WNBA Draft grades: Fever earn A for choosing Clark, Sky obtain C+ even with Angel Reese | USAEMALL.com

The most anticipated WNBA Draft in latest reminiscence has come and gone. Once once more, it was a franchise-changing day for the Indiana Fever, who drafted Caitlin Clark. Meanwhile, a number of groups made significant investments of their futures whereas others fine-tuned of their pursuit of a championship within the close to time period.

Let’s check out how properly every staff completed its objectives within the 2024 WNBA Draft. The grades are a bit of bit greater throughout the board than final yr, however this was a greater pool of gamers. I’m permitting for some optimism.

Nyadiew Puoch (12), Isabel Borlase (20), Matilde Villa (32)

The Dream made three worldwide picks, all of whom are 19 years previous, and none of whom undertaking to play within the WNBA throughout the 2024 season. As such, it’s onerous to say if Atlanta addressed any of its wants as a result of by the point these gamers come over, the roster might look dramatically totally different. Big image, Puoch and Borlase have been rated as first-round skills by the overall managers The Athletic surveyed, so to choose up each with just one first-round decide is nice worth. But the Dream have an opportunity to get higher proper now with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray score among the many higher perimeter duos within the league, and so they punted on an opportunity for rapid enchancment, even when this trio of picks makes an influence down the road.

Kamilla Cardoso (3), Angel Reese (7), Brynna Maxwell (13)

On the one hand, I really like the gamers Chicago chosen. Cardoso and Reese might be a dominant frontcourt for the foreseeable future, and so they complement one another properly. Maxwell is an excellent shooter who made 42.7 p.c of her 3-pointers and 91 p.c of her foul photographs throughout her five-year faculty profession. She was ninth within the nation in factors per play (1.17) this previous season.

But I can’t lose sight of what the Sky deserted to maneuver up one spot within the draft. They surrendered a second-round decide in 2025, which will likely be a deep draft as a result of the entire seniors utilizing their pandemic bonus years have to return out. They gave up on Sika Kone, a promising younger participant. And, they allowed Minnesota to swap first-round picks with them in 2026 — if the rebuild doesn’t go shortly for Chicago, the entrance workplace might come to remorse that call. The Sky did obtain the rights to Nikolina Milić, however she’s already 30 years previous and isn’t taking part in this season.

The haul Chicago acquired doesn’t fairly make up for the truth that the Sky surrendered invaluable property to get right here.

Connecticut Sun: B-

Leïla Lacan (10), Taiyanna Jackson (19), Helena Pueyo (22), Abbey Hsu (34)

The Sun’s frontcourt is fairly properly spoken for with Alyssa Thomas, Bri Jones and DeWanna Bonner all returning. What the Sun wanted was reinforcements within the backcourt, and so they took some swings to make that occur. Lacan is a high-ceiling prospect, solely 19 and excelling in France. However, the home league schedule makes it difficult for French gamers to return to the WNBA, so it’s unclear when Lacan will debut for the Sun.

However, Connecticut discovered worth later within the draft. Pueyo is a dogged defender who can shoot the ball at a good clip from 3-point vary. Hsu’s measurement at 5-11 is useful for the place, and she or he’s a fairly strong first step. Taiyanna Jackson appears a bit of duplicative of Olivia Nelson-Ododa, however she was an excellent defensive middle at Kansas and may at the very least present some coaching camp competitors.

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Jacy Sheldon (5), Carla Leite (9), Ashley Owusu (33)

Can you inform the Dallas Wings wanted guards? Nevertheless, even whereas honing in on a positional want, the Wings nonetheless managed to pick out gamers with vital upside. Sheldon is a 3-and-D archetype who excels in transition, making her a pure match for Dallas, which likes to play up-tempo. Leite turns 20 on Tuesday, and she or he already reveals the flexibility to run a professional offense whereas being a person scoring menace. Even Ashley Owusu has promise. She was the perfect capturing guard within the nation as a sophomore, so the expertise is there if she will be able to discover a correct exercise routine and regain her motor.

Indiana Fever: A

Caitlin Clark (1), Celeste Taylor (15), Leilani Correa (27)

Of course, anybody in Indiana’s place would have taken Caitlin Clark, however who cares? The Fever made themselves a lovely vacation spot for Clark, offering her with the motivation to declare from the draft, and did the plain factor as soon as she declared. If you decide a generational expertise, the draft grade goes to be an A.

Beyond Clark, I just like the picks of Taylor and Correa. Both are large guards, becoming with Lin Dunn’s philosophy (she drafted Grace Berger final yr, in spite of everything). Correa can shoot a bit of, whereas additionally attending to the rim continuously, and Taylor is a nasty defender who could make issues troublesome on Clark in coaching camp and in follow. Indiana has its tentpoles in place — the entire choices now needs to be to optimize Clark and Aliyah Boston. Taylor is somebody who can play subsequent to Clark and make her life simpler, and Correa is an effective flier to take at this level within the draft.

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Las Vegas Aces: B

Dyaisha Fair (16), Kate Martin (18), Elizabeth Kitley (24), Angel Jackson (36)

The Fair decide received a lot of the hype, contemplating she is the third-leading scorer in Division I girls’s basketball historical past. However, I merely don’t see the necessity for an additional bucket-getter on a staff that already has A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray. The Aces want position gamers who can fill within the gaps round their core 4. That’s why their decide of Kate Martin intrigues me. Martin may not be a WNBA-level athlete, so this choice might be moot, however Martin completely is aware of how one can amplify star expertise. She hits open photographs, she cuts onerous, she units good screens, and she or he performs larger than she is on protection. Martin may be extra expert than Kierstan Bell, so why couldn’t she take that spot on the Aces’ roster?

Furthermore, getting Kitley on the finish of the second spherical is a heist. Although she will be able to’t play this season as she recovers from an ACL harm, maybe it’s higher for Kitley to be a stash. In that state of affairs, she will be able to wait out Candace Parker’s eventual retirement to fill that frontcourt gap within the roster. There are considerations about Kitley’s footspeed, however she’s a three-time ACC Player of the Year who persistently figures out a approach to produce. If she will be able to develop her vary — and that is the place being on the identical roster as Megan Gustafson might actually pay dividends — Kitley has a future on this league.

Los Angeles Sparks: A

Cameron Brink (2), Rickea Jackson (4), McKenzie Forbes (28)

This was a house run of a draft for Los Angeles. The Sparks received the nationwide defensive participant of the yr in Brink, somebody whose defensive metrics alone made her a lottery decide. But Brink can also be an excellent playmaker and inside scorer with a burgeoning perimeter recreation as soon as L.A. lets her stretch her wings. At No. 4, the Sparks chosen the second-best scorer within the draft, somebody who can rating from anyplace on the courtroom and demonstrated the capability to get her shot off towards Team USA in a November exhibition. Brink and Jackson are an attractive ahead mixture that may scale up if L.A. goes small but in addition can play with one other large, whether or not that’s Dearica Hamby or another person the Sparks purchase down the road.

Selecting Forbes within the third spherical is simply good enterprise. USC coach Lindsey Gottlieb has been touting Forbes as a first-round decide all yr. Even if she didn’t charge that extremely for WNBA groups, she nonetheless is a prolific shot-maker who reads the ground properly, takes care of the ball and can deliver the rising Trojans fan base together with her to Crypto.com Arena, solely two miles away from the place USC performs its residence video games.

Minnesota Lynx: A

Alissa Pili (8), Kiki Jefferson (31)

It virtually doesn’t matter who the Lynx took at No. 8 — the fruits of the commerce they made with Chicago would have earned them a excessive grade regardless. However, Minnesota ended up with Pili, one of the crucial unguardable gamers within the nation. Maybe we don’t know what place Pili will defend, however opponents must defend her, and that doesn’t appear nice. I really feel loads higher about Pili’s WNBA future realizing she is underneath the tutelage of a seasoned and profitable head coach like Cheryl Reeve.

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Marquesha Davis (11), Esmery Martinez (17), Jessika Carter (23), Kaitlyn Davis (35)

Realistically, the Liberty have at most one accessible roster spot, and the one want they’ve is a defensive-minded guard. I’d have most popular Nika Mühl on this spot as a result of she is an exceptional defender and in addition might have discovered the purpose guard place from Courtney Vandersloot as a succession plan. Davis is a greater athlete and maybe a extra versatile defender — her steal share is astounding — however Mühl is a greater shooter and playmaker and covers the purpose of assault simply as properly. With a staff like New York that’s contending instantly, I’d want a extra well-rounded participant.

Martinez and Carter are attention-grabbing coaching camp gamers, each have a physicality that the Liberty didn’t at all times play with in 2023. New York introduced that Kaitlyn Davis will likely be competing for the 2025 roster, so she seems to be a home draft-and-stash, very like fellow USC product Okako Adika, who New York drafted in 2023.

Charisma Osborne (25), Jaz Shelley (29)

The Mercury have roster spots for the taking, and so they addressed that by choosing two fifth-year seniors who might realistically contribute as rookies. Osborne was among the many 15 invitees to the draft; she has the pedigree of a better decide and needs to be able to defend on the very least. Shelley additionally will get after it defensively and performs with moxie; she’s at all times keen to take large photographs and shoots a excessive quantity of 3s. Phoenix is at all times in want of extra perimeter protection as long as Diana Taurasi occupies one of many different guard spots, and neither of those rookies will likely be intimidated by the personalities on the Mercury roster.

Nika Mühl (14), Mackenzie Holmes (26)

Seattle is one other staff that wants bench contributors, and Mühl would possibly already be the fourth-best guard on the roster. She can chip in as a backup level guard and play subsequent to the opposite Storm ballhandlers, simply as she did with KK Arnold and Paige Bueckers at UConn. After taking part in in three Final Fours, Mühl shouldn’t be fazed by the stress of being on a staff that wishes to win proper now. There’s a powerful custom of Huskies excelling in Seattle, so maybe Mühl is the most recent in that line. Holmes already introduced that she is going to bear surgical procedure to handle some lingering accidents and won’t play in 2024.

Aaliyah Edwards (6), Kaylynne Truong (21), Nastja Claessens (30)

There isn’t actually something flawed with the Mystics’ draft. They took two gamers who charge properly statistically in Edwards and Truong, however I had hoped a franchise at this level in team-building would have taken a extra aggressive strategy. Washington has Shakira Austin as a focus, however it wants one other star, and I’m unsure any of the gamers it chosen have the upside of an all-WNBA participant. Admittedly, that’s a excessive bar. But it’s additionally what’s required of the perfect groups within the league.

(Photos of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Rickea Jackson: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)