Seattle bets on their future (and their training staff)
The Storm had a pick in each round of the draft, all of which they used on players whose ceilings are high and yet whose resumes are plagued with fairly serious injuries.
With the eleventh pick, Seattle took Kitija Laksa, a Latvian native who played three seasons at South Florida before an ACL injury prematurely ended her senior year. An outstanding 3-point shooter, Laksa is unlikely to play this year, meaning Seattle is placing a premium value on what she can (hopefully) do both next year and moving forward.
In the second round, the storm took Joyner Holmes from Texas. One of the top recruits when she entered college, both injuries and a semester-long suspension kept Holmes from ever really showcasing what she can do on a consistent basis in college. With the 31st pick, the Storm took Haley Gorecki from Duke, another player whose career was marked by injuries, but who had an exceptional senior season for the Blue Devils.
Making moves with the big picture in mind is never a bad thing. But in a league where there’s only 144 jobs available across all 12 teams, it’s already difficult for a rookie to make a roster, especially if there’s any lingering concerns about her ability to stay healthy. Seattle has plenty of veterans, so they don’t need immediate help, but in a year or two from now, it wouldn’t be surprising if none of these picks are on the Storm’s roster.
Then again, there’s also a near future in which Laksa is a lethal 3-point compliment to Seattle’s playmakers, and either Holmes or Gorecki (or both) has made the jump from talented college player to dependable pro.
Seattle can afford to gamble, and this year, they did just that.
2020 WNBA DRAFT: FULL RESULTS:
Round 1
1. New York Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu — Oregon, Guard
2. Dallas Wings: Satou Sabally — Oregon, Forward
3. Indiana Fever: Lauren Cox — Baylor, Forward
4. Atlanta Dream: Chennedy Carter — Texas A&M, Guard
5. Dallas Wings: Bella Alarie — Princeton, Forward
6. Minnesota Lynx: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan — South Carolina, Forward
7. Dallas Wings: Tyasha Harris — South Carolina, Guard
8. Chicago Sky: Ruthy Hebard — Oregon, Forward
9. New York Liberty: Megan Walker — UConn, Guard
10. Phoenix Mercury: Jocelyn Willoughby — Virginia, Guard/Forward
11. Seattle Storm: Kitija Laksa — South Florida/TTT Riga, Guard/Forward
12. New York Liberty: Jazmine Jones — Louisville, Guard
Round 2
13. New York Liberty: Kylee Shook — Louisville, Forward
14. Indiana Fever: Kathleen Doyle — Iowa, Guard
15. New York Liberty: Leaonna Odom — Duke, Forward
16. Minnesota Lynx: Crystal Dangerfield — UConn, Guard
17. Atlanta Dream: Brittany Brewer — Texas Tech, Forward
18. Phoenix Mercury: Te’a Cooper — Baylor, Guard
19. Seattle Storm: Joyner Holmes — Texas, Forward
20. Los Angeles Sparks: Beatrice Mompremier — Miami, Forward
21. Dallas Wings: Luisa Geiselsoder — Germany, Forward
22. Los Angeles Sparks: Leonie Fiebich — Germany, Forward
23. Connecticut Sun: Kaila Charles — Maryland, Guard
24. Washington Mystics: Jaylen Agnew — Creighton, Forward
Round 3
25. Atlanta Dream: Mikayla Pivec — Oregon State, Guard
26. Minnesota Lynx (via trade with New York Liberty): Erica Ogwumike — Rice, Guard
27. Atlanta Dream: Kobi Thornton — Clemson, Forward
28. Indiana Fever: Kamiah Smalls — James Madison, Guard
29. Phoenix Mercury: Stella Johnson — Rider, Guard
30. Chicago Sky: Japreece Dean — UCLA, Guard
31. Seattle Storm: Haley Gorecki — Duke, Guard
32. Chicago Sky: Kiah Gillespie — Florida State, Forward
33. Las Vegas Aces: Lauren Manis — Holy Cross, Forward
34. Los Angeles Sparks: Tynice Martin — West Virginia, Guard
35. Connecticut Sun: Juicy Landrum — Baylor, Guard
36. Washington Mystics: Sug Sutton — Texas, Guard