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2021 WNBA Draft: First round picks and analysis

AUSTIN, TX – FEBRUARY 17: Texas Longhorns forward Charli Collier (35) is defended by West Virginia Mountaineers Lucky Rudd (4) and Rochelle Norris (31) on February 17, 2020, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The WNBA Draft is making players’ dreams come true from their homes. The virtual event got underway with the first round Thursday night on ESPN.

As teams make their selections, we’ll be delivering instant analysis.

1. Dallas Wings – Charli Collier, C/F, Texas

The Wings didn’t surprise with their first pick, selecting the 6-foot-5 forward who declared for the draft after her junior season at Texas. Collier will need to work on the finer points of her paint game to contend with veteran WNBA players, but she has the type of upside Dallas is looking for in building out its frontcourt behind Satou Sabally.

“My heart is racing because I worked so hard for this moment,” Collier told Holly Rowe on air. “Hate me or love me, you still gotta respect me either way.”

2. Dallas Wings – Awak Kuier, PF, Finland

The Wings have the youngest roster in the WNBA and the highest ceiling. They added another athletic big with the No. 2 pick, taking the 19-year-old out of Finland. Kuier is 6-5 and has played for the Finnish national team since she was 16, preparing her for the elevated skill in the WNBA.

3. Atlanta Dream – Aari McDonald, G, Arizona

Aari McDonald’s draft stock rose as she led her Arizona team to the NCAA championship game, but No. 3 is even higher than some might’ve predicted. McDonald showed off her speed and offensive repertoire in San Antonio, averaging 24.8 points through the tournament, and will give Atlanta a dangerous 1-2 punch at guard with Chennedy Carter.

4. Indiana Fever – Kysre Gondrezick, G, West Virginia

The first big surprise of the draft came very early. Most pundits didn’t even have Kysre Gondrezick going in the first round, but the 5-9 guard was coming off her best season as a redshirt senior at West Virginia. She led the Mountaineers with 19.5 points per game and became a more efficient shooter at all levels.

5. Dallas Wings – Chelsea Dungee, SG, Arkansas

The Wings beefed up their frontcourt with their first two picks, so it only made sense for them to find a shooter, and Chelsea Dungee has one of the purest strokes in this draft class. The third-team All-American averaged 22.3 points per game for Arkansas, 14th in the NCAA, and shot 38.7 percent from 3-point range.

6. New York Liberty – Michaela Onyenwere, SF, UCLA

The Liberty added some needed veteran starters in free agency between Natasha Howard and Betnijah Laney, and Michaela Onyenwere gives them a versatile option with a lot of upside to add to the mix. The athletic forward can rack up points in a hurry and goes hard on the glass.

7. Los Angeles Sparks – Jasmine Walker, F, Alabama

The Sparks took one step toward filling Candace Parker’s shoes with their seventh pick. Jasmine Walker is one of the most intriguing forward prospects in the draft because of her 3-point shooting ability. She averaged nearly a double-double as a senior (19.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game) while also shooting 39.8 percent from range.

8. Chicago Sky – Shyla Heal, PG, Australia

It made sense for the Sky to take a point guard with this pick and give her a season to develop under veteran Courtney Vandersloot. The surprise came in the player they selected, but the 19-year-old Shyla Heal has potential and the skills they can mold into their point guard of the future.

9. Minnesota Lynx – Rennia Davis, SF, Tennessee

The Lynx have made a habit of finding gems in the draft, evidenced by two of their most recent picks (Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield) being named Rookie of the Year. Based on Rennia Davis’ college resume, they might’ve done it again. Davis is an efficient scorer who can do a little bit of everything on offense and defense, just the type of player Cheryl Reeve likes.

10. Los Angeles Sparks – Stephanie Watts, G, UNC

The surprises continued in the first round, with the Sparks taking a guard many had targeted for later in the draft. Los Angeles’ frontcourt is formidable and pretty much set between Amanda Zahui B., Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike (and Jasmine Walker joining the mix), so it made sense for Derek Fisher to add guard depth. Watts is someone they have the ability to develop in the background this season.

11. Seattle Storm – Aaliyah Wilson, G, Texas A&M (traded to Indiana)

Aaliyah Wilson was an underrated playmaker on one of the best college teams in the country this season. The Fever boosted their backcourt even more by trading for Wilson on Thursday night, giving point guard Julie Allemand another shooting option. Wilson made a huge leap from beyond the arc as a senior, shooting 12.5 percent better than the year before.

12. Las Vegas Aces – Iliana Rupert, C, France

It would have made sense for the Aces to target a player who can contribute right away, given the 2020 WNBA finalists have the talent to contend for a championship season. So it came as a surprise they went with a player who might be more of a project. That said, there’s no better center for the 19-year-old Iliana Rupert to learn from than Liz Cambage, and the French national team player has the tools to shine in a few years.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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