ARLINGTON, Texas — In February, the areas of need were broken down for the Wings and some prospects were looked at for Dallas in the draft such as Teaira McCowan, Sabrina Ionescu and Alanna Smith. With Ionescu returning to Oregon for her senior season, it’s time to take an even closer look and really narrow things down for the Wings.
“Sometimes you feel like you’re close, sometimes you don’t,” said President/CEO/GM Greg Bibb on the Cambage trade. “With the draft on the near horizon, I think if something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen prior to then. Once the draft occurs and some of the assets that would be related to the draft, go away. Never say never, but in my mind, it would become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to be able to put together a package that, in my opinion, would return equal value for Liz Cambage.”
Draft time is approaching soon, the Liz Cambage trade situation has still not been solved, and one of the best players and facilitators in college basketball is returning to college, it now forces the Wings to focus even more on who they select. This draft class is deep for 2019, but with very specific areas of need, their options are few when it comes to top players.
Teaira McCowan
McCowan still very much in play for Dallas in the draft, as she is projected as a top 5 pick, with the most recently updated ESPN mock draft having her going 3rd in the draft to the Indiana Fever. This season she was awarded selection to the 2018-19 Women’s AP All-America first team and received the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year award. McCowan is one of just two players in Mississippi State University history to eclipse 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 180 blocks in her career. Coming off a season in which she averaged 18.4 points per game and 13.5 rebounds per game on 66 percent from the field and had at least an Elite Eight appearance in three of her four seasons at Mississippi State. She remains an ideal prospect for Dallas to replace Cambage, especially defensively. The Texas native that graduated from Brenham high school I’m sure would not mind dropping down a few spots in the draft to come back her home state to play.
Napheesa Collier
After losing consecutive final four matchups in her last years at UConn, Collier is ready to make the jump to the WNBA. The 2018-19 Women’s AP All-America first teamer and Katrina McClain Award winner averaged 20.8 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. Although Collier was not one of the names mentioned much as the player who the Wings would draft, but with her experience with Azura Stevens at UConn and efficiency shooting the ball, she could be just what Dallas needs all in one. The only things lacking even a little bit you could pick at that she could improve would be her passing and work more on her three-point shooting. She did not shoot many threes this season, although when she did, it did not go so well. Collier only shot 53 three-pointers in her senior season, making just fifteen of those good for just 28 percent. She doesn’t shoot the three well, but as rarely as she shoots it, it shouldn’t be much of a concern. With all the scoring Dallas will be losing, Collier would be a big help early on if given the green light and opportunity from head coach Brian Agler.
Kristine Anigwe
It goes without question that if you saw her play this season, you want her on your basketball team and the Wings should seriously consider using the number five pick in the draft on Anigwe. She was selected to the 2018-19 Women’s AP All-America second team and received the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award this season. Anigwe tied the Pac-12 single-game rebounding record with her 30 rebounds and becomes the first Division I player since 2002 to have 30 points and 30 rebounds in the same game. UMass’ Jennifer Butler was the first NCAA D-I woman to do so on Dec. 28, 2002. Her dominant outing her senior season also consisted of her notching 33 consecutive double-doubles. The first player with 30+ consecutive double-doubles was Courtney Paris during the 2008-09 season with Oklahoma. Anigwe is a one-of-a-kind player that you simply cannot pass up. Which would make it that more surprising, yet fortunate for Dallas, if she fell to the Wings at the 5th pick.
The clock is ticking for Dallas. With the National Championship game being played today at 5p.m. between Baylor and Notre Dame on ESPN, a few more top players have a chance to give one last reason for a WNBA team to draft them. Regardless of which team comes out on top, the mock draft will change, but it will change more drastically if Notre Dame wins considering they have three possible top 10 draft prospects in the championship game.
