ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The 2024 WNBA Draft was remarkable, showcasing numerous talented women. Dallas Wings General Manager, Greg Bibb, expressed confidence that the team fulfilled all its requirements with the new additions.
“We came into this draft attempting to address what we perceived to be some needs,” said Bibb. “I think with the selections we made, we’ve done that. For the near term and the long term. I can’t wait to get them to Dallas, start the 2024 season, and try to take another step forward in what has been a long but successful road and progression for us as an organization.”
They aimed to bolster their security with larger body guards, enhance their perimeter play, and acquire additional three-point shooters. They achieved these goals, beginning with the fifth overall selection of Jacy Sheldon.
“She has been someone that we have been targeting for a long time,” said Bibb. “We felt very fortunate to have her available to us as the fifth overall pick.”
Sheldon is a 5-foot-10 guard from Dublin, Ohio, who played college basketball at Ohio State University for five seasons. During the 2023-24 season, she averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.
Sheldon ranks sixth in Ohio State history with 2,024 career points and is among the top 14 in nine additional statistical categories. She is one of only three players in program history to achieve 1,900 points, 400 rebounds, 350 assists, 200 steals, and 150 made three-pointers.
Sheldon received several prestigious accolades in the 2023-24 season, including being named to the AP All-American Second Team, USBWA All-America Third Team, and the Sports News Women’s All-America Second Team. Additionally, she earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors from coaches and the media.
Bibb mentioned that the organization has been keeping an eye on her since high school, and they seriously considered selecting her last year. However, she decided to stay for a fifth season at Ohio State. Bibb highlighted Sheldon’s strengths as a perimeter player with a knack for knocking down threes, her defensive pressure capabilities, and her high basketball IQ.
“She gets after it defensively, has quick feet, but I think she has quicker hands, some of the best I’ve seen defensively in terms of being active,” said Bibb. “She is great in the full-court press and that will be something we will look to utilize. I think she is very good defensively and in half-court as well.”
Bibb added that physicality will be an adjustment for her, but thinks the skillset is there for her to be successful.
The second selection for Dallas as the ninth overall pick was Carla Leite from France. She is a 5-11 guard who plays for Tarbes Gespe Bigorre in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB) in France. In 19 games this season, Leite averaged 15.6 points and 5.5 assists per game, while scoring in double figures in 17 of 19 games this year.
“Carla Leite is a very young, just turned twenty-year-old international player, currently playing in the First Divison in France,” said Bibb. “She is a dynamic guard that gets to the rim with tremendous success. A left and right-handed finisher. She is a true point guard.”
Leite was a member of France’s U20 National Team in 2023, leading the squad to a Gold Medal in the European Championship while averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 3 rebounds. She was also named the All-FIBA U20 European Championship MVP, awarded Best Guard, and selected for the First Team.
The Wings have chose Ashley Owusu from Penn State as the 33rd overall selection. Owusu, a 6-foot guard from Woodbridge, Virginia, showcased her skills this past season at Penn State and was recognized with All-Big Ten Second Team honors. She demonstrated her versatility by leading the team in points, averaging 18.1 per game, as well as in assists with an average of 3.8 per game. Additionally, she contributed on the boards, grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game.
“Ashley Owusu at pick thirty-three is a tremendous valued pick for us,” said Bibb. “She is a former Top-10 high school player who started her collegiate career at Maryland then moved on to Virginia Tech and has recently been at Penn State.”
Throughout her college career, Owusu has encountered some health issues and has applied for an additional year of eligibility through the NCAA. As of now, the case is still pending. However, if she decides to continue playing at the college level and is granted eligibility, Dallas will retain rights to her for the 2025 draft.
“Whether we see Ashley in a couple weeks or if we see Ashley next year, when you have a chance to draft a player with her talent level with the 33rd pick…there’s no down side to that. We’re really excited to have the opportunity to draft Ashley.”
Over 125 career games, Owusu scored 1,726 points and 533 assists. She earned the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, the highest award for a shooting guard in women’s college basketball. Owusu spent the 2021 season at Maryland where she achieved All-America from the U.S Basketball Writers Association and the Associated Press.
The Wings will kick things off on April 28th as training camp begins followed by the first pre-season matchup of the season versus the Indiana Fever on May 3rd.
