2022 WNBA Draft: Grades, Running Diary, And Lingering Questions
The WNBA Draft is in the books. Let's grade the teams like they were in law school with me.
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Law School-Style Team Grades
Draft grades immediately following the draft are pretty useless. But I want them clicks and am always looking for ways to look stupid. I’ll at least try to make mine a little different and complicated.
We will be using the grade distribution that William and Mary’s Law School uses because I was once subjected to this system and can now make it everyone’s problem. The distribution is relative to competition, meaning that the top 10% of the class gets an A regardless of whether they got 90% of the answers correct on the test. In basic terms, you don’t have to outrun the bear, you have to outrun your friends. Therefore, I will have 2 straight A’s, 2 A-minuses, 4 B-pluses, 2 straight B’s, 2 B-minuses.
Teams were graded on both how much their selections contributed to their current mission as a franchise and how much value they got at each pick relative to my expectations. The former being much more important than the latter. For example, Atlanta did not get a ton of value with their picks but still kicked started their rebuild with two solid prospects so they grade out highly. Whereas Seattle got value at their draft slots but the players are unlikely to contribute to the team’s focus (a 2022 championship) so they grade out lower.
If you want to roast me for these takes, please remember that you can also roast me for my takes in my mock draft 1.0 and mock draft 2.0.
Atlanta Dream: A
Picks-#1 Rhyne Howard, Kentucky; #14 Naz Hillmon, Michigan
Howard is a nice player to start a rebuild with because of her versatility. They can build around her or plug her in around a player acquired down the road. Playing with actual vets on what should be a not-terrible team will help her development as opposed to other potential situations. Hillmon was an excellent college player with a high motor and a good character. She may not be suited for the modern WNBA now, but she could be a fine backup center on a normal trajectory. In Atlanta, Hillmon will have the opportunity to experiment and may blossom into a very good player. Also, the Dream have extra roster spots for players cut in training camp.
Indiana Fever: A
Picks-#2 NaLyssa Smith, Baylor; #4 Emily Engstler, Louisville; #6 Lexie Hull, Stanford; #10 Queen Egbo, Baylor; #20 Destanni Henderson, South Carolina; #25 Ameshya Holiday-Williams, Jackson State; #34 Ali Patberg, Indiana
If you ignore the order in which these selections were made, Indiana did a pretty good job. That means they did a pretty good job! In sports, it’s about the destination not the journey. Indiana gets an A because they potentially got their starting five of the future if things go perfectly.
Smith and Engstler may not fit early on, but the idea of them together at the 3 and 4 is enticing. I also understand the fit of Hull, but Indiana should probably be in best available player mode at 6. Ditto for Egbo at 10, but she was less of a reach. Then, they got Henderson, a projected first-round pick by many, at 20 after passing on her four times! Plus, Holiday-Williams and Patberg are super fun late-round flyers.
Washington Mystics: A-
Picks-#3 Shakira Austin, Ole Miss; #14 Christyn Williams, UConn
Austin was the expected selection at No. 3. Her jumpsuit was the best look of the evening in my extremely humble opinion. Perhaps only people from South Florida can appreciate this compliment, but it looked like something Gloria Estefan would wear when she was with the Miami Sound Machine. Austin could be a replacement for some of what Elena Delle Donne does long-term and Washington has a track record of developing jump shots, so Austin is in good hands.
Williams could be competing for a roster spot with Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Rui Machida. She may also make the initial roster if Myisha Hines-Allen or Elizabeth Williams show up later. Regardless, Williams’s size could help give Washington another look at the two.
Connecticut Sun: A-
Picks-#12 Nia Clouden, Michigan State; #24 Jordan Lewis, Baylor; #36 Kiara Smith, Florida
As the president of the Nia Clouden fan club, Connecticut delighted me by taking her in the first round. She can contribute as another microwave threat in addition to Courtney Williams and has the tools to grow into a starting point guard. Clouden isn’t a good defender right now, but she’s going to a place that can sustain her development in that area.
She will likely have to beat out DiJonai Carrington or Kaila Charles. The Sun will have to decide on Charles’s fourth-year guaranteed option before May 15th, which may make Clouden more attractive in the long-term. Connecticut may not have to decide on all this in training camp if DeWanna Bonner and Jasmine Thomas have deep playoff runs in Turkey.
New York Liberty: B+
Picks-#5 Nyara Sabally, Oregon; #18 Lorela Cubaj, GT (acquired in trade with Seattle); #29 Sika Koné, Mali
NY picked the most boom-or-bust class this season. Sabally could be a generational talent at center, but her injury concerns are very scary. Cubaj may be the perfect backup to Stef Dolson, but she has a long way to go on offense. Koné was a projected first-rounder, but she’s very raw and may not come over to the WNBA for a while.
The Liberty want to start winning this year and always aim to get big-name free agents. If these draft picks don’t pan out, they can move on to bigger plans. But these three players could make New York look very smart going forward. They get a B+ because this class could potentially produce nothing, even though I like the swing-for-the-fences approach.
Dallas Wings: B+
Picks-#7 Veronica Burton, Northwestern; #30 Jasmine Dickey, Delaware; #31 Jazz Bond, North Florida
Everyone else was higher on Burton than me, which probably means I’m wrong. That being said, I do really like her. The idea of her as long term answer at point guard next to Arike Ogunbowale makes sense. Her careful play and defensive prowess are a great foil for Ogunbowale’s dynamic offensive skill set.
Burton may not have the highest ceiling in this draft, but Dallas needs steadiness. Dickey and Bond have a chance to make the roster over Chelsea Dungee or Moriah Jefferson (if Dallas is willing to eat some of Jefferson’s expiring contract this year).
Las Vegas Aces: B+
Picks-#8 Mya Hollingshed, Colorado; #11 Kierstan Bell, FGCU; #13 Khayla Pointer, LSU; #23 Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech; #35 Faustine Aifuwa, LSU
Again, let’s ignore when these players were picked for the most part. It was surprising that Vegas traded their first rounder next year to get Hollingshed at 8, who may have been available at 11. I’m going to give Vegas the benefit of the doubt and assume they had intel that made the move necessary.
My biggest gripe with the pick was passing on Bell. Well, they got her at 11 anyways! Bell’s ability to handle and shoot as wing could help replace Jackie Young, who is a restricted free agent after this year. I’m fairly certain that one of Hollingshed or Bell will pan out into a useful player and maybe much more. Due to Vegas’s lack of a fourth guard, Pointer could actually see some playing time this year if she makes the roster. I fear Sheppard would need a great training camp to make the roster. But she would fit into Vegas’s backcourt nicely.
Los Angeles Sparks: B+
Picks-#9 Rae Burrell, Tennessee; #16 Kianna Smith, Louisville; #19 Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn; #27 Amy Atwell, Hawai’i
I probably would not have bet on Burrell being able to do much this year due to her injuries and the Sparks are kind of all in this year. But, if she’s healthy, she could be a good fit with her size and shooting. She can, hypothetically, guard a secondary perimeter threat with Brittney Sykes on the main. Maybe LA capitalized on Burrell’s injury-effected year and found a diamond.
LA’s cap situation is too complicated for me to figure out at the moment. But, from what I can tell, Burrell is the only player to likely make the team. Smith or Nelson-Ododa could get a spot if Amanda Zahui B has a long playoff run in Turkey.
Phoenix Mercury: B
Picks: #26 Maya Dodson, Notre Dame; #32 Macee Williams, IUPUI
Phoenix is a very difficult team to talk about due to Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia. Trying of think of how to address BG’s situation makes my hands shake. Sending love and good vibes to BG and her loved ones. I do have to talk about basketball though…
The teams on the wrong side of the bell curve mainly didn’t have much to work with. Phoenix only had two third round picks. They got Maya Dodson, who has the body to play center in the WNBA, and Williams, who was excellent at IUPUI. Still, I don’t think either picks will have much of an effect on the franchise.
Seattle Storm: B
Picks: #17 Elissa Cunane, NC State; #21 Evina Westbrook, UConn; #33 Jade Melbourne, Australia; Traded for future second round pick
The Storm ended up with three of the most famous players in the draft. If any of these players makes the team, the Storm may have gotten some nice rebuilding pieces for a potential rebuild ahead of them. They would likely to have beat out Stephanie Talbot and/or Kiki Herbert-Harrigan for a spot, but Seattle is looking for a title and vets are probably preferable. I do appreciate that Seattle set themselves up to get great press if any of these picks works out. Note: Gabby Williams’s commitments in France could open up a spot initially for one of these players, especially Westbrook.
Minnesota Lynx: B-
Picks: #22 Kayla Jones, NC State; #28 Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota
Without injuries or longer-than-expected European stints, neither of these players will be projected to make the roster. Jones could be a nice development project as a potential backup to Napheesa Collier. Sjerven was an awesome center in college and we can leave it at that.
Chicago Sky: B-
No Picks
Chicago takes a B-minus because they had no picks and I don’t feel like incorporating their use of assets into this analysis. Congrats on the title, Sky fans!
Live Diary (contains explicit lyrics)
-Did not care for the ESPN intro. Just talk about the players like they are players and show tape of their game so fans understand something about them. Being fun is great, but we only get a one hour window to make people interested in the actual sport and have to make good use of it.
-#1 Rhyne Howard to Atlanta: She’s a great player to get at this point early in a rebuild because you can build around her and she can fit in as the team changes. Also Atlanta is a semi-decent team right now so she’ll come in and compete for wins early on.
-Holy shit, I forgot how much I hate draft coverage. Holly Rowe asked about Rhyne Howard’s brother and Terrance Clarke after the woman got drafted first in the WNBA Draft. “She’s crying, she’s trembling, hooray!” Then a commercial after the first pick….. grrrrrrrr
-#2 Indiana goes NaLyssa Smith. All things expected so far. Holly Rowe asks NaLyssa Smith if she can be Tamika Catchings, what the fuck?
-#3 Washington goes with Shakira Austin. That makes the trade make sense and falls into line with our expectation. Her grandmother’s outfit is absolutely incredible! Also, “I’m coming home baby” needs to be a shirt.
-#4 Emily Engstler to Indiana. I think she may be the best player on the board, but she is now going to have to be a small forward rather than having the optionality at the 4. Or Smith could be a 5, I guess? I don’t think it’s a bad pick, but it limits her paths to success.
-#5 New York takes Nyara Sabally. Pure upside. She could be super duper special and unique. The down side for New York ain’t that bad.
-#6 Indiana goes with Lexie Hull. THERE IT FUCKING IS! LOL!
-#7 Dallas Wings go with Veronica Burton. I do like the fit for Dallas. She can be on-ball and off-ball. Her defense will be interesting to watch because I’m not sure that’s her main selling point. She only played zone and it’s hard to see how it translates. But she’s a super distributor and can score.
-#8 Vegas goes with Hollingshed. TBH, I should have watched more tape on her. Her archetype fits with Vegas’s long-term needs if Hamby is going to start (which please for the love of God start one of your best players).
-#9 LA go with Rae Burrell. Kierstan Bell is like Rae Burrell but without the injuries and better.
-#10 Queen Egbo to Indiana….. Alas, Indiana. Why do you do these things?
-My mock draft was so wrong. Picks 6-10 were not players I had drafted in the first round at all. It’s okay. We’ll have to evaluate all of this in a few years. No, really, I’m fine. YOU’RE THE ONE DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOURSELF AND QUESTIONING YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
-#11 Vegas steals Kierstan Bell. WHY ARE YOU ASKING HER ABOUT LEBRON JAMES? I wonder how she’ll get touches with Vegas’s current roster. Damn, I just thought about how a potential Plum-Bell-Hollingshed-Hamby-Wilson lineup would crush people in transition.
-#12 Connecticut gets Nia Clouden. It’s a bittersweet moment because she’s of my favorite players in the draft but she will have to fight for a spot in training camp. Then, how many touches would she get next to Courtney Williams? But I love Clouden’s game and truly believe that she can be very valuable player early on, especially if she can run her own back up units like Kelsey Plum did in Vegas.
-#13 Khayla Pointer to Vegas. How did we not see that coming? Her aunt, Nikki Fargas, is the president of the Aces who had recruited her to LSU.
-#14 Washington takes Christyn Williams. She’ll have to beat out Shatori, but I like the idea of her. Off-ball threat with a sturdy frame to guard 3s maybe?
-#15 Naz Hillmon to Atlanta. I love it since she’ll have time to develop, which she needs to be a useful player. The motor is there and I think she’d be a great backup center going forward.
-#17 Elissa Cunane to Seattle. She does have a chance to make roster, but I do wonder about the fit with her.
-#18 Lorela Cubaj to New York as Seattle traded her rights for a future second rounder. New York wanted big depth and they got it!
- Deep Draft Notes: Olivia Nelson-Ododa may have a shot to be rostered when Gabby Williams is still playing in France. (Gabby Williams no longer plays for the Sparks so I’m sorry for the confusion but I remember her time in LA so fondly) Destanni Henderson falls to #20 to Indiana, but she could play there! Seattle takes Evina Westbrook at #21, but she will be on the LA Sparks someday. Aisha Sheppard makes a ton of sense in Vegas at #23, but do they have a roster spot for her? Maya Dodson could make the Mercury. New York gets a potential steal in Sika Kone in the third.
Lingering questions
It’s just a list of questions. Feel free to answer them on twitter (@gabe_ibrahim), in the comments or on formspring. (For those of you who don’t know what formspring was, may the gods continue to bless you. I remembered it last night and had to hide under my desk briefly.)
Did I mess up anywhere in here? I wrote a lot of this around 2 am after the draft and don’t have an editor, so please help.
Are mock drafts and big boards worthwhile if they just sow a feeling of disappointed and expectation for draft picks and the people writing them?
Did Naz Hillmon and Nia Clouden intentionally match shoes or is this the latest chapter in a hopefully budding rivalry?
How many roster spots are actually out there due to European commitments?
Why is ESPN the way that it is?
Does Holly Rowe qualify to unionize by herself for all the jobs she does? Follow-up: can ESPN at least limit her usage when she’s on the show?
Does getting the steal of the draft actually matter at all?