Swish Appeal - 2023 WNBA Draft WatchBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2023-03-12T09:00:03-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/231140762023-03-12T09:00:03-04:002023-03-12T09:00:03-04:002023 WNBA Draft watch: Haley Jones
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<figcaption>Haley Jones has had an undeniably successful career at Stanford, highlighted by a national championship in 2021. | Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>If you enjoy positionless basketball, the Stanford Cardinal and their star senior Haley Jones are required viewing. Jones’ unique skillset makes her one of college basketball’s best players, and she’ll soon be drafted to the WNBA.</p> <p id="oAhwDe">The <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> are one of the most storied programs in women’s college basketball, and as head coach Tara VanDerveer continues racking up wins, the number of players she sends to the professional level continues to grow. Haley Jones, who has become a fixture of the Stanford program since arriving in 2019, figures to be the next in line.</p>
<p id="0WPzSQ"><a href="https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/haley-jones/19109">Jones</a>, a 6-foot-1 guard from Santa Cruz, California, has been <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaaw%2F2021%2F04%2F02%2Fwomens-ncaa-final-four-stanfords-haley-jones-unique-basketball%2F4845313001%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swishappeal.com%2Fncaa%2F2023%2F3%2F12%2F23626189%2Fncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-haley-jones-stanford-cardinal-tara-vanderveer-kate-paye-pac-12-tournament" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">hailed as</a> “the future of the game” by VanDerveer and a “unicorn” by assistant coach Kate Paye, the latter term a metaphor typically used to describe multi-skilled players who are not bound to just one or two positions on the court. VanDerveer has gone so far as to <a href="https://www.startribune.com/stanford-haley-jones-magic-johnson-womens-basketball-ncaa-final-four/600161164/?refresh=true">call Jones</a> “the Magic Johnson of women’s basketball,” referencing the NBA legend who has gone down as perhaps the most electrifying playmaker in basketball history.</p>
<p id="naQ3n3">It’s high praise, of course, especially for someone who has yet to play in a professional game. Jones certainly has the tools to become special, though, and in an era in which positional versatility is becoming more and more valued, she has the opportunity to carve out a niche all her own and redefine what <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> teams look for in a primary ball handler.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A mainstay among the nation's best <a href="https://twitter.com/haleyjoness19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@haleyjoness19</a> is one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award for the third season in a row!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoStanford?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoStanford</a> <a href="https://t.co/vrZ5cSAyUQ">pic.twitter.com/vrZ5cSAyUQ</a></p>— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordWBB/status/1631012383530561536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a>
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<p id="kFvUTq">As it currently stands, Jones is the focal point of a Stanford program that has gone a combined 118-17 during her time there, winning a pair of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/pac-12-basketball-tournament">Pac-12 Tournament</a> titles and an NCAA National Championship in 2021. How her unorthodox-yet-effective game will translate to the WNBA is a frequent topic of discussion, but while we wait for that to become a reality, let’s go over Jones’ biggest collegiate accomplishments.</p>
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="d1YtUN">Jones was a highly-decorated high school player, having earned McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic honors, and was ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2019 by <a href="https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019"><em>ESPN</em>’s HoopGurlz</a>.</p>
<p id="Gqw1Fl">Though Jones’ freshman season ended early due to injury, she impressed in the games she did play, averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field. She elevated her game as a sophomore, averaging 13.2 points (54.6 percent shooting) and 7.4 rebounds per game as a full-time starter and earning All-American Honorable Mention nods from the USBWA and <em>Associated Press</em>. Jones was also named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player during Stanford’s 2021 NCAA Championship run.</p>
<p id="aw62Jx">Since then, Jones has become a regular among both Pac-12 and national award honorees. She was named the Pac-12’s Player of the Year as a junior after leading Stanford to a 32-4 record, also earning All-American honors from the USBWA, <em>The</em> <em>Associated Press</em> and WBCA. Though Stanford was ultimately bounced from the 2022 NCAA Tournament in the Final Four, Jones was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team, and the hype has continued into her senior season, with Jones on watch lists for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Wade Trophy and Cheryl Miller Award.</p>
<p id="JKckPY">Internationally, Jones has been in <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/j/jones-haley.aspx">USA Basketball’s</a> pipeline since 2015. She won the Latvia U17 International and FIBA U17 World Cup with Team USA in 2018, and most recently won a gold medal in the <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/womensamericup/2021/news/usa-wins-fiba-women-s-americup-2021-championship-taking-back-to-back-gold">2021 FIBA AmeriCup</a> competition, playing alongside other big names such as Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston and Diamond Miller. </p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Jones’ versatility is a key component of Stanford’s success</strong></h2>
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<cite>Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Jones does much of her damage from the free throw line and below, where she can best exploit the size and strength advantages she has over most opponents.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">Jones is listed as a guard on <a href="https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster">Stanford’s roster</a>, and while that may technically be correct, her unique skillset combined with her size almost makes labeling her in such a way a disservice. There are few players in the country built like Jones — 6-foot-1 with a powerful base, long arms and broad shoulders — and when you factor in her ability to handle and pass the basketball at an elite level, the list of comparable players shrinks even further.</p>
<p id="moaIjx">Needless to say, VanDerveer knew right away what kind of player she had in Jones. During Jones’ freshman season, VanDerveer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUCE4OYR5zA">commented</a> that she constantly faced the dilemma of choosing between playing her where the team needed her most or where her individual skills shone the brightest — a problem that the legendary head coach was quick to clarify as a good one to have.</p>
<p id="QVr7uK">VanDerveer has changed up Stanford’s offensive system over the years, recently adopting a Princeton offense (explained <a href="https://halfcourthoops.substack.com/p/stanford-women-princeton-offense">here</a> by <em>Half Court Hoops’</em> Gibson Pyper) that emphasizes off-ball movement and trusts its players to make reads based on what the defense allows. The fundamentals that have made the Cardinal a national powerhouse have remained the same, however: No team screens, cuts and passes like Stanford, and when the Cardinal are at the top of their game, VanDerveer <a href="https://climaterwc.com/2023/03/02/how-tara-vanderveer-and-stanford-built-and-maintained-a-college-basketball-juggernaut/">likens them</a> to “an orchestra.”</p>
<p id="S21Ivx">Jones’ versatility is on full display in this read-and-react offense, particularly as a passer. Per Synergy Sports, about 10.5 percent of Stanford’s offensive possessions come on basket cuts (ranking in the 92nd percentile at 1.153 points per possession), and Jones is often the one assisting on those cuts, setting up her teammates with picture-perfect bounce passes made possible with her elite court vision and dexterity.</p>
<p id="nUkRHC">Jones’ own offense, meanwhile, is manufactured more so with her obvious physical tools than her feel for the game. 27.8 percent of her offensive possessions come as a pick-and-roll ball handler — situations that not only put her in positions to make plays for others, but also to attack the basket off the dribble and impose her will physically. Jones easily shrugs off contact at the rim, and she’s got turnaround jump shots and step-through moves in her offensive repertoire as well, making her quite a threat to score from below the free throw line.</p>
<p id="KJbC3h">Jones isn’t always asked to score on high volume — an orchestra has more than one musician, after all — but she heavily impacts every Stanford game, even if not all of her contributions show up in the box score. </p>
<h4 id="cWSdRf"><strong>Highlights: Jones contributes in every phase of the game for Stanford</strong></h4>
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<p id="q70Gpt">In regards to Jones’ potential as a WNBA player, her game can be looked at through either a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty perspective. Stanford’s unique offensive system differs quite a bit from what most WNBA teams run, and Jones will be asked to be more of an off-ball threat in the pros, which will inevitably raise concerns about her outside shooting; she’s made just 3-of-33 (9.1 percent) of her 3-point attempts as a senior, and WNBA defenses will make her prove that she can hit those shots consistently.</p>
<p id="UdYpoc">Jones does, however, have pro-ready physicality, and just as she’s adjusted her game to suit VanDerveer, she’ll be far from a one-dimensional player in the WNBA. In particular, her ability to rebound, handle and pass will make her an effective transition player, and the cerebral aspects of her game will surely be appreciated by whichever WNBA coach she ends up playing for.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="f8rjDg">Stanford’s next game will be in the <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2023-03-06/2023-march-madness-womens-ncaa-tournament-schedule-dates-times">2023 NCAA Tournament</a>, which begins next Wednesday. We don’t yet know who the Cardinal will be playing in the first round, as the field will not be announced until Sunday evening, but according to the latest installment of <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2023-women-college-basketball-projections">Bracketology</a> by <em>ESPN</em>’s Charlie Creme, Stanford is projected as a No. 1 seed, and most viewers would agree that Jones and company are talented enough to reach their third consecutive Final Four. The NCAA Tournament will be broadcast on the <em>ESPN</em> family of networks, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, April 2 on <em>ABC</em>.</p>
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<p id="INHcor"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through March 11, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/3/12/23626189/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-haley-jones-stanford-cardinal-tara-vanderveer-kate-paye-pac-12-tournamentEric Nemchock2023-03-05T13:38:27-05:002023-03-05T13:38:27-05:002023 WNBA Draft watch: Jordan Horston
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<figcaption>Jordan Horston made several key plays late in Tennessee’s SEC Tournament upset of LSU. | Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jordan Horston has been one of the most athletic players in the country from the minute she donned a Tennessee uniform. As a senior, she’s putting together her most impressive all-around season, and the Lady Vols have been better for it.</p> <p id="VXJLqt">More often than not, a program’s successes are defined by its star talent, particularly by the time March rolls around. Conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament are when the lights shine brightest, and even if a team has had a subpar or disappointing regular season, it can make a run at just the right time and finish things on a high note if its best players are up to the task.</p>
<p id="I7oyux">The Tennessee Lady Vols, whose 2022-23 season got off to a rocky start, are a great example. The <a href="https://utsports.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule?path=wbball">poor non-conference performances</a>, injuries and lineup shifts that marred the first half of Tennessee’s season are now a distant memory; the Lady Vols will be playing for the 2023 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/sec-basketball-tournament">SEC Tournament</a> championship, and it’s thanks largely to the play of senior guard <a href="https://utsports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jordan-horston/17607">Jordan Horston</a>.</p>
<p id="YTbpG2">Horston, whose career at Tennessee had to a point been characterized by both tantalizing promise and frustrating inconsistency, has stepped up when the Lady Vols need her the most. The 6-foot-2 guard has played her best basketball as a senior, teaming up with high-profile transfer Rickea Jackson to form one of the country’s most explosive perimeter scoring duos — though their individual games are quite different. Whereas Jackson glides up and down the court with long, efficient strides and owns the free throw line area with silky-smooth turnaround jumpers, Horston is a terror off the dribble, shaking defenders and getting to the rim with ease while making on-the-move passes few other players her size are capable of.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big recognition for our !<br><br>First Team All-SEC honors for <a href="https://twitter.com/ladylynn22_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ladylynn22_</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/iamthathooper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamthathooper</a> <br><br>More details » <a href="https://t.co/n6EijPlXvB">https://t.co/n6EijPlXvB</a> <a href="https://t.co/iUJfJXYPov">pic.twitter.com/iUJfJXYPov</a></p>— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/LadyVol_Hoops/status/1630601001932853249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a>
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<p id="hQPpn9">Leaning on the duo has been a successful strategy for the Lady Vols, who got a combined 43 points from Horston and Jackson in their recent <a href="https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401513693">upset win over LSU</a> — a 17-point comeback that was a testament to the value of high-octane perimeter offense, particularly when more than one player can be relied on to take over a game. The two Tennessee stars are linked in another way, too: They’ll both be among the first players to hear their names called in the 2023 <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft.</p>
<p id="8aBusX">Incidentally, <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2022/9/12/23345894/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-rickea-jackson-tennessee-lady-vols-mississippi-state-bulldogs-kellie-harper">Jackson</a> was the first player from the 2023 draft class we profiled, and Horston will be one of the last; the 2023 NCAA Tournament is right around the corner and the WNBA Draft will be soon after. While we wait, let’s take a look at what makes Horston a special player.</p>
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="tqs4Zk">Horston came to Tennessee as a highly-rated recruit, ranked No. 2 overall in the <a href="https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019">class of 2019</a> by <em>ESPN</em>’s HoopGurlz. As a senior in high school, Horston was a <a href="https://usatodayhss.com/2019/2019-mcdonalds-all-american-game-girls-roster">McDonald’s All-American</a>, and she was named Ohio’s Player of the Year by <em>USA Today</em>.</p>
<p id="3h9TCM">Horston’s role during her time at Tennessee has fluctuated, which, in a way, speaks to her versatile skillset. She started 22 games for the Lady Vols as a freshman and 13 as a sophomore — earning SEC All-Freshman honors and leading the team in assists per game in both seasons — but truly broke out during her junior season, when she averaged 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and four assists per game. As a junior, Horston was named to the All-SEC First team by <em>USA Today</em> and conference coaches and earned an All-American Honorable Mention nod from the WBCA and <em>Associated Press</em>.</p>
<p id="3bPZk9">As a senior, Horston has put together another well-rounded stat line, averaging 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game to go along with 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. She was recently named to the <a href="https://utsports.com/news/2023/2/28/womens-basketball-coaches-select-horston-jackson-for-all-sec-first-team.aspx">All-SEC First Team</a> by conference coaches and the <a href="https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/usc/2023/02/27/usa-today-sports-network-2023-all-sec-womens-basketball-awards/69942087007/">All-SEC Second Team</a> by <em>USA Today</em>.</p>
<p id="Tyx6Ha">Internationally, Horston has won a pair of gold medals with <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/h/horston-jordan.aspx">USA Basketball</a>. She was part of a Team USA roster that won FIBA’s U16 Championship in 2017, then won competition MVP in 2018 when Team USA won the FIBA U17 World Cup.</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Horston brings next-level athleticism and playmaking to Lady Vols</strong></h2>
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<img alt="South Carolina v Tennessee" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fVT-qeeKHRyrspkRKF80LTAC9p0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24470240/1469280484.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Horston’s athleticism and ability to create off the dribble make her game flashy, but she’s also one of the best wing players in the country at creating opportunities for her teammates.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">Horston is listed as a guard — and she can certainly handle and pass like one — but at 6-foot-2, categorizing her simply as a ball-handler would be a disservice to her game. Horston is one of the best in the country at breaking down defenses off the dribble, and she possesses an extra gear of athleticism that few other players have, exploding to the rim with regularity.</p>
<p id="0192Gf">There are plenty more ways Horston can contribute, though, and it’s something Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper wants her star senior to embrace.</p>
<p id="UKD7JP">“We are at our best when (Horston) is stuffing the stats, and it does not have to be points,” Harper told <a href="https://www.utdailybeacon.com/sports/womens_basketball/why-kellie-harper-praised-jordan-walker-jordan-horston-following-win-over-vanderbilt/article_42f41358-abae-11ed-8e39-8fd3ccea6869.html"><em>The Daily Beacon</em></a>. “Her effect on the game in every other column is so valuable to our team ... she can do so many things and our team, not just Jordan, but our team is at our best when she’s doing that.”</p>
<p id="2CfkxE">Horston’s stat lines from the past two seasons reflect this. As a <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/team/2022/natl/tennessee-volunteers-womens-basketball-stats-11e8e149-cb7a-4f64-af82-12df17ae4e1e/">junior</a>, in particular, she led the Lady Vols in scoring (16.2), rebounding (9.4), assists (four) and steals (1.4), playing much of the season as the team’s primary ball-handler and posting a massive 34.4 percent usage rate for a Tennessee team that struggled with injuries to its backcourt.</p>
<p id="kLgmig">Granted, Horston’s individual efficiency suffered (37.9 percent shooting and 4.5 turnovers per game), but she’s found a happy medium as a senior. The additions of Jackson and point guard Jasmine Powell via the transfer portal have bolstered the Lady Vols’ depth on the perimeter and taken some of the burden off of Horston’s shoulders, allowing Harper to call plays that put her in advantageous situations and allow her to do what she does best: attack.</p>
<p id="DNPjAh">What truly separates Horston from similar off-dribble threats, though, is how adept she is at creating opportunities for her teammates. She sees the court well and is a willing passer, which has yielded numerous easy baskets for fellow Lady Vols when defenses are forced to sell out on Horston drives. As one would assume, this makes Horston an excellent transition player, particularly when she can grab defensive rebounds and pitch the ball ahead herself. Those assist numbers aren’t just a product of her having the ball in her hands often — she’s a value-added passer, which, once again, is especially impressive given her size.</p>
<p id="mbZqP1">Horston’s entire skillset was on full display in Tennessee’s SEC Tournament win over the <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com">Kentucky Wildcats</a>. She finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven blocked shots, showcasing her usual off-dribble excellence while dominating the game with her athleticism and body control on both ends of the floor:</p>
<h4 id="PMwoG6"><strong>Highlights: Horston leads Tennessee past Kentucky on both ends of the floor</strong></h4>
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<p id="qKTK2A">The WNBA is an athletes’ league, and it’s clear that Horston is one of, if not the most athletic wing player in the 2023 draft class. She still needs to work on her outside shot, having hit 30 percent of her 3-pointers only once in her collegiate career, and her overall decision-making can be head-scratching (though noticeably improved from her underclassman seasons), which may give WNBA general managers pause as they consider how much time they’re willing to immediately invest in player development.</p>
<p id="hzjmQP">Every time Horston shows her complete, all-around game, however, that decision will become easier and easier. It helps that the Lady Vols are peaking at the right time, too; if the WNBA Draft was held today, Horston would definitely be in consideration to be drafted in lottery range (top four), and if she leads the Lady Vols on a deep NCAA Tournament run, that draft position may be cemented.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="PLabBz">Horston and the Lady Vols will compete for an SEC Tournament championship on Sunday, when they take on the top team in the country: The <a href="https://www.garnetandblackattack.com">South Carolina Gamecocks</a>. A win over South Carolina would not only earn the Lady Vols a tournament title, but it would also be South Carolina’s (31-0) first loss of the season, so needless to say, it’s a big game for Tennessee.</p>
<p id="WtTzAR">Regardless of the SEC Tournament outcome, the Lady Vols will likely be participating in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, which begins in earnest on Friday, March 17. <em>ESPN</em>’s Charlie Creme currently projects Tennessee as a No. 5 seed in his <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2023-women-college-basketball-projections">Bracketology</a>, though we’ll have to wait until next Sunday for the official selections. Each NCAA Tournament game will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.</p>
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<p id="BvWHmg"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through March 4, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/3/5/23620377/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-jordan-horston-tennessee-lady-vols-volunteers-kellie-harper-rickea-jackson-secEric Nemchock2023-02-26T09:00:00-05:002023-02-26T09:00:00-05:002023 WNBA Draft Watch: Elizabeth Kitley
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<figcaption>It’s been a record-setting season for Elizabeth Kitley, who will go down as one of Virginia Tech’s all-time greatest players. | Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Elizabeth Kitley just became the all-time leading scorer in Virginia Tech Hokies history, adding to her already-impressive list of accomplishments for Kenny Brooks’ program. The 6-foot-6 center is one of the most prolific low-post scorers in the country, and has been remarkably consistent statistically throughout her career.</p> <p id="oAhwDe">The <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com">Virginia Tech Hokies</a> are finishing up the 2022-23 regular season as the <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/2/25/23614501/ncaaw-acc-tournament-virginia-tech-duke-notre-dame-florida-state-louisville-kitley-miles-latson-lith">ACC’s hottest team</a>, having won seven straight games to sit at 23-4 overall. The Hokies, who are 13-4 in the <a href="https://theacc.com/standings.aspx?path=wbball">ACC</a> and currently ranked No. 9 in <em>The</em> <em>Associated Press</em> <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d1/associated-press">Top 25</a> poll, will finish with their best record under head coach Kenny Brooks since he was hired in 2016, reaping the rewards of a rebuild that has put them near the top of one of the most competitive conferences in basketball.</p>
<aside id="pwwAqd"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"ACC update: How the top teams stack up ahead of the tournament ","url":"https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/2/25/23614501/ncaaw-acc-tournament-virginia-tech-duke-notre-dame-florida-state-louisville-kitley-miles-latson-lith"}]}'></div></aside><p id="BmEl17">During the more recent (and successful) years of that rebuild, <a href="https://hokiesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/elizabeth-kitley/12484">Elizabeth Kitley</a> has been what most would consider <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com/">Virginia Tech</a>’s foundational player. A 6-foot-6 center from Summerfield, North Carolina, Kitley has been an impactful player for Brooks and the Hokies since day one, putting together an impressive statistical resume that has made her one of Division I’s most recognizable stars. More importantly for Virginia Tech, she’s been the centerpiece of the program’s ascent, and recently broke the Hokies’ all-time scoring <a href="https://stats.hokiesports.com/wbasketball/records/1000.html">record</a>, passing former teammate Aisha Sheppard’s mark of 1,883 points.</p>
<p id="RASnMx">It’s a feat that impressed a panel of ACC Network analysts, including legendary ex-<a href="https://www.onefootdown.com">Notre Dame</a> head coach Muffet McGraw.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“She’s the best player in <a href="https://twitter.com/HokiesWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HokiesWBB</a> history, for sure, and I think she’s the 2x <a href="https://twitter.com/accwbb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@accwbb</a> Player of the Year.”<br><br>The Nothing But Net crew on <a href="https://twitter.com/elizabethkitley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elizabethkitley</a>’s milestone moment <a href="https://t.co/xksBNdlWKF">pic.twitter.com/xksBNdlWKF</a></p>— ACC Network (@accnetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/accnetwork/status/1629136525332979714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a>
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<p id="gkSf5n">As McGraw and her fellow panelists noted, Kitley — who has averaged better than 18 points per game on 53 percent shooting or better from the field for three consecutive seasons — has been eerily consistent throughout her career, and it has her in first-round discussion for the upcoming 2023 <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft. A recent <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/35670062/wnba-mock-draft-2023-picks-player-projections">mock draft</a> by <em>ESPN’s</em> M.A. Voepel projects Kitley to be drafted at No. 8 by the Atlanta Dream; <em>Winsidr’s</em> Rachel Galligan and Matt Cohen <a href="https://winsidr.com/2023/02/2023-wnba-mock-draft-2-0/">mocked</a> her going as high as No. 6, also to Atlanta.</p>
<p id="30qCBh">There’s still a good amount of collegiate basketball to be played until then, though, including an NCAA Tournament that will hold high expectations for Kitley and the Hokies. In the meantime, let’s review what she’s accomplished thus far at Virginia Tech and how it may translate to the WNBA.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="tylC3H">
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="d1YtUN">Kitley was ranked as the No. 33 overall recruit (No. 7 post player) in the <a href="https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019">class of 2019</a> by <em>ESPN</em>’s HoopGurlz, and she’s been starting for Virginia Tech since her first game as a Hokie. Kitley made her presence felt early, winning ACC Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in her first collegiate season.</p>
<p id="Cs28Sl">Since then, Kitley has been a model of consistency and a regular at the top of individual ACC leaderboards. She averaged 18.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game as a sophomore and 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game as a junior; Kitley was named ACC Player of the Year as a junior and also earned All-American Honors from the WBCA, USBWA, and <em>The</em> <em>Associated Press</em>. Most recently, Kitley was named to watch lists for Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Wade Trophy, as well as the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best center.</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Kitley’s low-post prowess powers the Hokies</strong></h2>
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<img alt="Wake Forest v Virginia Tech" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KbW8zsD4a4zDIHUkWkvLvVr6Gn0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24459139/1461847467.jpg">
<cite>Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Kitley has a soft, effective touch around the basket, and at 6-foot-6, she has a shot that’s difficult to contest.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">In an era of basketball that is placing more and more emphasis on stretch bigs, skilled “unicorn” forwards, and frontcourt players that generally operate outside of the painted area, Kitley’s game is a throwback to the days of dumping the basketball into the post and letting the best big win. She is almost exclusively a halfcourt player — Synergy Sports has logged just nine of her 450 offensive possessions this season as coming in transition — and over 77 percent of her halfcourt possessions come on either post-ups, cuts or offensive rebounds.</p>
<p id="7jpoX1">That doesn’t mean that Kitley’s style of play is ineffective. She’s highly efficient, shooting 75 percent on offensive rebounds and ranking in the 85th percentile in scoring out of post-ups, and skill-wise is one of the more fundamentally sound players of her archetype in Division I. Sure, Kitley is capable of simply overpowering smaller defenders (of which there are many), but she has the hands, footwork and patience to take full advantage of her height in other ways, namely through step-back, short-range jumpers that, due to her high release point, are more or less unguardable. Despite facing significant defensive pressure on a nightly basis, it’s rare to see Kitley get rattled, her deliberate pace of play often prevailing over whichever defensive scheme opponents employ to try to speed her up.</p>
<p id="kOgIg6">In a way, Virginia Tech has adapted its playing style to that of its star center. Though the Hokies have a talented group of guards including long-range bomber Georgia Amoore and former Purdue combo guard Kayana Traylor, Brooks has largely structured his team’s offense around Kitley, preaching a methodical, patient pace that gives the big center time and space to go to work.</p>
<p id="C5sPMu">Look no further than Virginia Tech’s recent win over the rival <a href="https://www.tarheelblog.com">North Carolina Tar Heels</a> to see the Hokies’ strategy in action. Kitley asserted herself against a physical Tar Heel squad, recording 21 points, 10 rebounds and a game-winning shot that looked as routine as a free throw in a full 40 minutes of action.</p>
<h4 id="XlWlwR"><strong>Highlights: Kitley records a big double-double in a win over North Carolina</strong></h4>
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<p id="qKTK2A">Just as reliably as she’s scored in the post and rebounded the basketball, Kitley has blocked shots — 248 of them, to be exact. Once again, it’s mostly thanks to her size; Kitley is not the type of big who can make several rotations on a possession and she prefers to stay back in drop coverages, though her length makes her enough of a rim deterrent to anyone who challenges her there. It’s this area of Kitley’s game that may give pro coaches pause, as perimeter offense is significantly more dynamic in the WNBA, and she’ll need to prove that she can move her feet well enough to play consistent minutes in more aggressive WNBA defensive schemes.</p>
<p id="seDRK5">Still, 6-foot-6 is 6-foot-6, and if there’s a way for a center who isn’t fleet of foot to stay on the floor, it’s to be an efficient offensive player and to contribute on the glass. Kitley has long since proven to be that and more, and with an offensive game that has seemed pro-ready since before her senior season, she’s sure to have fans in WNBA front offices as draft day approaches.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="H0qhI7">Kitley and Virginia Tech will play their final regular-season game on Sunday against the <a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com">Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets</a> (ACC Network). The <a href="https://theacc.com/sports/2018/1/12/2017-18-womens-basketball-tournament.aspx">ACC Tournament</a> will then run from March 1 through March 5, though the Hokies will get two bye rounds, having clinched one of the tournament’s highest seeds. Each of those games will also be broadcast on the ACC Network, with the championship airing nationally on ESPN.</p>
<p id="U3nxGx">The NCAA Tournament begins on March 17, and it’s a foregone conclusion that Virginia Tech will be participating. <em>ESPN</em>’s Charlie Creme currently projects the Hokies as a No. 2 seed in the tournament in the latest edition of the network’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2023-women-college-basketball-projections">Bracketology</a>. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="seHAZR">
<p id="W19xu4"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Feb. 25, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/2/26/23609738/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-elizabeth-liz-kitley-virginia-tech-hokies-kenny-brooks-georgia-amoore-traylorEric Nemchock2023-02-20T08:00:00-05:002023-02-20T08:00:00-05:002023 WNBA Draft watch: Aliyah Boston
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<img alt="NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - National Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AZS3qAFPd5KLpIKsvemkKchwLOQ=/0x0:4379x2919/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71994519/1390881546.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The 2022 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award is just one of the many honors Aliyah Boston has racked up as South Carolina’s centerpiece. | Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Who said traditional low-post play was dead? South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft thanks to her ability to dominate the paint, rebound the basketball and anchor an elite Gamecocks defense.</p> <p id="bOQ0PG">Every NCAA season, there are a few players widely regarded as favorites to be selected No. 1 overall in the following <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft. How strong each player’s case is depends, of course, on several things: area of greatest need of the WNBA team drafting at No. 1, how each of those players’ games develop during their final go-around in college or even a late riser or two who enters the lottery pick conversation late and surprises people on draft night.</p>
<p id="q7AHsM">This season, though, there’s one player standing head and shoulders (perhaps literally) above the pack. It’s South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, and nothing has changed since the beginning of the 2022-23 NCAA season to move her down from the prospective No. 1 overall draft slot this coming April.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Say it again – <a href="https://twitter.com/aa_boston?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aa_boston</a> is the best in the <a href="https://twitter.com/SEC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEC</a> <a href="https://t.co/c7NoFsVP9h">https://t.co/c7NoFsVP9h</a> <a href="https://t.co/947RVKX8Lx">pic.twitter.com/947RVKX8Lx</a></p>— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GamecockWBB/status/1544758079975297024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a>
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<p id="GvUd2Q"><a href="https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/wbball/roster/player/aliyah-boston/">Boston</a>, a 6-foot-5 center from the U.S. Virgin Islands, has made her mark not only as one of the most decorated players in South Carolina history, but also as one of Division I’s best frontcourt players in recent memory. As the Gamecocks’ starting center, Boston has led South Carolina to an incredible combined record of 120-8 since 2019-20, including two <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/sec-basketball-tournament">SEC Tournament</a> titles, an NCAA Final Four appearance, and most recently an NCAA championship in 2022.</p>
<p id="Xw3mau">Indeed, what Boston means to South Carolina goes far beyond her already-impressive individual statistics, and you can bet WNBA teams are looking at her not just as another talented player to add to their roster, but as a franchise cornerstone who can be built around. Let’s break down what makes Boston a can’t-miss WNBA prospect in the 2023 draft class.</p>
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="vvQdzU">Boston was ranked the No. 3 overall recruit in the <a href="https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019">class of 2019</a> by <em>ESPN</em>’s HoopGurlz, just ahead of Gamecock teammates Zia Cooke, Laeticia Amihere and Brea Beal. In high school, she was named a <a href="https://usatodayhss.com/2019/2019-mcdonalds-all-american-game-girls-roster">McDonald’s All-American</a> in 2019, and won a trio of Gatorade Player of the Year awards in the state of Massachusetts as a sophomore, junior and senior.</p>
<p id="qGhH3B">Boston’s collegiate awards, meanwhile, are nearly too numerous to mention. She made an immediate impact on the Gamecocks as a freshman, winning SEC and National Freshman of the Year Awards in 2020 after averaging 12.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. </p>
<p id="F8EUZv">Many more awards followed in Boston’s sophomore and junior seasons, in which she averaged 13.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and 16.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, respectively. Boston was named the SEC Player of the Year in 2022, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and an All-SEC First-Teamer in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Nationally, Boston is a three-time Lisa Leslie Center of the Year winner, a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2022) and a two-time unanimous first-team All-American (2021 and 2022). Finally, she was named national Player of the Year and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2022 for her efforts during South Carolina’s championship run.</p>
<p id="d1YtUN">Boston has had extensive success for <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/b/boston-aliyah.aspx">USA Basketball</a> as well. She’s won five gold medals as a member of Team USA in the 2017 FIBA Americas U17 Championship, 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup, 2018 Youth Olympic Games, 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup and <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/womensamericup/2021/news/usa-wins-fiba-women-s-americup-2021-championship-taking-back-to-back-gold">2021 FIBA AmeriCup</a>, the lattermost competition featuring a <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/womensamericup/2021/team/USA">stacked USA roster</a> with plenty of prospective WNBA talent. Boston also participated in training camp with the USA Women’s National Team ahead of the 2022 FIBA World Cup, and it’s safe to say she’ll be part of the team moving forward.</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Boston’s elite play in the paint and on the boards drives South Carolina’s success</strong></h2>
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<img alt="LSU v South Carolina" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VQxOxLE1HqHLooHugb7Bt4Zu6Bw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24444947/1247090468.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Lance King/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="ATEr7T">Boston’s game is molded in the traditional archetype of low-post players. She’s every bit as strong as she is tall, with massive shoulders and a formidable base making her nearly impossible to out-muscle no matter where she is on the court. That’s usually somewhere near the rim and/or the painted area; while Boston is capable of hitting the occasional midrange jumper, she’s at her best when bodying defenders at the cup, shooting 68.4 percent there as a senior (Synergy Sports).</p>
<p id="wouPnf">One glance at Boston’s year-by-year statistics will give an adequate idea of just how effective she is at this. For her collegiate career, Boston is averaging 14.2 points per game on 55 percent shooting, and as a senior, she’s scoring 22.5 percent of her points at the foul line (<a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/aliyah-boston-stats-11e9ffdc-8c68-080e-9486-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>). Currently, Boston is also recording just over 20 percent of her offensive possessions on offensive rebounds, shooting 66.7 percent on those attempts.</p>
<p id="lBTAGD">In a way, Boston’s physical dominance embodies what the Gamecocks excel at on offense: Offensive rebounding, drawing fouls, and grinding down smaller opponents through a full 40 minutes of overwhelming play in the paint. The Gamecocks’ depth up front (6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso and 6-foot-4 Amihere, in particular) keeps Boston’s individual workload lighter than it might be on other teams, as she’s playing just around 25 minutes per game as a senior, but make no mistake about it; Boston is an absolute game-changer when she’s on the floor, and it’s just as much because of her defense as her offense.</p>
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<strong>Highlights: Boston controls the paint against </strong><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com"><strong>UConn</strong></a>
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<p id="JtfmgU">Sure, the blocked shots are impressive. Boston has averaged two or more blocks per game in each season of her collegiate career.</p>
<p id="n6gLII">Lots of big centers can do that, though. In Boston’s case, her defense isn’t purely a product of how tall she is; she moves remarkably well for her size, fully capable of sticking with most perimeter players to at least bother them into taking difficult shots without giving up easy layups. She’s had a great understanding of defensive angles since she was a freshman, and her ability to defend and mix it up on the boards without fouling (3.2 percent foul rate as a senior) makes her contributions on that end even more valuable.</p>
<p id="2jJQNJ">Think, for a minute, about what a basketball team wants from its center. Rebounding? Check; Boston has been elite in that department since her first game as a Gamecock. Defense? Boston has anchored the No. 8, No. 15, No. 2 and No. 1 defenses in Division I (according to <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/team/south-carolina-gamecocks-womens-basketball-stats-11e8e149-cb1f-a3d4-af82-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>’ Defensive Rating metric), both by neutralizing opposing post-up threats and providing arguably the best help defense of any player in the country.</p>
<p id="FLPsUi">Now let’s go back to Boston’s offense, this time with the context of what kinds of defenses she’s seeing. As the undefeated Gamecocks (27-0 in 2022-23) keep rolling, opponents are trying different things to keep Boston and her teammates off-balance. Double- and triple-teams are becoming more and more frequent. Zone and “junk” defenses are something Boston and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley are used to by now; Boston has embraced the challenge, <a href="https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/usc/2023/01/08/aliyah-boston-stats-2022-23-south-carolina-womens-basketball-dawn-staley/69769321007/">saying</a> it has helped develop her own offensive awareness, while Staley will quickly remind any critics that her star center’s numbers would look much different if she faced more honest defenses.</p>
<p id="iYFEbm">Those days are coming soon. When Boston is drafted to the WNBA — presumably by the Indiana Fever, who own the No. 1 overall pick — she’ll play in pro-level floor spacing, where she can fully put her low-post arsenal to use. The results will likely be spectacular.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="H0qhI7">There are just two regular-season games remaining on South Carolina’s <a href="https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/wbball/schedule/">schedule</a>, but, fortunately, both will be televised nationally. The Gamecocks will take on the Tennessee Lady Vols on Thursday (ESPN) and then finish things up against the <a href="https://www.dawgsports.com">Georgia Bulldogs</a> on Sunday (ESPN2).</p>
<p id="zyoQgr">After that, it’s time for the <a href="https://www.secsports.com/article/10971306/championship-women-basketball">SEC Tournament</a> (beginning on March 1), which will be televised on the SEC Network through three rounds. The semifinals will be broadcast on ESPNU, while the tournament final — which South Carolina will have a good chance of reaching — will be aired on ESPN on March 5.</p>
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<p id="4BZhaK"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Feb. 19, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/2/20/23603320/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-aliyah-boston-south-carolina-gamecocks-dawn-staley-zia-cooke-brea-beal-amihereEric Nemchock2023-01-15T14:14:24-05:002023-01-15T14:14:24-05:002023 WNBA Draft watch: Maddy Siegrist
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament Championship-UConn vs Villanova" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fKSH_HTqKcmXNk7FvkdVnEe62Ys=/0x168:2195x1631/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71868869/usa_today_17888882.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist has been carrying the Wildcats for several seasons now. How will her versatile offensive game fit in the WNBA? | David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>When it comes to gaudy individual statistics, look no further than Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, who is putting together a senior campaign worthy of National Player of the Year discussion. Her ability to score anywhere from the floor has put the Wildcats near the top of the Big East standings, and most would agree that she’ll hear her name called in the 2023 WNBA Draft, should she choose to declare.</p> <p id="oAhwDe">For a handful of programs in NCAA women’s basketball, the name of the team is intertwined with the name of a player — one who has defined that program’s successes during their time there and is more often than not the first and main topic of conversation whenever their team is discussed.</p>
<p id="pSqb3g">For the <a href="https://www.vuhoops.com">Villanova Wildcats</a> (16-3; 7-1 <a href="https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com">Big East</a>), that player is <a href="https://villanova.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/maddy-siegrist/12908">Maddy Siegrist</a>, who has become virtually synonymous with the school’s women’s basketball program. The 6-foot-2 forward even has <a href="https://villanova.com/sports/2022/9/16/maddy-siegrist-campaign.aspx">her own page</a> on Villanova’s athletics website detailing all of her accomplishments, such as passing the milestone of 2,000 career points scored, a laundry list of conference and national honors and praise from opposing coaches — one being <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a>’s Geno Auriemma, who <a href="https://www.philadelphiasportsdigest.com/news_article/show/1214865">referred to to Siegrist</a> as “one of the top 10 players in the country.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">- Nation's leading scorer<br>- Most Player of the Week honors in <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BIGEASTWBB</a> history<br>- Program's second-highest career scorer<br>- National award watch lists<br><br>That's Maddy Siegrist. ✌️<a href="https://t.co/oYx8eldByB">https://t.co/oYx8eldByB</a><a href="https://twitter.com/20sMaddy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@20sMaddy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperSiegrist?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperSiegrist</a> <a href="https://t.co/W9n5ioVOQu">pic.twitter.com/W9n5ioVOQu</a></p>— Villanova WBB (@novawbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/novawbb/status/1613263095027081241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a>
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<p id="th9vkQ">With such an extensive list of Big East awards and individual statistics that have gotten more and more impressive each season — culminating in what could be a National Player of the Year-worthy campaign in 2022-23 — it’s no wonder Siegrist is regarded as a future <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> player. Let’s take a look at what makes her so special and how that may translate to the WNBA.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ciZHhW">
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="d1YtUN">Siegrist has been scorching the nets and racking up awards since very early in her collegiate career. She was named Freshman of the Year in the Big East for the 2019-20 season, also earning First-Team All-Conference honors after averaging team highs in points (18.8) and rebounds (8.9) per game.</p>
<p id="p7ScNL">Since then, Siegrist has become more and more productive, averaging 22.8 points and 9.8 rebounds as a sophomore and 25.3 points (second in Division I) and 9.2 rebounds per game as a junior. Siegrist was also named the Big East Player of the Year during her stellar junior campaign while earning All-American Third Team honors from both <em>The Associated Press</em> and USBWA.</p>
<p id="YOSPp7">Entering her senior season, Siegrist was named to a slew of national player of the year award watch lists, including the <a href="https://www.woodenaward.com/john_r_wooden_award_presented_by_wendy_s_announces_2022_23_women_s_preseason_top_50_watch_list">John R. Wooden Award</a>, <a href="https://naismithtrophy.com/2023-jersey-mikes-naismith-trophy-womens-watch-list-released/">Naismith Trophy</a> and <a href="https://wbca.org/about/press-releases/2022-wade-trophy-winner-aliyah-boston-headlines-2022-23-preseason-%E2%80%98wade-watch%E2%80%99">Wade Trophy</a>. As expected, Siegrist was also named the Big East <a href="https://www.bigeast.com/news/2022/10/17/womens-basketball-villanovas-maddy-siegrist-voted-big-east-preseason-player-of-the-year.aspx">Preseason Player of the Year</a>, and is currently on the watch list for the <a href="http://www.hoophallawards.com/mcclain.php">Katrina McClain Award</a>, given annually to the nation’s top power forward.</p>
<p id="rhCSl7">Internationally, Siegrist recently competed for <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/s/siegrist-maddy.aspx">Team USA</a> in <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/3x3nationsleaguefinal/2022/Women/United-States">FIBA’s 3x3 Nations League</a>, playing alongside Aaliyah Moore (<a href="https://www.burntorangenation.com">Texas Longhorns</a>), Alyssa Ustby (<a href="https://www.tarheelblog.com">North Carolina Tar Heels</a>) and Maddy Westbeld (<a href="https://www.onefootdown.com">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a>).</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Siegrist’s offensive versatility a luxury for Villanova</strong></h2>
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament Championship-UConn vs Villanova" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FQ22APCoYl97Jqx0dFD-YoXYe8Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24358405/usa_today_17851952.jpg">
<cite>David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Siegrist’s height and release point on her jumpshot make her a tough cover for just about any defender.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">As one would expect from her gaudy volume statistics, Siegrist bears a heavy burden for the Wildcats. According to <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/maddy-siegrist-stats-11e9ffdc-e0bc-d6dc-9486-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>, as a junior she recorded a usage rate of 33.5 percent, which was 20th among all Division I players. This season, it’s all the way up to 36.7 percent — 10th in Division I.</p>
<p id="AW7FTG">Siegrist has been remarkably efficient considering how much of Villanova’s offense runs through her, though, scoring 1.17 points per possession and shooting the ball at a 56.9 percent effective field goal percentage. Her value metrics are even more ridiculous: Siegrist’s player efficiency rating of 49.4 and 10.2 total win shares both rank second in the nation.</p>
<p id="w2aU3w">Siegrist’s versatile scoring package is a major reason for this. The talented forward boasts a wide array of offensive moves that Wildcat head coach Denise Dillon uses to great effect in the team’s slow-paced, methodical half-court offense, adjusting the ways Villanova gets Siegrist the basketball depending on the opponent. Take Villanova’s recent win over DePaul, for example: while Siegrist is currently shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from 3-point range, she shot just one long ball against the Blue Demons, instead doing most of her damage in the post and off the dribble against a smaller DePaul lineup. Time after time, Siegrist rose up to score seemingly effortlessly over her defenders, something Big East opponents have seen plenty of over the years; the release point on Siegrist’s turnaround jump shot is simply too high for most defenders to contest effectively, and, as demonstrated in the below highlight reel, she also has a knack for moving without the ball and getting herself into positions to score more efficiently (according to Synergy Sports, 17.9 percent of Siegrist’s possessions come on basket cuts, and she’s shooting 67.2 percent on those shots), making her a massive matchup problem against the majority of her opponents.</p>
<h4 id="xjKV8V"><strong>Highlights: Siegrist scores 32 against DePaul</strong></h4>
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<p id="qKTK2A">As for the rest of Siegrist’s game, she’s recorded a steal rate of 1.9 percent or higher in each of her last three seasons at Villanova, and she’s currently blocking shots at a rate of 3.1 percent, which is a career-high. She won’t blow teams away in either department, but she uses her wingspan to her advantage when defending, as noted by <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State Cyclones</a> head coach Bill Fennelly, who <a href="https://www.delcotimes.com/2022/12/18/college-basketball-villanova-cant-overcome-emily-ryan-iowa-state/">said that Siegrist</a> is “a lot better defensively than she looked on video” after the two teams met earlier this season. It certainly helps that she rarely fouls; Siegrist’s foul rate currently sits at 3.3 percent (2.9 percent last season), which is impressive given how many minutes she plays and how important she is to her team’s success.</p>
<p id="pPSwut">It’s fair to wonder just how much of what makes Siegrist such a terrific collegiate player will translate to the next level — something WNBA coaches and GMs are surely weighing as draft day approaches — as she won’t have the size advantage she enjoys in the Big East and would likely be asked to defend on the perimeter more often than she currently does.</p>
<p id="K91QFr">On the other hand, though, Siegrist’s overall offensive skillset is one that, in theory, would fit on most WNBA rosters. Her three-level scoring ability — particularly as a mismatch hunter and a stretch big in smaller lineups — would be of benefit, and she certainly wouldn’t have as much on her plate as she does at Villanova. Whichever WNBA team drafts Siegrist will more than likely envision her playing in a secondary or tertiary scorer role that would emphasize her individual talents without asking her to do too much with the basketball in her hands.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="DaHoqy">The <a href="https://villanova.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule?path=wbball">Wildcats </a>have yet to face perennial Big East powerhouse UConn this season; their matchups with the Huskies on Jan. 29 (CBS Sports Network) and Feb. 18 (FOX) will be must-see TV. Villanova also has nationally-televised games against Creighton (Jan. 20; FS1) and Marquette (Feb. 1; FS2) on its schedule, and will close regular-season play on Feb. 27 against Seton Hall (FS1).</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1JFF0i">
<p id="1HU27F"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Jan. 14, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/1/15/23553873/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-maddy-siegrist-villanova-wildcats-big-east-denise-dillon-depaul-blue-demonsEric Nemchock2023-01-08T10:57:44-05:002023-01-08T10:57:44-05:002023 WNBA Draft Watch: Zia Cooke
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<img alt="Liberty v South Carolina" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ovtOpxF6bkOTIUpBkmsezbdZH0E=/0x0:5064x3376/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71840019/1449873290.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Zia Cooke has been able to reign in her dynamic offensive game as a senior, and it’s been to the Gamecocks’ benefit. | Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Zia Cooke has been a tough-shot maker from the moment she donned a South Carolina jersey, and while her individual offense has been inconsistent over the years, she’s still been a key piece of one of the best programs in the country. Now a senior, Cooke has ironed out those inconsistencies in her game, making the Gamecocks even tougher as they look to repeat as NCAA champions.</p> <p id="oAhwDe">The <a href="https://www.garnetandblackattack.com">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> (15-0, 3-0 SEC) are off to a spotless start to the 2022-23 NCAA season, making it through a tough non-conference schedule unscathed and carrying that success through the beginning of SEC play. The defending champions have looked perhaps even more impressive than when they went 36-2 and won their second national title. They are a well-oiled basketball machine that the rest of the country is still trying to figure out.</p>
<p id="PdI67R">The Gamecocks’ recent success under head coach Dawn Staley has been largely characterized by dominant physical play, led by 2023’s presumed No. 1 overall draft pick, center Aliyah Boston. It’s reflected in the statistics; no team in the country defends and rebounds like South Carolina, and it’s made the No. 1 Gamecocks favorites to successfully defend their title come March.</p>
<p id="q259py">There’s more to South Carolina than elite frontcourt play, though. Senior guard <a href="https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/wbball/roster/player/zia-cooke/">Zia Cooke</a>, who joined the Gamecocks along with Boston as a highly-touted recruit in 2019, has been a fixture in South Carolina’s starting lineup since her very first collegiate game, and thus has made an impact on a program that has gone a combined 108-8 in the past three-plus seasons.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Accolades coming through quick today!<a href="https://twitter.com/zia_cooke?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zia_cooke</a> on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award Watch List<a href="https://t.co/QQwVnuBY7T">https://t.co/QQwVnuBY7T</a> <a href="https://t.co/XvBOtlOKRg">pic.twitter.com/XvBOtlOKRg</a></p>— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GamecockWBB/status/1582417120553406468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a>
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<p id="kPtwP6">Cooke, a 5-foot-9 product of Rogers High School in Toledo, Ohio, quickly developed a reputation at South Carolina as a player who never shies away from taking difficult shots and has a knack for stepping up in key moments. As a senior, her game has become more efficient, which bodes well not only for the 2022-23 Gamecocks, but for Cooke, too, as the 2023 <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft inches closer and closer. Let’s look at what Cooke means to South Carolina and why a WNBA team may want to draft her in the spring.</p>
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<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="d1YtUN">Cooke, who committed to South Carolina as a McDonald’s All-American and <a href="http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019">ESPN HoopGurlz</a> No. 4 overall prospect (No. 1 point guard) in the recruiting class of 2019, made an immediate impact on the Gamecocks program, starting in all 33 games she played as a freshman. Cooke averaged 12 points per game in her first season at South Carolina and <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/team/2020/natl/south-carolina-gamecocks-womens-basketball-stats-11e8e149-cb1f-a3d4-af82-12df17ae4e1e/">led the Gamecocks</a> in both 3-pointers (40) and free throws (79) made, earning SEC All-Freshman honors along the way.</p>
<p id="VIlWb1">Since then, she’s become an integral part of a South Carolina program that has been arguably the most successful in the nation. As the Gamecocks’ starting shooting guard, Cooke has made the All-SEC Team twice (2021 First Team and 2022 Second Team) and earned All-America Honorable Mention nods as both a sophomore and a junior. She was also named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team twice (2021 and 2022), the latter honor earned during the Gamecocks’ most recent National Championship run.</p>
<p id="abh5fF">Internationally, Cooke has been competing for <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/c/cooke-zia.aspx">USA Basketball</a> since 2015, when she participated in team trials for USA’s U16 National Team. Since then, Cooke has won two gold medals with Team USA: one in 2017 during the FIBA Americas U16 Championship and another in 2018 during the FIBA U17 World Cup. Most recently, Cooke participated in team trials for the 2021 USA AmeriCup Team that went on to <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/womensamericup/2021/news/usa-wins-fiba-women-s-americup-2021-championship-taking-back-to-back-gold">win gold</a> in Puerto Rico.</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Cooke’s scoring efficiency peaking during her senior season</strong></h2>
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<img alt="South Carolina v Maryland" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HTlbU8qAisqeouFNSjO5_NiHnuY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24341081/1441701299.jpg">
<cite>Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Cooke has always been able to get to the hoop off the dribble, but she’s been more selective in her attack as a senior, leading to more efficient individual offense.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">While South Carolina has been an elite program under Staley for many years now, in recent seasons the Gamecocks have overhauled their identity as a team to focus on defense, rebounding and controlling the paint on both ends of the floor. Since 2019, South Carolina has <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/team/south-carolina-gamecocks-womens-basketball-stats-11e8e149-cb1f-a3d4-af82-12df17ae4e1e/">ranked</a> no lower than No. 15 among Division I teams in points allowed per 100 possessions (No. 2 during its championship run last season) while ranking no lower than No. 4 (No. 1 last season) in total rebounding rate (<em>Her Hoop Stats</em>).</p>
<p id="gNK1Vt">This, of course, is spearheaded by the team’s highly physical frontcourt, with Boston, Victaria Saxton, Laeticia Amihere and Kamilla Cardoso giving the Gamecocks unrivaled size and depth up front. When the vaunted perimeter defense of Brea Beal is factored in, it becomes a nightmare to manufacture efficient offense against the Gamecocks, and while the team’s own floor spacing tends to suffer from the sheer number of players on its roster who excel below the free throw line, its overall size often makes up for this with unrelenting work on the offensive glass.</p>
<p id="1Ewfst">Where does a high-octane guard like <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/zia-cooke-stats-11e9ffdc-8c94-7c90-9486-12df17ae4e1e/">Cooke</a> fit into this type of team build? She’s often tasked with bailing out the Gamecocks’ offense if it can’t get the ball into the post, usually with 3-point shots or long jump shots off the dribble. It’s not always a glorious offensive role and, while Cooke is more than capable of making those shots — she’s led the Gamecocks in 3-pointers made in two of her first three seasons with the program — it doesn’t always lend itself to efficient individual offensive numbers, despite it theoretically being necessary to balance out an offense that is so reliant on low-post play.</p>
<p id="rWofYW">As a senior, though, Cooke’s role has been optimized somewhat, and she’s responded with the best offensive performance of her career thus far. While the addition of Kierra Fletcher through the transfer portal and the return of Raven Johnson from injury have bolstered South Carolina’s guard depth and eaten into Cooke’s minutes (23.8), she’s shooting the ball at a higher rate than ever (20 field goal attempts per 40 minutes; 28.5 percent usage rate), and the results have been promising: Cooke’s effective field goal percentage of 50.3 percent is significantly higher than in years past, and she’s getting to the line more, too, posting a career-high free throw rate of 20 percent.</p>
<p id="dK0t8Y">Combined with better decision-making (1.45 assist/turnover ratio — also a career-high), Cooke has become a player the Gamecocks can reliably depend upon to balance out their otherwise paint-heavy approach. Her offensive arsenal was on full display in South Carolina’s recent win over the <a href="https://www.dawgsports.com">Georgia Bulldogs</a>: opportunistic scores in transition, open 3-pointers knocked down after patient relocation whenever the Bulldogs collapsed the paint and under-control drives that yielded 13 free throw attempts.</p>
<h4 id="QnzmoX"><strong>Highlights: Cooke scores career-high 31 points vs. Georgia</strong></h4>
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<p id="CLtwP7">Again, context of the system in which Cooke plays is important. As a team that doesn’t extensively feature the pick and roll in its offense (per Synergy Sports, 6.5 percent of the Gamecocks’ possessions have come via the pick and roll ball handler, and only 1.5 percent via the roller), South Carolina needs its guards to be more selective in their own offense and know how to make themselves available when their teammates in the frontcourt inevitably draw extra defensive attention. Cooke’s improvement in these areas could very well mean the difference between low-scoring, grind-it-out games and blowout Gamecock victories.</p>
<p id="SP9xh8">Cooke’s development also bodes well for her as a pro. There’s never been any doubt about her skill with the basketball and the versatility of her jump shot, and she’s one of the best all-around athletes at her position, too; the prospect of her playing in a WNBA offense with a spaced floor and high-end guard talent is intriguing, to say the least, and will likely be a major reason why a team takes a swing on her in the 2023 WNBA Draft.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="bcdCM0">There are no shortage of nationally-televised games on the remainder of South Carolina’s <a href="https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/wbball/schedule/">schedule</a>. On Sunday the Gamecocks will take on the <a href="https://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com">Mississippi State Bulldogs</a> (ESPN2), and a week later they’ll play the <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com">Missouri Tigers</a> (ESPN). The Gamecocks have another nationally-televised SEC matchup against the Tennessee Lady Vols later, on Feb. 23 (ESPN), and will renew their non-conference rivalry against the <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> Huskies on Feb. 5 (FOX).</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1JFF0i">
<p id="3l6XQ8"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Jan. 7, 2023.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2023/1/8/23542561/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-zia-cooke-south-carolina-gamecocks-dawn-staley-aliyah-boston-brea-beal-secEric Nemchock2022-12-11T13:32:05-05:002022-12-11T13:32:05-05:002023 WNBA Draft Watch: Dyaisha Fair
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Stony Brook at Syracuse" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0e22y_e_GiHagPY9JgjKC2dbwhM=/0x0:2927x1951/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71737218/usa_today_19393290.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dyaisha Fair is tasked with leading a rebuilding Syracuse Orange program, with the potential payoff a longer look in the 2023 WNBA Draft. | Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dyaisha Fair put up enormous numbers during her three seasons at Buffalo, but her recent transfer to Syracuse could be even more important if she’s looking to go pro in the 2023 WNBA Draft.</p> <p id="oAhwDe">Differences in levels of competition are always a hot debate when it comes to <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft prospect evaluation. It’s no secret that players from Power 5 programs tend to get extended looks as draftees while mid-major players generally face more of an uphill battle to even get noticed, let alone drafted.</p>
<p id="ESg73L">Syracuse’s <a href="https://cuse.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dyaisha-fair/21953">Dyaisha Fair</a>, formerly a standout at the University of Buffalo, has the opportunity to blur these lines, going from regularly stuffing the stat sheet as one of the MAC’s premier players to being asked to lead the rebuild of a once-proud program in the ACC. The 5-foot-5 Fair <a href="https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/dyaisha-fair-discusses-syracuse-commitment">transferred to Syracuse</a> to continue playing for <a href="https://news.syr.edu/blog/2022/03/26/felisha-legette-jack-89-named-7th-head-coach-in-womens-basketball-program-history/">Felisha Legette-Jack</a>, who accepted the open head coaching position at her alma mater after 10 years at Buffalo.</p>
<p id="aio750">It was an important decision for all parties. Legette-Jack now has the opportunity to continue coaching a player whose name is firmly etched in the Buffalo record books as she takes over a Syracuse program that went 11-18 last season, while Fair — <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangewomen/2022/04/how-did-syracuse-land-dyaisha-fair-it-was-99-percent-because-of-felisha-legette-jack-qa.html">whose goal</a> was to transfer to a Power Five program regardless — is now on a stage where she can prove once and for all that she belongs alongside the country’s biggest names.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Scorer. Passer. Defender.<a href="https://twitter.com/DyaishaFair?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DyaishaFair</a> is one of 20 on the Nancy Lieberman Watch List for the best point guard in the country. <br><br> : <a href="https://t.co/pfgvKBzqCC">https://t.co/pfgvKBzqCC</a> <a href="https://t.co/026kwCKq6I">pic.twitter.com/026kwCKq6I</a></p>— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CuseWBB/status/1582059694406762496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a>
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<p id="eEIxpA">The potential payoff for Fair is huge, though a good deal of how she’s perceived as a WNBA Draft prospect could hinge on how well she leads the Orange during the 2022-23 season. Her statistical resume is impressive to say the least, so let’s take a look at that before diving into the potential impact Fair can make at Syracuse.</p>
<h2 id="uZMHZ3"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="d1YtUN">Unlike most of the big-name players in the 2023 WNBA Draft class, Fair wasn’t commonly listed as a top recruit coming out of high school. She quickly proved that to be an oversight, recording a spectacular freshman season at Buffalo highlighted by per-game averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals, which earned her MAC Freshman of the Year honors.</p>
<p id="2MLVcY">Fair’s all-around contributions to Buffalo continued for the next two seasons as she put up <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/dyaisha-fair-stats-11e9ffdb-59b3-d3e4-9486-12df17ae4e1e/">massive numbers</a>, averaging at least 23 points per game in both seasons while also leading the Bulls in assists and steals. During her time at Buffalo, Fair made regular appearances on position-specific national award watch lists, such as the Dawn Staley Award and Nancy Lieberman Award. She was also nominated for <a href="https://herhoopstats.substack.com/s/becky-hammon-mid-major-player-of?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=menu"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>’ Becky Hamon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award three times.</p>
<h2 id="OxVtfM"><strong>Fair, Syracuse both have much to gain during 2022-23 season</strong></h2>
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Stony Brook at Syracuse" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hdMxGDkBZ-maQCG2uemHfIZOFSQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24281559/usa_today_19379704.jpg">
<cite>Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Fair’s contributions extend well past the offensive side of the basketball. Her quick hands and overall activity on defense make her a regular candidate to record multiple steals in a game.</figcaption>
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<p id="ATEr7T">During Fair’s three seasons at Buffalo, there were few programs more statistically reliant on one player. According to <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/dyaisha-fair-stats-11e9ffdb-59b3-d3e4-9486-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>, she posted a massive 34.5 percent usage rate as both a freshman and sophomore, and led Division I in field goal attempts per game both years: 20.8 and 21.4, respectively. While Fair’s overall volume scaled back a bit as a junior (30 percent usage and 20.1 field goal attempts per game), she still had the ball in her hands more often than just about any other player in the country.</p>
<p id="oA20u8">The results of this approach, to be clear, grew more promising for the Bulls year-by-year. Buffalo won 61.3 percent of its games when Fair was a freshman, then 62.5 percent when she was a sophomore. As a junior, Fair powered Buffalo to a 25-9 record and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.</p>
<p id="guvFOM">The logical question when Fair chose to follow Legette-Jack to Syracuse, then, was if the Dyaisha Fair Show would continue in a Power 5 conference — and, if it did, would it be as successful as it was against MAC competition?</p>
<h4 id="wKLwhN"><strong>Highlights: Dyaisha Fair records 20 points, five steals vs. Penn State</strong></h4>
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<p id="gA77cP">Syracuse hasn’t played an ACC opponent yet in the 2022-23 season, and its two games against Power 5 opponents (Penn State and Purdue) both ended in losses, so it’s still too early to answer that question definitively.</p>
<p id="WNLPjT">To her credit, though, Fair has held up her end of the bargain so far, displaying everything that made her such a treat to watch at Buffalo: lethal crossovers, the ability to stop on a dime and can midrange jumpers off the dribble and a reliable 3-point shot when spotting up. She doesn’t take plays off on defense, either, which is especially impressive considering how much continues to be on her plate offensively; she’s recorded two or more steals in all but one game as a member of the Orange.</p>
<p id="wKWY14">This checks out with <a href="https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/dyaisha-fair-discusses-syracuse-commitment">Fair herself</a>, who envisions her role on Syracuse to be about the same as it was with the Bulls, “with increased efficiency.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fair put on a clinic in the first quarter <br><br> ACCNX <a href="https://t.co/oW3jCyw1Hv">https://t.co/oW3jCyw1Hv</a> <a href="https://t.co/APqWtXgurd">pic.twitter.com/APqWtXgurd</a></p>— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CuseWBB/status/1601010943630004224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2022</a>
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<p id="ZtczIm">The beauty of having a player like Fair on a team’s roster — even if that scoring efficiency isn’t always there — is the presence of a player who’s not only been there and done that, but can also act as a building block for a program in flux. In this case, Legette-Jack took the Syracuse job knowing that the program needed to be rebuilt, and in Fair, she brought on a player who is well-versed in carrying teams to success. Even if that doesn’t translate to immediate contention in the ACC, Fair’s play should be enough to at least keep the Orange afloat as Legette-Jack accumulates talent and begins to carry out her vision for the program.</p>
<p id="PViOMS">In terms of on-court production, Fair’s role as a high-volume scorer and playmaker may stay the same, but depending on which way Legette-Jack chooses to take the Orange as the season progresses, it could change, too. Fair’s skillset is not one that needs 20 shot attempts per game to be impactful; in fact, should she assume more of a distributor role for the Orange later in the season (Fair currently assists on 26.3 percent of her team’s baskets, per <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/dyaisha-fair-stats-11e9ffdb-59b3-d3e4-9486-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>, with a better-than-adequate 2.21 assist/turnover ratio), she may stand out more in the eyes of WNBA head coaches and general managers looking to choose a point guard in the 2023 Draft.</p>
<p id="zOyWSq">All are compelling reasons to follow Fair and the Orange in Legette-Jack’s first season at the helm. College basketball fans may think they’re well-acquainted with the speedy guard’s game, but her collegiate story isn’t finished yet, and ending it on a positive note would mean good things not only for Syracuse as a program, but also for Fair as a pro.</p>
<h2 id="Q1Et6W"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="J4SiEO">ACC play will begin for Syracuse on Dec. 18 when the Orange take on the <a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com">Wake Forest Demon Deacons</a> (ACC Network), though the juicy part of the team’s <a href="https://cuse.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule/2022-23">schedule</a> won’t come around until the turn of the new year. The Orange will play the <a href="https://www.cardchronicle.com">Louisville Cardinals</a> on Dec. 29 (ACC Network X) and the No. 8 <a href="https://www.backingthepack.com">NC State Wolfpack</a> on Jan. 1 (YES Network), two games that will have intriguing individual matchups for Fair (Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith and <a href="https://www.backingthepack.com/">NC State</a>’s Diamond Johnson).</p>
<p id="qxp7Bp">Later in 2023, Syracuse’s conference schedule gets even tougher, with games against the No. 7 <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com">Virginia Tech Hokies</a> (Feb. 2; ACC Network X), the <a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com">Boston College Eagles</a> (Feb. 5; ACC Network X), the No. 8 <a href="https://www.tarheelblog.com">North Carolina Tar Heels</a> (Feb. 9; ACC Network X) and the No. 5 <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> (Feb. 12; ACC Network). Fair’s individual matchup against Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, in particular, will be must-see TV, as well as a great example of the level of competition ACC programs face on a near-daily basis.</p>
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<p id="ZAMXYn"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Dec. 10, 2022.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2022/12/11/23501905/ncaaw-wnba-draft-dyaisha-fair-syracuse-orange-buffalo-bulls-acc-mac-felisha-legette-jack-notre-dameEric Nemchock2022-11-21T10:00:00-05:002022-11-21T10:00:00-05:002023 WNBA Draft Watch: Charisma Osborne
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<img alt="Never Forget Tribute Classic - UCLA v Connecticut" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QJRp6jm_sV2gCXtwMsPRfwrSW0w=/0x0:4753x3169/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71656875/1358527951.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Adept as both a floor general and off-ball scorer, Charisma Osborne has led UCLA in both scoring and assists in each of the past two seasons. | Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Charisma Osborne has been one of the few dependable players for a UCLA program that has been up and down as of late. The Bruins have reloaded for the 2022-23 season, however, and Osborne herself is playing better than ever.</p> <p id="LYq666">The <a href="https://www.bruinsnation.com">UCLA Bruins</a> are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2021-22 season, one low-lighted by a slew of injuries, inconsistent defense and a failure to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Head coach Cori Close <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/womens-college-basketball/news/ucla-head-coach-cori-close-hopes-last-seasons-adversity-buys-bruins-a-ticket-to-success/">described it</a> as the hardest season of her career, and, entering the 2022-23 season, is preaching to her team to “learn from every circumstance.”</p>
<p id="vNEMUw">So far, so good. Led by senior guard <a href="https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/charisma-osborne/11212">Charisma Osborne</a>, the Bruins are off to a 5-0 start, most recently upsetting the No. 11 Tennessee Lady Vols and building their case to reenter the <em>Associated Press</em> Top 25 rankings.</p>
<p id="LYONIM">The 5-foot-9 Osborne has made a name for herself in the Pac-12 as one of UCLA’s steadiest players in recent years, especially during the turbulence of the program’s prior season. While Osborne’s adjacency to former Bruin Jordin Canada may have initially put her on the map to college basketball fans (both players attended Windward School in Los Angeles), she quickly carved out a niche all her own, drawing <a href="https://pac-12.com/article/2020/02/13/michelle-smith-wbb-feature-uclas-charisma-osborne-provides-defense-and-dancing">public praise</a> from Close for her three-level scoring and on-ball defense as early as her freshman season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another week, another watch list for <a href="https://twitter.com/CharismaOsborne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharismaOsborne</a> ‼️<br><br>The senior shooting guard has been named to the <a href="https://twitter.com/WoodenAward?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WoodenAward</a> Preseason Top 50 Watch List <br><br>ℹ️: <a href="https://t.co/9SgGgyy6V1">https://t.co/9SgGgyy6V1</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBruins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBruins</a> <a href="https://t.co/DN5gj959nm">pic.twitter.com/DN5gj959nm</a></p>— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCLAWBB/status/1592571785928933376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a>
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<p id="ey4Ggv">Now a senior, it’s up to Osborne to lead the Bruins back to contention in the highly-competitive Pac-12. If UCLA’s early-season success is to be believed, the Bruins will be right back in the thick of it this season, while Osborne herself has plenty to gain from leading a rejuvenated program — particularly as <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> coaches and general managers rank collegiate guards on their draft boards.</p>
<h2 id="VKtnhT"><strong>Honors and statistics</strong></h2>
<p id="vpZo4a">Osborne was ranked by ESPN Hoop Gurlz as the No. 22 overall recruit in the <a href="http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2019">class of 2019</a> and No. 5 among point guards. She was named a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in high school, as well as an All-American honorable mention by MaxPreps and the WBCA.</p>
<p id="tQdIi1">Osborne was named a starter at UCLA as a freshman and played alongside future WNBA draftees Michaela Onyenwere and Japreece Dean, averaging 12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and earning Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors. Upon Dean’s graduation in 2020, Osborne became UCLA’s go-to guard, leading the team in both scoring (16.6 points) and assists (3.8) as a sophomore and a junior; she was named to the All-Pac-12 Team both seasons and also earned Pac-12 All-Defense honors as a sophomore.</p>
<p id="Zdpuc7">Internationally, Osborne won a gold medal as a member of <a href="https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/womens/o/osborne-charisma.aspx">Team USA</a> in the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup, starring alongside other <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/world/u17women/2018/team/United-States-of-America#%7Ctab=roster">big-name players</a> such as Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Cameron Brink. Most recently, she participated in trials for Team USA prior to the 2019 U19 World Cup.</p>
<h2 id="5jMCLO"><strong>Osborne’s scoring taking off as a senior</strong></h2>
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<img alt="Troy v UCLA" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S8kRRqEwnDxvxLpyGvTmfMUSghY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24215895/1441266323.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Osborne has gotten off to a terrific start to her senior season, particularly when it comes to her 2-point scoring efficiency.</figcaption>
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<p id="Z2STAT">Osborne’s statistics during her first three seasons at UCLA reflect a significant role change from secondary and tertiary offensive option as a freshman to primary scorer and shot creator as a sophomore and junior, and while there’s still been a lot on her plate during her senior campaign, she’s poised to have her best season yet — one that could vault her into early first-round draft discussion next spring.</p>
<p id="PJdHJx">Though it’s still quite early in the 2022-23 NCAA season (four games, to be exact), Osborne is posting career highs in several statistical categories. Per <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/charisma-osborne-stats-11e9ffdc-bf66-18c2-9486-12df17ae4e1e/"><em>Her Hoop Stats</em></a>, she’s averaging 22.4 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field, including a superb 63 percent from 2-point range; the scoring efficiency, in particular, has seen a major increase from Osborne’s previous two seasons, when she hit 37.8 percent and 38.6 percent, respectively.</p>
<p id="Y1Ep3y">The massive jump in Osborne’s scoring efficiency could be attributed to a small sample size and a relatively low level of competition, but there’s another important factor in play: the additions of Kiki Rice and Gina Conti. Rice, the No. 2 overall recruit in the <a href="http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2022">class of 2022</a>, and <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/gina-conti-stats-11e8e159-5246-4d9a-b147-12df17ae4e1e/">Conti</a>, who led <a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com">Wake Forest</a> in assist rate for three consecutive seasons before transferring to UCLA (and who missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season with a foot injury), have given the Bruins a one-two punch at point guard and a level of depth they haven’t had at the position in many years.</p>
<p id="WtxSc3">Having two dedicated ball handlers has allowed UCLA to move Osborne off the basketball and have her operate in more space than in previous seasons, and the early returns of this strategy have been encouraging, to say the least. In a recent 29-point performance against Troy, Osborne scored in a multitude of ways — fast break layups, dribble mid-range jumpers, spot-up 3-pointers and even from the high post in a horns set — and did so with a level of ease that was hard to come by last season.</p>
<h4 id="BijQWb"><strong>Highlights: Charisma Osborne scores 29 points vs. Troy</strong></h4>
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<p id="wXKn56">Again, it’s unrealistic to expect Osborne to shoot this well for the entirety of her senior season (though one could argue that her 3-point shooting is due for an increase; she’s been hovering around 33 percent on long balls for her career, but more frequent catch-and-shoot opportunities could help raise that number), but the context of her early-season performance will give WNBA coaches and general managers something to consider on draft day. We’ve seen Osborne drag lesser UCLA teams to relevance at the expense of some of her own statistics, which may have undersold just how good of a player she is. She’s now showing what she can do in a stronger offensive ecosystem that emphasizes dribbling and passing; Osborne has been deep in her scoring bag thus far as a senior, and if she can continue showing her playmaking chops from time to time as the season drags on, she’ll make quite a name for herself in a draft class that will be searching for guards worthy of being selected in the first round.</p>
<h2 id="z0uD5c"><strong>Watch her play</strong></h2>
<p id="MOm6CD">The Bruins don’t have many nationally-televised games on their <a href="https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule?path=wbball">schedule</a> this season, with a Feb. 20 game against the <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> (ESPN2) being their only opportunity for a national audience. The Bruins have gone 2-4 against the Cardinal during Osborne’s collegiate career; she most recently recorded 12 points and two steals against them back on <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/box_score/2022/02/03/stanford-cardinal-vs-ucla-bruins/">Feb. 3, 2022</a>. UCLA will probably need more from her this time around.</p>
<p id="ir6rRJ">The Bruins will also take on the defending champion <a href="https://www.garnetandblackattack.com">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> on Nov. 29 in a game that is — for now — slated to be broadcast on the SEC Network. The Gamecocks’ fearsome interior defense will be a good challenge for Osborne, as will her individual matchup against fellow 2023 draft class member Zia Cooke.</p>
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<p id="XQjQB6"><em>All statistics and team records for the 2022-23 NCAA season are current through Nov. 20, 2022.</em></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2022/11/21/23462318/ncaaw-wnba-draft-2023-charisma-osborne-ucla-bruins-cori-close-kiki-rice-gina-conti-pac-12-japreeceEric Nemchock