Versatile guard Horston falls to Storm at No. 9 in WNBA draft

Published 1:30 am Monday, April 10, 2023

By Percy Allen / The Seattle Times

NEW YORK — During the rapid two-week run-up between the end of her collegiate career and Monday’s WNBA draft, Jordan Horston underwent a series of interviews with coaches and front-office executives from every team in the league except one.

“Well, actually Seattle was probably one of the only places that I didn’t have a conversation with,” the Tennessee Vols star admitted while smiling shortly after the Seattle Storm selected her No. 9 overall in the first round. “I’ve talked with a lot of coaches on Zoom, and they were actually one of the ones that I didn’t.”

Storm general manager Talisa Rhea has a good reason for that.

“We didn’t think she was going to be available,” Rhea said. “I honestly thought she was a lock in the top half of the first round.

“We were able to talk to her tonight, but didn’t have that pre-draft call. Been in conversations with her agent getting background info, but not in conversations with her. We were surprised to see her.”

Unquestionably, the Storm need a long-term solution at point guard to replace legendary Sue Bird, who retired after last season. The team went into the draft hoping to find someone to help facilitate the offense.

Several mock drafts had Seattle taking Indiana’s Grace Berger and when the Indiana Fever nabbed her at No. 7 overall, it seemed as if the Storm would land South Carolina’s Zia Cooke, who was taken 10th by the Los Angeles Sparks.

But imagine the surprise inside the Storm draft room when Horston, a consensus top-five draft prospect, was still on the board after commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the first several picks.

“Once we got to 5-6, definitely started to have some excitement in the room with the possibility of her being there,” Rhea said. “As soon as that eighth pick was made, there was a lot of excitement in our room with our coaching staff.

“We loved her game. Loved watching her play. Think she’s an incredible talent to have the opportunity to pick her at nine. To say we were excited would be an understatement.”

The Storm used a pair of second-round picks on Oklahoma forward Madi Williams (18th overall) and South Florida forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (21st overall).

Seattle also selected Arizona point guard Jade Loville, who starred at Skyline High in Sammamish, with the ninth pick in the third round (No. 33 overall).

The Storm heads to training camp April 30 with four-time WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd as the centerpiece of a revamped roster that lost eight of its top 10 scorers from last season, including two-time WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart in free agency.

“We feel good about the group that we have,” Rhea said. “We’re in the unfamiliar position of having the majority of our players on time for the start of training camp, which is exciting.

“We’re excited to take a look at the group that we have. Obviously, always exploring other options but right now, we’re excited to get everyone here to Seattle and get in the gym.”

The feeling is mutual for Horston, who is eager to show her new team why ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said the 6-foot-2 guard has a “WNBA-ready body” and would “immediately make an impact on the defensive end” as a rookie.

“I can be a lockdown defender,” Horston said. “I’m pretty versatile. Can’t really put me in a box. I’m going to do whatever it takes. Whatever the team needs, I’m going to do it. I work hard. I’m a big guard so I can guard fours, bigger guards, smaller guards. Like I said, I’m really focusing in on bringing that defensive impact.”

Horston, a Dallas native who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, played four years for the Vols while starting 91 of 114 games. She was a first team All-Southeastern Conference selection and All-America honorable mention the past two seasons.

Last season, Horston averaged 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 43.8% from the field and 73.9% on free throws — both career highs.

“A player like Jordan who is versatile is exciting because you can input her anywhere,” coach Noelle Quinn said. “She fills a lot of holes and a lot of gaps. We want to play fast and play with pace and to have athletes who can run the floor — she fits that. To have someone who can initiate the offense, she fits that. To have someone who can create her own shot and create for others and score at multiple levels.

“And then defensively, (she has) the versatility we like to play with. We like to trap. We like to utilize our athleticism to speed up our opponents to create easier shots. (She) lends to having different lineups on the floor and I’m excited about that.”

Coincidentally, Horston is the third Tennessee player in consecutive years to be taken in the first round, joining Rennia Davis in 2021 and Rae Burrell in 2022.

All three were the No. 9 overall pick.

“We got GOATs coming out of Tennessee,” Horston said during an ESPN interview. “I’m glad to be a part of it.”

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Horston, who opted to enter the WNBA draft rather than return to Tennessee for a fifth season.

“Either way it went, I feel like it was going to be a good situation,” she said. “It was two really good situations. That’s why it made it even harder for me to decide.

“I’ve always had aspirations and dreams of playing in the W. I’ve watched it growing up. I feel like this is my time. God was giving me this opportunity, and I feel like I had to jump on it. I’m honestly so happy that I made this decision. I’m a strong believer in everything happens for a reason, and this was meant to happen.”

In her final game, Horston tallied a team-high 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block for fourth-seeded Tennessee, which suffered a season-ending loss to No. 1 seed Virginia Tech in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 in Seattle on March 25.

“She looked good in Climate Pledge Arena,” Rhea said.

At the time, Horston couldn’t fathom she would start in the WNBA where her collegiate career ended.

“I had no idea where I was going,” she said. “The city was beautiful. It was amazing. The only thing that I knew about Seattle prior to going for the NCAA tournament was ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ I only knew it was a pretty beautiful city.

“But no, I did not have any clue on where I was going to end up. I’m excited to embark on that new journey.”

Notes

The Indiana Fever selected South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick followed by Maryland guard Diamond Miller going to the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 2 overall pick. … The Dallas Wings picked Villanova guard Maddy Siegrist at No. 3 overall and acquired No. 4 pick Stephanie Soares from the Washington Mystics in a trade for a future first- and second-round pick. The Wings also nabbed Connecticut forward Lou Lopez Sénéchal (No. 5) and Maryland guard Abby Myers (No. 11) in the first round. … Stanford’s Haley Jones was the first Pac-12 player taken in the draft and was taken No. 6 overall by the Atlanta Dream, which also picked South Carolina forward Laeticia Amihere at No. 8. … The Lynx closed the first round and used the No. 12 pick on French center Maia Hirsch.