I clearly know ball. Which is why after I detailed potential WNBA draft steals, the final managers listened to me, and that’s why all 5 of the gamers I highlighted as nice and underrated gamers have been drafted. clearly.
Lots of Monday’s WNBA draftees have been steals, however among the third-round picks on this 12 months’s draft have been particularly intriguing.
Right here’s a reminder of how that spherical went:
- 26. Serena Sundell (Kansas St) – Seattle Storm
- 27. JJ Quinerly (West Virginia) – Dallas Wings
- 28. Liatu King (Notre Dame) – LA Sparks
- 29. Madison Conner (TCU) – Seattle Storm
- 30. Kaitlyn Chen (UConn) – Golden State Valkyries
- 31. Aaronette Vonleh (Baylor) – Dallas Wings
- 32. Zaay Inexperienced (Alabama) – Washington Mystics
- 33. Yvonne Ejim (Gonzaga) – Indiana Fever
- 34. Jordan Hobbs (Michigan) – Seattle Storm
- 35. Harmoni Turner (Harvard) – Las Vegas Aces
- 36. Taylor Thierry (Ohio State) – Atlanta Dream
- 37. Aubrey Griffin (UConn) – Minnesota Lynx
- 38. Adja Kane (France) – New York Liberty
All of Sundell, Chen, and Hobbs have been gamers that I wrote may very well be doable steals final week. Sundell was invited to the draft and needed to wait till the third spherical to be drafted, slipping rather a lot however finally touchdown in Seattle, the place her expertise will probably be observed. As a grasp playmaker, Sundell’s type matches into the model of basketball Seattle is thought to play.
Chen was one other participant who was on the draft, however within the viewers to help her teammate and No. 1 decide Paige Bueckers. Her teammates celebrated her as her identify was known as and he or she was in a position to go as much as take an image together with her jersey, wanting just a little shocked to say the least. Chen balled out throughout UConn’s championship run within the March Insanity event, exhibiting her versatility as some extent guard and her means to remain cool below strain. She is going to get a shot on a model new Valkyries workforce the place she has an excellent an opportunity as any third-rounder ever does to make the enlargement workforce’s roster.
Hobbs is a participant who additionally balled out within the postseason, scoring a career-high 28 factors in her second-to-last recreation for Michigan within the tourney. She will shoot the three-ball, cross, and is a tough employee. She additionally has motor, grit, and impacts the sport in quite a lot of methods. Coaching camp in Seattle is a superb place for her to make an impression on the WNBA.
Different gamers on this third spherical that may very well be attention-grabbing to comply with are Aubrey Griffin, Harmoni Turner and Yvonne Ejim.
Griffin was one other participant sitting within the viewers whereas drafted. One other teammate of Paige Bueckers, Griffin performed six seasons at UConn after factoring in harm seasons. She could not have acquired as many minutes within the later years, however each time Griffin steps on the ground, she finds methods to make an influence by means of rebounds, protection and different hustle areas.
Harmoni Turner received the Becky Hammon Mid-Main participant of the 12 months award on her method to bringing Harvard an Ivy League Championship and an NCAA Event berth this season. Coining the time period “Nerds can Hoop too,” Turner is a bucket. She had a number of 40-point video games this season and can be part of the Las Vegas Aces for coaching camp.
Yvonne Ejim is a global participant out of Canada who performed for Gonzaga in faculty and boasts quite a lot of expertise. She has performed at each degree for the Canadian Nationwide workforce, bringing that worldwide expertise to her recreation. Ejim is a 2x West Coast Convention Participant of the Yr, Defensive Participant of the Yr, and the Becky Hammon Mid-Main Participant of the Yr in 2024. She helped Canada win bronze on the FIBA Ladies’s AmeriCup in 2023.
With the WNBA persevering with to broaden and create extra roster spots, extra gamers may have a shot at making rosters, and so these third-round picks shouldn’t be ignored when enthusiastic about potential rookies to look out for this season.
