WNBA draft 2022

And players like Destanni Henderson and Emily Engstler rocketed into first-round consideration with strong showings in the NCAA Tournament, both of them earning ...

Leave it to the Fever to take not one, but two, players who weren’t invited to the green room in the first round of the draft. Bell is also an excellent perimeter defender, another quality that will help her fit right in with the Aces. And it’s not like the Stanford guard is going to be an offensive dynamo — she’s a great 3-point specialist on catch-and-shoots, especially if her release quickens, but she doesn’t have the handle to create for herself or others. Rae Burrell had perhaps the worst senior season of any player in this draft, but the Sparks don’t need someone to contribute this year. — but her fit in las Vegas makes a ton of sense. The talent is undeniable, but the fit with New York is a little strange. New general manager Lin Dunn said predraft that she didn’t want to have to teach defense with the Fever this year, she wanted to draft it. In a predraft call, ESPN’s LaChina Robinson said she was impressed with Austin “a competitor, good size at 6’5, good mobility, balance, athleticism, all those things that are just important as you’re making that jump to the next level.” Indiana got rid of their most talented young center (Teaira McCowan) in a trade earlier this offseason, so Smith is now their frontcourt prospect of the future. Indiana was in prime position to get an impact player at the top of this draft with two consensus candidates for the no. After Howard went to Atlanta, there was no question that the Fever would take Smith, who may have the highest motor of any player in this year’s draft. She has a pro-ready offensive game with her ability to run pick-and-rolls to score and facilitate.

Tonight, the Indiana Fever — barring any further trades — are set to do something no WNBA franchise has ever done: make four top-10 picks.

UConn. In the third round, the Fever selected Ameshya Williams-Holliday out of Jackson State, making her the first player in 19 years to be drafted out of a historically black college or university. She helped Jackson State earn a No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament, which was the program's highest seed since the tournament expanded to its current amount of teams. Interim Fever general manager Lin Dunn said the team's needs are 'glaring,' so an infusion of talent is welcomed. A 6-1 guard and Pac-12 All-Defensive team selection, Hull continues Lin Dunn's defensive overhaul. With plenty of guards on the roster, the Fever went with the draft's top-rated post player. The Fever are on the clock now. In the second round, Indiana took South Carolina's Destanni Henderson, who starred in the national championship game vs. After taking Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith at No. 2, the Fever were back on the clock at No. 4, following Washington's selection of Ole Miss forward Shakira Austin. NaLyssa Smith's Baylor teammate will join her in Indiana after the Fever tabbed Egbo with the fourth of their WNBA record four first-round picks. With pick No. 6, Fever take Lexie Hull out of Stanford Then, the Fever took Ali Patberg, the IU star point guard and 2015 IndyStar Miss Basketball out of Columbus North, who spent seven years in college. The Fever held picks No. 2, 4, 6 and 10 in the first round of Monday's WNBA draft.

Kentucky's Rhyne Howard, Baylor's NaLyssa Smith and Ole Miss' Shakira Austin are expected be some of the first names off the board. South Carolina's Destanni ...

The draft is scheduled to start Monday at 7 p.m. ET and is being held in New York City with the broadcast coming on ESPN in the U.S. and TSN4 in Canada. This will also be WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s first draft. Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard, Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith and Ole Miss’ Shakira Austin are expected be some of the first names off the board. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be in-person as the sports world slowly but surely returns to some sense of normalcy.

The 2022 WNBA Draft is on Monday. Check out TV info, the full draft order and the top prospects in this years draft class.

Clark, meanwhile, will have to wait until 2024 to become draft eligible. She ended her collegiate career with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double in a first round loss to Belmont in the NCAA Tournament. Nyara Sabally, Forward, Oregon: Sabally has a chance to join her sister, Wings forward Satou Sabally, as a WNBA lottery pick. She nearly averaged a double-double per game with 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds to go along with 1.2 steals, showcasing dominance on both sides of the floor during her collegiate career. NaLyssa Smith, Forward, Baylor: Smith is a force down low. Rhyne Howard, Guard, Kentucky: Howard brings it all: playmaking, defense and versatility. - Indiana Fever (from Minnesota) - Indiana Fever (from Dallas) Indiana, which has never had the No. 1 selection and finished with the WNBA’s worst record in 2021, will settle for the No. 2 pick. The lottery result was an upset, as the Mystics had a 17.8% chance of landing the top pick compared to the Indiana Fever’s 44.2% chances. After going just 8-24 in the 2021 season, Atlanta now gets its first choice of a player from the incoming draft class. Which player will get their name called first by commissioner Cathy Engelbert and head to Atlanta?

Now that the action is all wrapped up, here are the full results along with breakdowns and grades for every first-round pick. 1. Atlanta Dream: Rhyne Howard, G, ...

She's a bit undersized but is super shifty and can score from all over the court. Another big surprise from the Fever. With their fourth and final first-round pick, they take Queen Egbo, who will reunite with her Baylor teammate NaLyssa Smith. The Fever were clearly looking for frontcourt players who work hard and can defend, but there are some real questions about how Egbo projects offensively. If she stays healthy there's a very clear pathway to WNBA success with her size and offensive skills. No one was projecting her as a first-round pick, though, and it does feel like she would have been around later. There is a bit of a logjam in their backcourt now, however, so it will be interesting to see how their roster shakes out. This is the first major shocker of the night. The New York Liberty's biggest weakness last season was in the frontcourt, and they've tried to address it in the draft with Nyara Sabally. There's some potential risk with this pick given Sabally's brutal injury history (two torn ACLs), but she is a clear first-round talent if she can stay healthy. Indiana's interim GM Lin Dunn has spoke endlessly about getting better on the defensive end, so it was little surprise to see them target Emily Engstler with their second lottery pick. That third player they had fait in was Shakira Austin, the 6-foot-5 big out of Ole Miss. Austin is a terrific defender, moves fluidly and has some interesting potential on the offensive end. She is extremely athletic and excels on the glass and on the defensive end. A big, athletic two-way wing, Howard is the best player in this class, and will help jumpstart the Dream's rebuild. Those picks largely went as expected, but there were plenty of surprises later on.

1. Atlanta Dream (from Washington) — Rhyne Howard, G — Kentucky · 2. Indiana Fever — NaLyssa Smith, F — Baylor · 3. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta) — Shakira Austin, C — Ole Miss · 4. Indiana Fever (from Los Angeles via Dallas) — Emily Engstler, F — ...

34. Indiana Fever (from Minnesota) — 20. Indiana Fever (from Phoenix) — 10. Indiana Fever (from Minnesota)— Queen Egbo, C — Baylor The Fever selected Baylor forward and 2019 NCAA champion NaLyssa Smith at No. 2 overall, while the Mystics drafted Ole Miss standout Shakira Austin third overall. 6. Indiana Fever (from Dallas) — Lexie Hull, G — Stanford Twelve of college basketball’s best received invitations to attend the festivities, which will be held in-person in New York City for the first time since 2019.

The Indiana Fever, who had the WNBA's worst record in 2021, are set to make the Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 10 selections in the first round.

10. Fever (from Minnesota) 6. Fever (from Dallas) 4. Fever (from Los Angeles) Marianne Stanley, recently voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is entering her third season as coach. The Indiana Fever will be busy with four first-round picks. McCowan was traded to Dallas last month, getting the Nos. 4 and 6 picks. 7. Dallas Wings (from Chicago) Mitchell has averaged 15.8 points per game and has 275 3-pointers over four seasons with Indiana. Injuries have interrupted Vivians' career. 3. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta) 1. Atlanta Dream (from Washington) 2018: Kelsey Mitchell was picked 2nd overall and Victoria Vivians 8th. The Fever pick No. 2 overall, No. 4 (in a pick from the Los Angeles Sparks, via the Dallas Wings), No. 6 (from Dallas) and No. 10 (from the Minnesota Lynx).

The Atlanta Dream selected Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard from the University of Kentucky with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.

34. Indiana Fever (from Minnesota Lynx) -- Ali Patberg, G, Indiana 16. Los Angeles Sparks (from Washington Mystics) -- Kianna Smith, G, Louisville 14. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta Dream) -- Christyn Williams, G, Connecticut 6. Indiana Fever (from Dallas) -- Lexie Hull, G, Stanford The WNBA draft is back in person this year and excitement is high. 1. Atlanta Dream (from Washington Mystics) -- Rhyne Howard, G, Kentucky

She is the Gamecocks' ninth pick of the Dawn Staley era.

The point guard is also ninth in the South Carolina record books with 423 career assists, including 224 in career SEC games, which is third in program history. She joined the 1,000-point club earlier this season and closed her career at 1,220 points to rank 24th in Gamecock women's basketball history, despite starting just two seasons. In program history, 13 Gamecocks now have been selected in the WNBA Draft, including nine in the Dawn Staley For her career, Henderson's 157 made 3-pointers ranks eighth in program history, and her career .379 3-point field goal percentage comes in fourth in the school record book. In Henderson's four seasons on the roster, South Carolina played in two NCAA Final Fours, including the 2022 National Championship, claimed two SEC Regular-Season Championships, picked up two SEC Tournament titles and twice finished ranked No. 1 in both national polls. era and the 13th selection in program history.

Here's a look at what this draft class could mean for the next era of Fever basketball.

There was enough flexibility and latitude with our picks to get what we needed and get people who excelled at the things that we needed. And the reality is that, despite what looks to be a successful draft on paper, the fruits of the Fever’s labor will likely take a while to show themselves. The Fever used their final pick of the draft (No. 34 overall) to keep her home. Kelsey Mitchell, who Dunn calls the centerpiece of the franchise, was named to the USA Basketball World Cup qualifying team. The fact that she's 6-1 at the guard position and can shoot, can run the floor, can defend, that combination was just too good to pass up.” Maybe she was the surprise of the draft. “She defends, she rebounds, she can handle the ball,” Dunn said. Tiffany Mitchell and Lindsay Allen won the Australian Championship. Bernadett Hatar won the EuroLeague championship. The Fever didn’t expect her to still be available when the No. 20 pick came around. Whichever of the two was available at No. 2 was coming to Indiana. Emily Engstler, taken by the Fever with the No. 4 pick, is known for her defensive intensity — something that Dunn emphasized as a vital component to this team’s future success. Dunn said she might not have been available with the No. 10 pick.

The Dream, Fever and Mystics had the first three picks of the draft but made the most out of all their selections to earn A grades.

Both are worth a look in camp, but it will be tough for either to make the roster. By trading the Nos. 8 and 13 picks to the Aces for 2023 picks, the Lynx made it clear this draft wasn't going to be a big factor for them. Melbourne is 19 and likely more a pick for the future. It's a big legacy to carry to be the No. 1 selection, and Howard has the ability to fill that role. Cunane is likely the best 3-point shooter of the centers in the draft. The Dream are under new management and a new coaching staff, and they knew what they wanted in Howard and were willing to trade up to get her. She is a player who always plays hard, and that could make a difference. The three-time Big Ten defensive player of the year adds a perimeter toughness on that end of the court that the Wings need. Big West Player of the Year Atwell is worth giving a look in camp. But if she can make the roster, Henderson also plays the kind of defense the Fever are looking for. The 2022 WNBA draft will be judged a lot on how much the Indiana Fever did to improve after dominating the first round with four picks. While it was a busy night for some teams, the Chicago Sky were just a draft observer as the defending WNBA champions had no picks.

As expected, the Atlanta Dream selected Rhyne Howard from Kentucky with the No. 1 overall pick. The rest of the lottery largely followed the projections as well ...

When you're mired in a rebuild like the Fever you cannot continue missing on draft picks, and there's a good chance they did so again with these two selections. They surely would have been available later, however, and the Fever had a bunch of picks in the later rounds. Those two play hard and could form the basis of a terrific defensive frontcourt. All of her hard work in high school, college and on the international level paid off in a major way on Monday, and now she has a chance to be a star in the pros. The good thing about having four first-round picks and seven selections overall is that it gives you a whole bunch of swings. None of their lottery picks from 2019, 2020 or 2021 are still on the team, and the latter two have already been waived after a combined 45 appearances with the club. Instead, the Fever rather quickly had the biggest shocker of the night when they selected Lexie Hull out of Stanford with the No. 6 overall pick. Lin Dunn took over as interim GM, and many hoped she could turn things in the right direction, especially given the team had two lottery picks and four first-round selections in this year's draft. And for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was in person, which meant we got to see the players go up on stage, meet with commissioner Cathy Engelbert and have a real draft night moment. For one, the Dream pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Mystics to acquire the top pick earlier this month, moving up from No. 3 overall. Earlier this month, Henderson helped South Carolina win the NCAA title with a spectacular performance in the national championship game. That is not a good approach to take, however, especially not this time around.

Kentucky Wildcats Guard Rhyne Howard runs onto the court at Convocation Center. Andrew Wevers/USA TODAY Sports.

Clouden’s confidence is contagious, she is crafty and she has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down three-point shot opportunities. Lewis, the Alabama transfer who was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, averaged 11.8 points, 3,8 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season. From Howard (who honored her late, close friend, Terrance Clarke on the lapel of her outfit) to Austin’s fierce attire and Bell’s and Henderson’s suits, the latter of which included custom shoes designed by Henderson, the bar was raised a notch. The biggest thing for Connecticut to solidify itself to compete for a WNBA title is adequate health, something that limited the Sun last season. When she takes the court for a game, she will be only the third HBCU player to do so behind Howard’s Andrea Gardner and Denique Graves. This is a reminder how the WNBA’s scouts, coaches and general managers will always find and secure exceptional talent. While there are a ton of athletes who dress to impress—Connecticut’s Jasmine Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, Phoenix’s Te’a Cooper, New York’s Didi Richards and Los Angeles’s Liz Cambage to name a few—the rookies brought the heat. When the Aces acquired the No. 8 and No. 13 picks to give them five selections in the draft, it sent a message that first-year head coach Becky Hammon saw an opportunity to capitalize and add top-end talent to an already loaded Aces’ team. It was a huge shock to see South Carolina’s Destanni Henderson slip to the latter part of the second round. Her versatility could allow her to play the three or four position in the league, and it also helps that Hammon favors the same five-out style on offense that Bell thrived In under FGCU head coach Karl Smesko. The 2022 WNBA draft is in the books. Absolutely no one saw Henderson slipping to the latter half of the second round. Indiana, who went with a surprise selection in the 2021 WNBA draft in selecting West Virginia’s Kysre Gondrezick, also started the shakeup of mock drafts in 2022 when it selected Stanford’s Lexie Hull on Monday night.

The 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm is officially in the books as 36 players fulfilled a dream by having their name announced at the draft to begin ...

The two entered the night with 40 draft picks to their credit, now UConn leads 43-41 as the Lady Vols had just one selection (No. 9 overall pick Rae Burrell). The Samuelson sisters spent three games as teammates last season in Seattle, but will once again be opponents in 2022 as Katie Lou was traded to Los Angeles in an offseason trade for her former UConn teammate Gabby Williams. Ironically, Katie Lou joins a Sparks team, which had her sister on its roster in 2018 and parts of 2019 and 2021. Longtime WNBA reporter Brian Martin writes articles on WNBA.com throughout the season. Baylor and Connecticut were the most represented schools at the 2022 WNBA Draft, with each having three players selected among the 36 picks. Indiana closed out the draft with a pair of third-round picks – Jackson State center Ameshya Williams-Holiday at No. 25 and Indiana guard Ali Patberg at No. 34. The first round the Fever get a double-double machine in NaLyssa Smith, who averaged 22.1 points and 11.5 rebounds at Baylor this past season, at No. 2. Her first step in that process is nailing this draft as she targeted the best available players and ones that will embrace defense, which was a hallmark of the Fever teams she coached. No one had a busier draft night than Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn as her team entered the draft with seven picks, including four of the first 10 selections. Rhyne Howard was the name that was called as she joins a 26-member club of some of the best basketball players to ever lace them up – players like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson just to name a few. — WNBA (@WNBA)April 11, 2022 — WNBA (@WNBA)April 12, 2022 — WNBA (@WNBA)April 11, 2022