South Carolina forward Aja Wilson, the winner of every major 2018 National Player of the Year award issued this season, headlines a list of 10 prospects who will attend the WNBA Draft 2018. Wilson led South Carolina to the first women’s hoops national chip in school history in 2017 and will be the No. 1 overall pick.
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A’ja Wilson’s resume is already too long to list, but it now features the John R. Wooden Award. https://t.co/kFSUsoC56J
The other prospects who will be in attendance are guards Lexie Brown (Duke), Jordin Canada (UCLA), Diamond DeShields (Cukurova), Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State), Kia Nurse (Connecticut) and Victoria Vivians (Mississippi State); and forwards Monique Billings (UCLA), Azur Stevens (Connecticut) and Gabby Williams (Connecticut).
Let’s take a look at some of these hardcourt heavy hitters that will help shape the future of the women’s game.
Lexie Brown, Duke: Brown was named an All-America Third Team selection in 2016-17 and 2017-18 at Duke and in 2014-15 at Maryland, becoming the first player in NCAA history to earn the honor at two schools.
Lexie Brown CAREER-HIGH 34PTS Highlights vs NC State – 1.07.18
Lexie Brown hit a season-high seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 34 points to lead No. 17 Duke to a 69-56 win over North Carolina State on Sunday. – Associated Press ———————————————————————————————————– Want more of Lexie Brown Check out her previous video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkZc1DH_tl0&t=49s Follow her on Twitter – https://twitter.com/@lexiekiah_4 ———————————————————————————————————- Like, Share And Subscribe For More!
Jordin Canada, UCLA: The 5-foot-6 Canada was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year also became the first woman in Pac-12 history to record 1,800 points and 700 assists, joining Oregon States Gary Payton (2,172 points, 938 assists) as the only two players in league history male or female to accomplish the feat.
The Journey: Jordin Canada
Uploaded by UCLA Athletics on 2017-03-24.
Diamond DeShields, Cukurova (Turkey): DeShields spent one season at North Carolina earning National Freshman of the Year honors before transferring to Tennessee. After playing two seasons with the Lady Vols she bounced to play professionally with Turkeys Cukurova. Now she’s ready to flex her lit game in the WNBA.
Diamond Deshields Lady Vols. Highlights 2017
Credit to NCAA,ESPN,Lady Vols. Made for Entertainment purposes only Please Leave a Like, Sub, & Comment
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State: Mitchell, a 5-foot-11 scoring machine became the first four-time womens All-American in Buckeyes history. She also finished her career with 3,402 points, which is second on the NCAAs all-time list, and set the NCAA record for made three-pointers (497). Instant offense.
Kelsey Mitchell Ohio State Offensive Highlights
Kelsey Mitchell is the 13th player in NCAA women’s hoop to reach 3,000 points! She is now the all-time Big Ten scoring leader. IG: @TheLab.work
Monique Billings, UCLA: Standing at 6-foot-4 Billings became the third woman in UCLA history to record 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. She is the Bruins all-time leader in blocks (228) and ranks third in rebounds (1,159). Defense kills.
UCLA W. Basketball on Twitter
Yes @moniquebillings So proud of you! https://t.co/8cqI74sC2q
Mighty UConn has three first-round draft picks coming out this season; 6-6 forward Azur Stevens, 5-11 forward Gabby Williams and 6-0 Canadian guard Kia Nurse.
UConn Women’s Hoops on Twitter
Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams and Azur Stevens earned invites to the #WNBADraft next week!
Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians, a 6-1 guard, played in two straight National Championship games.
Victoria Vivians, Another PRBLM!
Another Problem Mississippi State had was Victoria Vivians. Can also come off the screen and pull it, with a nice handle on the ball. Can’t wait to see them again this upcoming season.
The 2018 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm pops off on Thursday, April 12th. ESPN2 will air the first round at 7 p.m. ET, followed by coverage of the second and third rounds on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET. As the premier women’s professional hoops league continues to grow in stature and adjust to a changing sports landscape, its venues of operation do as well.
Nike New York Headquarters, which boasts an interactive and experiential atmosphere, is hosting the draft for the first time. The 150,000-square-foot venue, which opened last June, features a 4,000-square-foot indoor basketball court that will serve as the broadcast hub for the draft. The event is not open to the public.
The Las Vegas Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) hold the No. 1 overall pick after winning the WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm in November. The Indiana Fever will select second, followed by two selections for the Chicago Sky the No. 3 pick, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Dream last season, and its own pick at No. 4.
