Ten players the Storm could select in the 2020 WNBA Draft
An in-depth look at players the Storm could target in the 2020 WNBA Draft.
This Friday, the 2020 WNBA Draft airs live on ESPN at 4:00 pm. The Seattle Storm hold the 11th, 19th, and 31st picks in the draft. Seattle previously held the 7th overall pick but traded it away in a sign-and-trade deal that brought former UConn alum, Morgan Tuck, over to Seattle in a trade with the Connecticut Sun. You can read about that deal and what Tuck’s addition means for the Storm in this article.
The Storm are expected to bring back most of their 2019 roster and should see the return of stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, both of whom missed the 2019 season with injuries. With Bird and Stewart back in the fold, and the additions of free agents Morgan Tuck and Epiphanny Prince, the 2020 roster is already set.
There is only enough roster space for one more player, which will likely either be the Storm’s 2019 1st round pick Ezi Magbegor or the player they select 11th overall in this year’s draft. At this time, it is still unclear whether the 20-year-old Australian will travel to Seattle this year.
Shortly after Magbegor was drafted, Storm President and CEO Alisha Valavanis told me the plan was for her to continue developing in Australia and that she would likely join the team in 2020. It’s unclear if that plan has changed at all, especially with the Coronavirus pandemic which has already forced the WNBA to delay their season past the expected May 15th start date.
If the Storm keep Magbegor in Australia for one more season, they will have just enough roster space to add one player from the 2020 WNBA Draft.
Below we take a look at the players that have been most often associated with the Storm’s first-round pick after reviewing several different WNBA Mock Drafts, as well as a couple of additional players that may be more likely to fall to them in the second round.
Beatrice Mompremier - 6’4” PF - Miami Hurricanes
16.8 PPG
9.8 RPG
0.6 APG
1.1 SPG
1.4 BPG
Beatrice Mompremier will be an exciting addition to whichever team selects her in the WNBA Draft. She is a strong athlete and has quick footwork for a big. She has the ability to beat several slower post-players off the dribble to get easy baskets in the paint.
She’s been a dominant scorer in the low-post, a strong rebounder, and at times has shown to be an explosive shot-blocker. She has an excellent spin move on the low post that leads to several easy shots.
Mompremier is one of the top power forwards in the draft but could fall to Seattle at 11 due to depth at the position and depending on how the picks play out on draft day.
There are a few reasons she could fall to Seattle. First, there is some concern about her health. She injured her foot this year and missed roughly half of the college season. She’s also not much of an outside threat, only knocking down four three-pointers her senior season.
Bella Alarie - 6’4” SF/PF - Princeton Tigers
17.5 PPG
8.6 RPG
2.3 APG
1.2 SPG
2.3 BPG
Bella Alarie is an intriguing prospect. She has dominated the Ivy League the past two seasons, averaging nearly 23 PPG her junior season and nearly 18 points her senior year. She’s a strong rebounder and an excellent shot blocker. Her junior year she averaged nearly three blockers per game.
Alarie has been compared to Elena Della Donne due to her height, as well as her ability to handle the ball and score from the paint to the three-point line. Watching a limited amount of Ivy League game footage, I don’t quite see that, but a lot of media members believe she will be selected in the Top 10.
I think it’ll come down to whether or not other WNBA General Managers believe that her skills can easily translate to the pro league or not or if her stats considerably overblown playing against lesser competition in the Ivy League.
Crystal Dangerfield - 5’5” PG - UConn Huskies
14.9 PPG
3.7 RPG
3.9 APG
1.8 SPG
0.1 BPG
Crystal Dangerfield has been linked to the Seattle Storm in multiple mock drafts. The diminutive point guard from UConn could be the selection for Seattle at 11 if they feel she is the best player left on the draft board.
Dangerfield is a three-year starter at the prestigious University of Connecticut (Bird, Stewart, and Tuck are all alums). She is an excellent shooter, especially from beyond the arc. Her sophomore season she shot 45% from three-point range and her senior season was nearly as good at 41%. Dangerfield leads this group of players with 71 made threes this past season. She has a fast release and hasn’t had a problem scoring at the college level.
She is a great leader, strong passer, and can attack the basket as well. Despite her size, similar to Jordin Canada, she’s crafty at getting steals at nearly two steals per game.
My biggest concern is whether or not her height will play a large factor in the WNBA. Will she be able to score and get her shot off as easily when she’s going up against much taller opponents who will be significantly more athletic than her competition in college?
It is also unclear whether she may be more of a defensive liability at the pro level. Canada has proven that size doesn’t always matter in this regard, but Canada is also a rare athlete who is extremely quick with dynamic hops.
Because Seattle already has a 5’6” Point Guard, I’m not sure if they’d want to pair her with another 5’5” Point Guard. The Storm may want a guard with more height that allows them to switch rotations up on defense when the moment calls for it.
Joyner Holmes - 6’3” PF - Texas Longhorns
13.1 PPG
8.7 RPG
2.1 APG
1.5 SPG
1.0 BPG
Joyner Holmes is a prospect that would be drafted more on potential than what she was able to accomplish throughout her college career. Holmes put up solid numbers at Texas but didn’t quite have the impact some expected. It was also a college career that was marred (somewhat) by a suspension and injuries.
She has good handles for a big and can shoot from distance. However, her three-point shooting is below 20%, so she’ll need to improve that considerably to be a more effective scorer at the pro level.
Holmes is another player that would be an excellent addition if Seattle were to take her in the second round with the 19th pick in the draft. With other talent remaining at 11, it would probably be a reach to take her in the first round.
Kiah Gillespie - 6’2” PF - Florida State Seminoles
15.6 PPG
8.7 RPG
1.8 APG
0.6 SPG
0.5 BPG
Kiah Gillespie is another Power Forward in a draft full of them. Gillespie’s best attribute is her ability to score down in the paint or beyond the arc. She knocked down 44 three-pointers her senior season, more than any other big (4/5) in this list. She also has a nice shooting touch in the post. A strong scorer and rebounder, she led the Seminoles in both the past two seasons. She had 12 double-doubles this year and 13 her Junior season.
The concern with Gillespie is that she is a bit flat-footed. When watching her tape, she lacks quickness, especially when compared to Mompremier or Herbert Harrigan. She also has poor defensive numbers and her lack of speed could be a liability at the next level.
Mikayla Pivec - 5’10” PG/SG - Oregon State Beavers
14.8 PPG
9.3 RPG
4.5 APG
1.1 SPG
0.3 BPG
Mikayla Pivec is the local girl from Lynnwood, Washington who went on to have an incredible college career at Oregon State. Pivec is a jack of all trades type player that rebounds extremely well for a 5’10” guard (averaging over nine rebounds per game).
Pivec played as both the point guard and shooting guard at Oregon State at different times and proved to be able to handle either position quite well. She would provide good depth behind Seattle’s starting players.
Pivec had been projected in multiple mock drafts to land in Seattle early during the college season. As we get closer to the draft, it appears more likely that the Storm would get more value by drafting her in the second round if she were to fall to them at 19.
There is some concern that Pivec may not be athletic enough to compete at the WNBA level as the league continues to get more and more athletic each year. No matter how great of a rebounder she has been in college, it’s doubtful that she would be able to put up comparable numbers at her height going up against Sylvia Fowles and Jonquel Jones of the WNBA world.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan - 6’2” SF/PF - South Carolina Gamecocks
13.1 PPG
5.6 RPG
1.4 APG
0.7 SPG
1.8 BPG
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, AKA “Mad Kiki,” is an interesting prospect that has been surging up mock drafts as of late. She had been primarily listed as a second-round prospect up until very recently, where some mocks now have her going before the 11th overall pick.
Herbert Harrigan was named the SEC Tournament MVP after #1 seed South Carolina defeated #2 seed Mississippi State in the tournament championship 76-62.
She appears to have all the skills that would translate to a successful WNBA career. Even at just 6’2”, she has terrific length which allows her to be one of the best shot blockers of this group. Her defensive ability should translate well to the WNBA immediately. She handles the ball well enough that she should be able to play the three (Small Forward) at the WNBA Level or the four (Power Forward) if a team were to go to a smaller/faster lineup. Her rebounding numbers will need to improve in order for her to maximize her value.
Herbert Harrigan plays with a fiery passion and attitude which is how she was given the “Mad Kiki” nickname. While it can cause problems if not properly utilized, one can look at Diana Taurasi to see how that demeanor can often bring out greatness in a player.
Ruthy Hebard - 6’4” PF - Oregon Ducks
17.3 PPG
9.6 RPG
1.5 APG
1.3 SPG
1.1 BPG
Ruthy Hebard is a player I’ve had linked to the Storm for a couple seasons now. Hebard has been part of the sensational Oregon Ducks team that has completely revitalized the women’s basketball program in Eugene. Hebard is also going to be one of the more interesting stories to follow on draft night.
Hebard has been projected to go anywhere from the Top 5 of the draft to the very end of the first round. Multiple mock drafts have slotted her at 11 with the Storm, but it wouldn’t be shocking if she was drafted much earlier than that.
Hebard is an incredibly efficient low-post scorer (2nd best in the nation) at 69% FG shooting. She averaged over 65% shooting in each of her final three seasons in college. She’s also a very strong rebounder averaging nearly 10 per game her senior season.
Her pro potential could be limited by the fact that she has not developed a shot outside of the paint and has not attempted a single three-pointer in her college career. She is definitely not a stretch four. She is also not a tremendous shot-blocker for her position. And there are some concerns that her game has greatly benefited from playing with Ionescu (but who’s hasn’t?).
Te’a Cooper - 5’8” Baylor Ladybears
13.6 PPG
2.3 RPG
4.6 APG
1.9 SPG
0.1 BPG
Te’a Cooper is a flashy combo guard that finished her career with the Baylor Lady Bears. The move to Baylor really allowed her to shine on the court as she set career highs in points, assists, and steals. She significantly improved her assist to turnover ratio (2:1) as she more than doubled her total assists per game at Baylor. She proved this season that she is capable of running the point.
Cooper has range, knocking down 56 three’s her senior season on 42% shooting. Her best asset may be her ability to drive and change direction as she attacks the basket. She also leads this list of players at 1.9 steals per game.
Red Flags: Cooper sat out her sophomore year after suffering an injury. She also transferred schools multiple times, starting her college career in Tennessee, before transferring to South Carolina, and eventually to Baylor.
Tyasha Harris - 5’10” South Carolina Gamecocks
12.0 PPG
3.5 RPG
5.7 APG
1.6 SPG
0.1 BPG
Ty Harris has been an interesting story to follow. A player that was not talked about very much at all at the start of the college season, but as the season went on, similar to her teammate Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, she began to shoot up the mock drafts. Ultimately, she is now being considered a Top 5 draft selection by many media members.
Harris is arguably the 2nd best point guard in this draft behind Sabrina Ionescu. She is an excellent distributor of the basketball averaging nearly six assists per game, which is 2nd only to Ionescu in the draft. Her assist to turnover ratio is excellent at 2.7 to 1. And unlike Cooper, who significantly improved her assist/turnover ratio her senior year, Harris had a 2:1 ratio or higher her entire four years in college.
She is not a dominant scorer but has averaged double figures in her final three years of college. Harris is aggressive to the basket and has a solid mid-range game.
I think the only way she falls to Seattle at 11 is if the other WNBA General Managers take Dangerfield and Cooper ahead of her.
Decisions, Decisions
So what will the Storm do with their first-round selection? Assuming they keep the pick and don’t trade it away for a future pick or another veteran, I believe they will take the best player available. The draft is strongest at two positions, point guard and power forward. The majority of players in my list above fit one of those two positions.
Depending on how the draft plays out, there is going to either be a talented power forward or talented point guard left on the board when the Storm make their pick at 11. They will likely have their pick of at least one of the following: Dangerfield, Cooper, Hebard, Mompremier, or Herbert Harrigan would be my best guess.
Because they selected Eziyoda Magbegor last year, they might be more inclined to draft a guard this year, so Dangerfield, Cooper, or even Harris (if she fell) could fit a little more of a need for the team.
If the WNBA season plays out this year, Sue Bird is expected to play. And from everything we’ve heard, she’s expected to play in 2021 as well. So point guard isn’t a massive need right now with Bird and Canada. But ultimately, they will need to find another point guard to back up Canada once Bird has to call it a career.
Although, the draft board says the talent isn’t as great at the Shooting Guard and Small Forward positions this year, they could take a player like Kaila Charles or Kitija Laksa.
Mock Draft
New York Liberty - Sabrina Ionescu
Dallas Wings - Satou Sabally
Indiana Fever - Lauren Cox
Atlanta Dream - Chennedy Carter
Dallas Wings - Tyasha Harris
Minnesota Lynx - Megan Walker
Dallas Wings - Bella Alarie
Chicago Sky -Crystal Dangerfield
New York Liberty - Ruthy Hebard
Phoenix Mercury -Beatrice Mompremier
Seattle Storm - Te’a Cooper
New York Liberty - Kiah Gillespie