The Seattle Storm selected Tianna Hawkins from Maryland with the 6th overall pick of the WNBA Draft held in Bristol, Connecticut on Monday.
Hawkins, a 6-foot-3 forward from Maryland, averaged 18.3 points per game and was an All-ACC First Team pick. She is one of three players in Maryland history with 1,000 rebounds. She led the country in field goal percentage at 62.3 percent 2012. Hawkins guided her team to the Sweet 16 in this year’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament and was also a nominee for The Wooden Award.
“She’s got a great work ethic and she gives us some size,” Agler said. “We like versatile post players and we feel like she’s the best one in the draft this year and even into next year’s draft in regards to her versatility. We’ve just found that post players that can stretch the defense really help our offense and we feel like she can do that for us.”
Seattle later selected Chelsea Poppens from Iowa State with the No. 18 pick and Jasmine James from Georgia with the No. 30 pick.
The Phoenix Mercury took Baylor star Brittney Griner with the top pick. Despite knowing she was going first, the two-time AP Player of the Year admitted she was extremely nervous.
“It’s a dream come true, I’m like a little kid in Disney World the first time meeting all the characters,” Griner said. “Sitting at the table they said 15 seconds and my heart started beating so fast. I was grabbing the tablecloth underneath.”
The 6-foot-8 phenom finished as the second all-time scorer in women’s NCAA history, with 3,283 points. She is the top shot-blocker ever, shattering both the men’s and women’s college marks with 748. She also had a record 18 dunks — including 11 this season.
Like Phoenix, Chicago added a budding star in Elena Delle Donne with the No. 2 pick to an already stacked roster that just missed making the playoff last season. The 6-foot-5 forward, who can play multiple positions was second in the nation in scoring (26.0) and averaged 8.5 rebounds. She finished her career at Delaware with 3,039 career points — fifth all-time in NCAA history.
Tulsa took Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins with the third pick. Diggins averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 assists and 3.1 steals
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