CHARLOTTE | CONNECTICUT | DETROIT | HOUSTON | INDIANA | LOS ANGELES | MINNESOTA
NEW YORK | PHOENIX | SACRAMENTO | SAN ANTONIO | SEATTLE | WASHINGTON

The first few picks in Saturday's WNBA draft played out as expected. But which teams fared the best? Are there any trades in the making? What will Sacramento do with another 4? Which players were selected that we didn't expect to see drafted? And what's up with Penn State's Kelly Mazzante being the second Lady Lion selected?

Answers to all those questions and a look at how all 13 teams fared on draft day (listed in order of draft pick):

Phoenix Mercury: A-plus

Selecting Diana Taurasi was worth a few points by itself, but the Mercury just had a tremendous draft. The most impressive thing was how effectively Phoenix leveraged a single pick -- Chandi Jones at No. 8 overall. In the end, the Mercury were able to give up just one player (Jones) for three others: point guard Sheila Lambert (whom Phoenix was really after), Shereka Wright and point guard Erika Valek (23rd overall). Phoenix handled that trade very well. Taurasi will make an immediate impact and should help Phoenix much improve on its 8-26 mark of a year ago. She also gives the Mercury some flexibility in their lineup. They can go small with Lambert, Taurasi and Anna DeForge, or opt for a bigger lineup with Taurasi at the point with DeForge and Penny Taylor. Though some might question Ashley Robinson at No. 14, that's a solid pick. All Phoenix wants her to do is rebound and block shots, and Robinson is proven in both areas. Also, we knew Phoenix wanted to add a big with that pick, but the highest-rated posts -- Nicole Ohlde, Vanessa Hayden, Rebekkah Brunson, Christi Thomas -- were already taken, so Robinson was the best athlete available at the position. Trading their 27th pick, Oklahoma's Maria Villarroel, to Houston for Lindsay Taylor, the Comets' 26th pick, also was a great move. Taylor's young and Phoenix has the veterans and time to help develop her game. Lastly, drafting and/or trading for four rookies opens up some cap room since Taurasi, Wright, Valek and Taylor are all locked into rookie salaries. Phoenix has yet to re-sign DeForge, Adrian Williams and Kayte Christensen, so that added salary room will come in handy.

Washington Mystics: B-minus
Obviously, selecting Alana Beard is a big plus, and that helped bolster the Mystics' overall grade because there's some uncertainty about Washington's other picks. NC State center Kaayla Jones is a good player, but 15 picks into the draft, there might have been more proven posts available.

Charlotte Sting: B-plus

Nicole Powell at No. 3 is obviously an excellent pick. The franchise and its fans are going to fall in love with the Stanford standout's game. Powell is as great as advertised and should evolve into a great professional player. The Sting also were very lucky that Penn State's Kelly Mazzante was still available at No. 18. Charlotte really needed a shooter to shore up its outside game, and Mazzante has more range than anybody on the team's current roster. And although Mazzante was devastated that she dropped so low in the draft, Charlotte is a good fit for her. Obviously coaches had cooled on Mazzante, who is a three-time Kodak All-American but didn't show well in the NCAA Tournament or the WBCA All-Star Challenge game, and then opted not to participate in the pre-draft camp. The surprise of the day was when Penn State teammate Jessica Brungo was selected by Connecticut at No. 16, two spots ahead of Mazzante.

Connecticut Sun: B-minus

With the fourth overall pick, Connecticut was going to fare well, and Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen is a tremendous point guard who should have no problem taking her game to the next level. Whalen, however, is clearly disappointed to leave "home." She was hopeful that the Sun and Lynx would make a pre-draft trade that would have allowed Minnesota to move up high enough to draft her. The Sun and Lynx are still working on a trade (see Lynx, below). The Sun's decision to draft Penn State's Jessica Brungo at No. 16 is suspect. She is a solid player, but at that point of the draft, there were too many other great players on the table. Brungo was one of only two players -- Illinois' Cindy Dallas, who went 21st to San Antonio -- that I didn't have on my draft board at all. Selecting Ugo Oha at No. 24 also was an interesting choice, and is part of the reason the Sun only get a B-minus.

New York Liberty: B

The Liberty had a solid draft and picked up a fantastic player at No. 5 by adding Arkansas' Shameka Christon, whose stock just kept increasing the past few weeks. The SEC player of the year, Christon brings youth and energy to New York, and is a great slasher. The Liberty's No. 17 pick, Louisiana Tech's Amisha Carter, was a bit surprising. I didn't think she'd go that high, but she was a very solid player in the history of Louisiana Tech's posts, and that's a compliment to the program. George Washington's Cathy Joens at No. 30 was also a nice pick.

Minnesota Lynx: A

Like Phoenix, Minnesota had a tremendous day Saturday. All four draftees -- Nicole Ohlde, Vanessa Hayden, Tasha Butts and Amber Jacobs -- were great picks for two reasons: They fill a need for Minnesota and/or could be valuable trade material. Speaking of trades, the Lynx continue to negotiate in hopes of bringing Golden Gopher All-American Lindsay Whalen on board. Right now, however, Connecticut coach Mike Thibault is reportedly asking for two much: Nicole Ohlde and Vanessa Hayden -- Minnesota's sixth and seventh picks -- as well as guard Helen Darling. A more realistic trade would be packaging Darling with either Ohlde or Hayden, and either Tasha Butts (No. 20 to Minnesota) or Amber Jacobs (the Lynx's No. 33 pick) for Whalen. Minnesota would be wise to hold onto one of those posts, and yes, there is a possibility the Lynx would keep both Ohlde and Hayden if trade talks stall. Of the two, Minnesota would most likely prefer to hold onto Hayden.

Indiana Fever: C-plus

Let us first begin by pointing out that while Indiana didn't do anything exciting on draft day, the Fever get an A for its other acquisitions: Kelly Miller (trade), Deanna Jackson (dispersal draft) and Astou Ndiaye-Diatta (free agency). So it might not be fair to judge Indiana solely on its efforts Saturday. That being said, however, it was surprising to see Ebony Hoffman drafted so high, at No. 9. Make no mistake -- the USC senior is talented, but no one had hinted that she was valuable enough to be taken so early. It will be exciting to see how Indiana's key additions work out. Miller adds some offensive firepower, while Jackson is a scoring 3-4. Ndiaye-Diatta is a more athletic version of Olympia Scott-Richardson, but with a better offense.

Sacramento Monarchs: Incomplete

This remains the pick that has most experts scratching their heads. Sacramento clearly needed a shooter, so it's easy to assume the Monarchs drafted Georgetown forward Rebekkah Brunson -- whose draft stock just kept rising these past few weeks -- with every intention to trade her. The pick is just puzzling. With Tangela Smith, DeMya Walker, La'Keshia Frett and Hamchetou Maiga, the Monarchs already have a log jam at the 4 spot and don't seem to need Brunson. Of note, Sacramento has been interested in Phoenix's Anna DeForge for a long time, and has made inquiries about a possible trade. The Mercury are believed to really like Brunson, and that would be a great trade for Sacramento. DeForge, who's 6 feet, would add size to Sacramento's perimeter and also is a better shooter than anyone currently on the Monarchs.

Detroit Shock: A

For as much as Phoenix benefited from its trade with Detroit, the defending world champion Shock came out winners, too. Houston senior Chandi Jones, originally picked eighth by Phoenix and then traded to Detroit as part of that Sheila Lambert-Shereka Wright-Erika Valek deal, is very dynamic, not unlike Deanna Nolan. Jones, the all-time leading scorer in Conference USA, is also lightning quick and a great rebounder. Iciss Tillis (No. 11) will give Detroit an outside shot from the post that neither Ruth Riley nor Cheryl Ford have. Off the bench, Tillis will provide flexibility. She'll be effective trailing the break, and when defenses key in on Ford or Riley down low, Tillis can put the ball on the floor and hit the 3.

Los Angeles Sparks: B-plus

The Sparks were fortunate to be able to draft Christi Thomas at No. 12. She's a good player and will help fill in for Jen Gillom and Rhonda Mapp. L.A. coach Michael Cooper likened Thomas to a "female version of Tim Duncan. She will be a great complement to Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton.'' And you have to think Thomas will work out better than some of L.A.'s previous first-round choices -- Nicole Kubick (2000), Camille Cooper (2001) and Rosalind Ross (2002) never played a game with the team. Doneeka Hodges (No. 25), a 3-point threat out of LSU, was a smart choice. The Sparks lost Nicky McCrimmon, their main 3-point specialist, to Houston. Another trade rumor floating around is that L.A. is trying to trade Tamecka Dixon to Phoenix.

Seattle Storm: B-plus

Though Catrina Frierson was a solid pick at No. 19 overall -- she's yet another great post to come out of Louisiana Tech -- Seattle's good grade stems from its pre-draft trade with Minnesota, in which the Storm essentially turned one pick into two players. I like what Seattle coach Anne Donovan did. Instead of drafting a rookie to fill the Storm's need at the 3, she went and got a savvy veteran in Sheri Sam, who will step right into the starting lineup. In that trade with the Lynx, the Storm also acquired Janell Burse, another veteran who will add more depth behind Lauren Jackson, Kamila Vodichkova and Simone Edwards. Though The Associated Press reports that Frierson will require "a minor surgical procedure'' and won't play right away, Donovan said Frierson "will definitely be worth the wait."

San Antonio Silver Stars: B

Like Indiana, San Antonio did the bulk of its roster reshuffling in the offseason. The Silver Stars had the best offseason of any team, making several great acquisitions, most notably Shannon Johnson from Connecticut and LaToya Thomas in the dispersal draft. This is a team that should be considered a contender when the season tips off. This will remain a veteran team, but San Antonio added what could end up being some good pieces to the puzzle on Saturday. Texas A&M's Toccara Williams was a good pick at No. 34, and she's a "local" player who could fit in well with the Silver Stars. As mentioned above, Cindy Dallas, San Antonio's first pick at No. 21, was one of two players I didn't expect to see drafted Saturday, so that move is a bit suspect.

Houston Comets: B-minus

The Comets didn't have much to work with. They didn't get on the clock for their first pick until No. 26 (UC Santa Barbara's Lindsay Taylor), and only had two total picks (Texas' Stacy Stephens at No. 37). Houston then traded Taylor to Phoenix for the Mercury's 27th pick, Oklahoma's Maria Villarroel. That's a good move, and Houston will use slashing guard as a specialist. The Comets didn't need a big and instead took a page out of Detroit's book last year when the Shock drafted Cheryl Ford as a defensive specialist and rebounder. Stephens is undersized but also underrated (her work ethic is incredible), and also a hometown favorite in Texas.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.