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Mechelle VoepelESPN.com
With the 2020-21 women’s basketball season over, we finally know which players will be available for the April 15th WNBA draw. With the NCAA blanket exemption due to the coronavirus pandemic, seniors can return for a next season, and some players who were previously on our draft board chose to do so. Among the prominent eligible juniors, one of our planned first-round picks – UConn’s Evina Westbrook – will also remain in college for 2021-22.
WNBA coaches and general managers use the NCAA tournament for evaluation and at times it can increase a player’s stock. Arizona’s Aari McDonald, for example, started at No. 2 in our first mock draft last December, then dropped to No. 8. Her March Madness success has her back in the top five.
There is just over a week for the draft, which will take place virtually like last year. And things may change before our final mock, especially if Dallas trades one of the four first-round picks. But here’s how the three rounds project a few days after Stanford was crowned the national champion. (Note: * indicates a junior eligible for the tour)
First round
1. Dallas Wings: Charli Collier *, C, Texas
Collier is still the expected No. 1 pick, but let’s face it: there are questions about how she fared against teams with strong post 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% off the field. But in three encounters with Baylor, she averaged 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds, with a combined 5-of-14 (35.7%). She played well in the Sweet 16, upset over No. 2 seed Maryland (16 points, 11 rebounds) but struggled in the Elite Eight vs. South Carolina (four points, four rebounds, 2 of 10 from the field). After that end-of-season loss, Texas coach Vic Schaefer Collier still spoke out, saying, “Whoever gets her, they get a bike, a work ethic. level a lot [more] physical. “
2. Dallas Wings: Awak Kuier, PF, Finland
Everyone has wondered what Dallas will do with all of his choices. We leaned toward the Wings and took Collier and Kuier, both six feet tall. The consensus remains that 19-year-old Kuier has a very bright future and a high ceiling, and as she gets stronger, could have an impact in the WNBA. But she will have to adapt to the more physical style in the competition. She plays for Ragusa in Italy, averaging 8.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots, and has made 14 three-pointers in EuroLeague this season.
Atlanta Dream: Arella Guirantes, SG, Rutgers
She finished with a 30-point game in the Scarlet Knights’ upset loss against BYU in the first round of the NCAA tournament. She’s been a consistent scorer all season – and basically her entire Rutgers career after spending her freshman year at Texas Tech. She finished this season with an average of 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Guirantes would give the Dream another scorer who can create her own chances and stretch the defense.
4. Indiana Fever: Rennia Davis, SF, Tennessee
Davis is 6-2 and can score from many places on the floor, plus defend at a pretty high level. The Fever would probably like to see its three-point shooting improve, but for a team still trying to figure out its identity in Marianne Stanley’s second season, Davis could offer a good-sized multidimensional option. She finished her senior season averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, but shot only 26% from behind the arc.
5. Dallas Wings: Aari McDonald, PG, Arizona
We’ll see if Dallas goes for a point guard with this pick, and if so, will it be McDonald or Louisville’s Dana Evans? McDonald was the star of the NCAA tournament and came so close to winning the championship. She had a great career, finishing her senior season averaging 20.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Did her performance in San Antonio increase her stock? Or does the fact that she shot 5-of-20 in the final against Stanford, the NCAA tournament attendant who knew her best, dampen that? She is an exciting player with great speed and a knack for getting to the foul line. She is a ruthless defender. Sure, she’s small, but her will is mighty, and she’s playing “hungry,” as Arizona coach Adia Barnes said.
6. New York Liberty: Dana Evans, PG, Louisville
Dallas could choose Evans at number 5; if not, she could join the Liberty of the Cardinal contingent. Evans went through much of March shooting, but then she had 29 points in a Sweet 16 win over Oregon and 24 in an Elite Eight loss against Stanford. She was known for getting through in the clutch during her college career. Former Louisville teammates Asia Durr, Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook are on the New York roster, although Durr did not play last season due to COVID-19, which has had serious ongoing consequences for her. But it means the Liberty has a good gauge of what kind of player they’ll get from Louisville, because Evans has been one of the best in the school.
Dallas Wings: Chelsea Dungee, SG, Arkansas
So here we are, back with another Wings pick if there are no trades. Provided she’s still available, Dungee’s scoring ability (22.3 PPG as a senior) probably makes her hard to pass up. Dallas already has a first-scoring guard in Arike Ogunbowale, but Dungee could provide another offensive option that can tax defenses. It would also be interesting to see what impact Dungee would have with better post players around her.
8. Chicago Sky: Kiana Williams, PG, Stanford
It seems likely that the Sky will choose a point guard who can learn from the great Courtney Vandersloot. Williams was the backbone for champion Stanford this season, leading the cardinal in scoring (14.0 PPG), assists (3.1 APG) and minutes played (32.3 MPG). She finished her career with a program-best 311 3-pointers. She struggled to shoot in the Final Four (6 of 20 combined vs. South Carolina and Arizona) because it seemed like she was putting pressure on her desire to win a title in her hometown. But she still played all 40 minutes in both games, and her overall trajectory this season was higher.
9. Minnesota Lynx: Jasmine Walker, PF, Alabama
Walker seems to have all the skills you’d want to see in an attacker, including a strong 3-point shooting ability. She scored an average of 19.1 PPG and 9.4 RPG this season, making 78 of the 196 tries from behind the arch (39.8%). After their dynasty years, the Lynx replenished their supply through the draw, trade, and free agency, and you could see a player like Walker fitting into the Minnesota playstyle.
10. Los Angeles Sparks: Natasha Mack, PF, Oklahoma State
Mack finished this season as the Division I leader in blocked shots (112, 4.0 BPG). That could help the Sparks, who were in the bottom half of the league in that category last season. Mack averaged 19.8 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior. While she may need to get a bit more versatile offensively, she has plenty of physical aids to work with at 6-4 with a long wingspan.
11. Seattle Storm: Michaela Onyenwere, SF, UCLA
She’s been driven around in our fake design: as high as No. 7 and as low as No. 13. The question with Onyenwere remains whether her great athleticism makes up for her being a six-foot tweener in size. She averaged 19.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this season, hitting 23 3-pointers, so that’s part of her game that can keep improving. The Storm lost Alysha Clark to free will, and perhaps Onyenwere can find a role as a universal defender like Clark did. If so, she could fill a gap for the defending champion.
12. Las Vegas Aces: DiJonai Carrington, SG, Baylor
Carrington had an impressive final season after moving from Stanford to Baylor, including leading the Lady Bears in scoring (22 points) in their Elite Eight defeat to UConn. She scored an average of 14.1 points and 4.9 rebounds this season. She’s a big, strong 5-11 guard who doesn’t shy away from physical play, which could make her a good match on Bill Laimbeer’s team.
Second round
13. Dallas Wings: Iliana Rupert, C, France
14. Las Vegas Aces: Unique Thompson, PF, Auburn
Atlanta Dream: Chelsey Perry, PF, UT Martin
Chicago Sky: Lindsey Pulliam, SG, Northwestern
17. New York Liberty: Jenna Staiti, C, Georgia
18. Seattle Storm: Shyla Heal, PG, Austraila
19. Indiana 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. Indiana Fever: Ciera Johnson, C, Texas A&M
Third round
25. New York Liberty: Raquel Carrera, F, Spain
26. Indiana 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. Indiana 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, State of Oregon
35. Seattle Storm: Nancy Mulkey, C, Rice
36. Las Vegas Aces: Micaela Kelly, PG, Central Michigan