Mock draft

Friday 25 April 2003

Damn WNBA for making me do multiple articles in a short period of time!

First things first, the lottery. Ironic how in a shallow draft, the two teams who got the top 2 valuable picks were teams who have good talent and solid depth but struggled because of multiple injuries last year. So the rich get stronger and the poor... stay the same (well not quite, they do benefit from dispersal).

Anyways here's the mock draft. Note this is where I think players *will* go, not necessarily where I think they *should* go.

#1 Cleveland - Latoya Thomas

This should be a fairly big non-surprise. Thomas would be a great fit for Cleveland and she and Penny Taylor will make for an exciting and dynamic frontcourt in the future. Ann Wauters better watch her back as the starting frontline may be Penny/Latoya/Chas (I think Melvin is a better 5 than a 4) and she may be traded because while having the moves, she sometimes fails to put in enough effort and is also a bit 'soft'.

And if Dan Hughes and the crew take Anderson, there may be some monotremes on the hunt...

#2 Sacramento - Chantelle Anderson

In the second non-surprise of the draft, Sacramento will probably take Chantelle Anderson. Anderson has the moves and the size but lacks aggression in the post. However, she will have a great mentor to learn from (Yolanda Griffith) and time to develop (Sacramento has a deep frontline). Perfect place for her to learn skills and gain experience and to blossom into a possible future WNBA All-Star.

#3 Detroit - Kara Lawson

This is where things start to get interesting. People thought Detroit were going to have a win-win situation from the lottery and dispersal but the balls just didn't fall their way. Detroit have a need for perimeter players especially at the point. Kingi is pregnant, Wambe is a question mark, Powell is adequate but probably better off at the 2 and Edwina Brown and Dominique Canty combined don't make an adequate WNBA point guard. Lawson isn't exactly a pure point either and there are questions about her speed and ability to get her shot off but she can knock down shots and makes good decisions so she's probably the 'obvious' pick here. In my honest opinion, I'd rate Coretta Brown above Kara Lawson but Lawson has the benefit of playing for one of the two greatest teams in the game.

#4 Phoenix - Gwen Jackson

Phoenix need a lot of things but a replacement for the eternally youthful Jennifer Gillom is high on their list. They could obtain a very good 2/3 next year so I bet they're looking for a power forward type. There are a couple of candidates but Gwen Jackson is high on that list. She can score in a multitude of ways and can play tough in the post. Mental strength was a question but she showed she could come through when it counted late in the college season. Don't be surprised to see someone else taken here though...

#5 Detroit - Jocelyn Penn

Penn will have to make that infamous 4 to 3 transition but she can finish, has good quickness and athleticism and has even developed a jumper of sorts. A project but has the skills and body to be one of the successful players to make that transition (possibly one of the rare few as well - Penny Taylor is another example).

#6 Indiana - Coretta Brown

Brown is a combo guard who favours the 2 but has the ball handling skills and the passing to be an adequate fill-in point guard. Her greatest asset is her excellent 3-point shot and has the athleticism to do well in this league. Her D is nothing to get too excited about but it's adequate. Brown can provide good backup at either guard position and may be McCray's eventual successor at the 2.

#7 Washington - Okeisha Howard

Okay you can stop laughing. This is my first "say what?!" pick and they *do* happen in the draft. Howard is quick, can shoot and is a point guard. Some may say Shaquala Williams may fit better here but Howard appears to be the better decision maker (Williams found it hard during her career to average more assists than turnovers) and of course there's the usual rumblings about Williams getting kicked off the team.

#8 Seattle - Schuye LaRue

Okay another of those questionable picks. I don't think anyone questions LaRue's talent but what *has* she done in the last couple of years? Well someone's bound to find out and I think Seattle can afford to take the risk. Williams wouldn't fit in with the team (and she's not a 3 point shooter either) and the post is packed already so it's unlikely Pierson and Ford will be drafted. Donovan does like the post players though so don't be surprised to see her take another one here...

#9 Charlotte - Plenette Pierson

Charlotte doesn't have any specific needs. Adding Pierson would add to a very packed 4 spot but they could use the competition.

#10 New York - Shaquala Williams

Cheryl Ford seems like a way too obvious pick here so we'll go for Shaquala Williams instead. Williams is another one of those quick guards that need some polishing up - she's not too dis-similar to Tamicha Jackson in fact. If she develops, she could be a successor to Teresa Weatherspoon and Weatherspoon may be a good influence for Williams.

#11 San Antonio - Cheryl Ford

Herrig is solid, Gardner is raw but Ford may turn out to be better than the both of them. Ford is strong, tenacious and has a role model to look up to in the form of Natalie Williams. A good place for Ford to be in.

#12 Houston - Suzy Batkovic

No she's not eastern European despite the last name. She's from Down Under and apparently Van was impressed with her when he saw her in Australia's loss to Team USA. Van has a habit of picking foreign posts and why should that change? Suzy is a bit raw and lacks speed but she's a big body and has a good array of offensive moves (though she vastly prefers going to the left).

The rest

Second round

#13 Connecticut - Niesha Butler
#14 Minnesota - Lindsey Wilson
#15 Cleveland - Aiysha Smith
#16 Phoenix - Tamara Bowie
#17 New York - Jennifer Butler
#18 Minnesota - Carla Bennett
#19 Houston - Ashley McElhiney
#20 Indiana - Jordan Adams
#21 Washington - Sonja Mallory
#22 Seattle - Chrissy Floyd
#23 Charlotte - Michelle Greco
#24 New York - Teana McKiver
#25 San Antonio - Constance Jinks
#26 New York - Allison Curtin
#27 Los Angeles - Telisha Quarles

Third round

#28 Detroit - Amy Waugh
#29 Minnesota - Becky Gottstein
#30 Cleveland - Carisse Moody
#31 Phoenix - Detrina White
#32 Washington - Trish Juhline
#33 Phoenix - Belinda Snell
#34 Connecticut - Reetta Piipari
#35 Indiana - Beth Friday
#36 Washington - K.B Sharp
#37 Seattle - Molly Creamer
#38 Houston - Petra Ujhelyi
#39 New York - Sun-Min Jung
#40 San Antonio - Rita Adams
#41 Houston - Shameka Jackson
#42 San Antonio - Alicia Ratay

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