WNBA announced today that additional players from colleges and universities have formally filed for inclusion as candidates for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented. 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