| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  | Tulsa | Nnemkadi Ogwumike | SF | Stanford |
| The best pure overall player in the draft goes to a franchise in the Shock that needs everything, with just one win on the season. She will team up with Elizabeth Cambage up front as building blocks for the moribund Tulsa franchise. | |||||
| 2 |  | Minnesota (from WAS) | Shekinna Stricklen | SG | Tennessee |
| Stricklen should be able to come in and compete early and take the pressure off Maya Moore, the face of the Lynx franchise. This pick could also be a trade target for other non playoff teams in need of moving up in the draft to address a major need. | |||||
| 3 |  | Chicago | LaSondra Barrett | SF | LSU |
| Barrett will be a nice inside presence to balance out the drafting of all star Courtney Vandersloot in the backcourt for the Sky. She will benefit greatly from the defensive oriented nature of new LSU head coach Nikki Caldwell in her upcoming senior season. | |||||
| 4 |  | Los Angeles | Samantha Prahalis | PG | Ohio State |
| Prahalis will be the engine to lead the Sparks moving forward. Her ability to distribute the basketball and her leadership on the court will certainly fill a need for the Sparks with this pick. | |||||
| 5 |  | Washington (from ATL) | Shenise Johnson | SF | Miami (FL) |
| Johnson's ability to score the basketball and be a multi-dimensional threat in the process will be a huge addition to the Mystics as they work back towards the top of the Eastern Conference. | |||||
| 6 |  | San Antonio | Glory Johnson | PF | Tennessee |
| Glory Johnson will help the Silver Stars with her powerful inside presence to support Ruth Riley and give all star guard Becky Hammon more options to work with down low. | |||||
| 7 |  | New York | Tiffany Hayes | SG | Connecticut |
| Hayes should come into the league very well prepared from battling the likes of Maya Moore for the majority of her college career. She will be relied upon heavily in 2011-12 season at UCONN. Expect Hayes to be more than up to the task and position herself nicely for a strong fit with Cappie Pondexter and the New York Liberty. | |||||
| 8 |  | Phoenix | Riquna Williams | PG | Miami (FL) |
| Williams fits the up-tempo high octane style of the Mercury like a glove. With Shenise Johnson along side, look for another huge season for Miami with a sweet sixteen or elite eight run. That type of run and continued strong production should cement Williams in the late first round. | |||||
| 9 | | Washington (from SEA) | Devereaux Peters | SF | Notre Dame |
| The upside with Peters is going to be too much to pass up. Peters has consistently gotten better and as long as she stays healthy during her senior year, the Mystics will be getting great value at this point in the first round. | |||||
| 10 |  | Connecticut | Tyra White | SG | Texas A&M |
| White will be relied upon a lot more with the graduation of Sydney Colson. Health has been a battle at times for White. When healthy, White is one of the top guards in the country and will get plenty of exposure as the Aggies are the reigning national champions. A good value pick for the Sun at this point. | |||||
| 11 |  | Indiana | Kayla Standish | SF | Gonzaga |
| Standish has versatility to score from the perimeter or inside, she takes over the Courtney Vandersloot role as the Zags go-to player. Very underrated player with plenty of upside. | |||||
| 12 | | Minnesota | Courtney Hurt | SF | Virginia Commonwealth |
| The Lynx get stronger down low with the relentless effort and will to improve of Courtney Hurt. Hurt will definitely have a shot in cracking the final 11 for the Lynx. | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
| 13 | | Los Angeles (from TUL) | Whitney Hand | SG | Oklahoma |
| If Hand lives up to her potential to hit from the perimeter, she will compliment the drafting of Prahalis in the first round. This should open things up for Candace Parker down in the paint as long Parker stays healthy for the Sparks. | |||||
| 14 |  | Atlanta (from WAS) | Brittney Griner | C | Baylor |
| This will change instantly if Griner were to be a rare early entry into the WNBA Draft. Griner by far is the most dominant player in Women's College Basketball. | |||||
| 15 | | Los Angeles (from CHI) | Keisha Hampton | SF | DePaul |
| Hampton is battle tested and plays with great skill at the wing for the Blue Demons. She brings versatility to the table for the rebuilding Sparks franchise. | |||||
| 16 | | Los Angeles | Natalie Novosel | PG | Notre Dame |
| Novosel is the typical gym rat who has pushed herself into an elite point guard at the college level. The Sparks will shore up their backcourt with Prahalis and Novosel for years to come. | |||||
| 17 | | Minnesota (from ATL) | Cierra Bravard | PF | Florida State |
| Bravard is very skilled offensively and should challenge for a spot on a loaded Lynx roster. The Lynx could trade out of this slot as well. | |||||
| 18 | | Tulsa (from SA) | Kierra Mallard | PF | Texas Tech |
| Mallard should almost immediately play even as a second round pick for the Shock. The combination of her offensive skillsets down low and the presence of Oguwmike and Cambage should solidify the rebuilding upfront for the Shock for the next decade. | |||||
| 19 | | Minnesota (from NY) | Ashleigh Fontenette | SG | Texas |
| Fontenette will have to battle for a roster spot with the likes of Maya Moore and Monica Wright, but she could break through as a fourth guard at the back end of the Lynx roster. | |||||
| 20 | | Phoenix | Jericka Jenkins | PG | Hampton |
| Jenkins should provide a nice supporting piece in the backcourt with all-star Diana Taurasi. Taurasi would not have to completely carry the Mercury with the additions of Riquna Williams in round one and Jericka Jenkins in the second round. | |||||
| 21 |  | Seattle | Ashley Gayle | C | Texas |
| Ashley Gayle is an athletic, defense oriented post who would be a great developmental player to eventually take over for Lauren Jackson a few years down the road. | |||||
| 22 | | Connecticut | Alyssia Brewer | PF | Tennessee |
| Brewer is very athletic, and has plenty of potential. If she continues to evolve at both ends of the court, the Sun would add quality depth in their front line to backup Tina Charles. | |||||
| 23 | | Indiana | April Sykes | PF | Rutgers |
| Coach Dunn and the Fever will be looking to add more depth upfront with Sykes. Sykes has gradually improved each year and the toughness gained from playing in a C. Vivian Stringer run program will make her appealing at this point in the second round. | |||||
| 24 | | Minnesota | Sasha Goodlet | C | Georgia Tech |
| Goodlet has a strong post presence and has continued to improve throughout her career. A strong senior season should secure top 24 status and help potentially provide depth for the Lynx in the post. | |||||
Scott Whittum WNBA Mock Draft - 13 August 2011
1. Nnemkadi Ogwumike 2. Shekinna Stricklen 3. LaSondra Barrett 4. Samantha Prahalis 5. Shenise Johnson
Sat, 08/13/2011
