| | Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Ann Wauters, considered the best prospect in
Europe, and Tausha Mills, a "female Shaq," were the top two picks
in Tuesday's WNBA draft.
Wauters, a 6-foot-4 center from Belgium, was the No. 1 pick by
the Cleveland Rockers, and Mills, a 6-3 center who graduated in
1998 from Alabama, went next to Washington.
At No. 3, Detroit selected Edwina Brown, a 5-9 forward and
All-Big 12 tournament MVP at Texas. The Shock acquired the third
and eighth picks after trading leading scorer Jennifer Azzi and its
No. 12 pick to Utah Monday night. Azzi had threatened not to play
in the WNBA this season because of salary issues.
Two other Big 12 players, Kansas guard-forward Lynn Pride and
Nebraska guard Nicole Kubik, also went in the first round. Portland
selected Pride with the seventh pick and Los Angeles grabbed Kubik
with the 15th selection.
In the second round, Rice guard Marla Brumfield went to
Minnesota, Texas Tech forward Keitha Dickerson to Minnesota, and
Iowa State forward Desiree Francis to New York.
Iowa State guard Stacy Frese, considered by some as the best
player in the Big 12, went undrafted until Utah picked her in the
third round. Oklahoma forward Phylesha Whaley went to Minnesota in
the third round, and Rice forward Kirra Jordan went to Seattle.
Kansas State forward Shanele Stires went to Minnesota in the fourth
round.
The three-time defending champion Houston Comets chose 6-4
Russian center Elena Chakirova with the final selection of the
first round. The Comets took Penn State center Andrea Garner in the
second round, Florida State forward Latavia Coleman in the third
round, and Marquette forward Abbie Willenborg in the fourth round.
Unlike last year, when Chamique Holdsclaw was the consensus No.
1, the relatively weak draft featured no dominant player. Stars on
the national championship Connecticut and runner-up Tennessee teams
are all juniors.
"I'm very excited to come to America," Wauters said. "It's a
very different game than in Europe, it's very aggressive."
Wauters, 20, averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 points for
USV Orchies in France. She'll bring an inside threat to a Cleveland
team that finished 7-25 last season.
So will Mills, whose physical play at the pre-draft camp in
Chicago raised her stock and earned the nickname of Los Angeles
Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal.
"She's referred to as a female Shaq," WNBA president Val
Ackerman said. "She may grow into that, literally and
figuratively. She caught the attention of coaches with her size and
strength and nice touch."
Mills also played for the Chicago Condors of the ABL. She will
join former SEC rivals Nikki McCray and Holdsclaw on the Mystics.
"I'm pleased to play with the best and get the exposure,"
Mills said.
Post players were at a premium in the four-round, 64-player
draft, making up half of the 16 first-round picks. The league
expands to 16 teams this season, adding franchises in Miami,
Indiana, Seattle and Portland, Ore.
Eight college seniors, five international players and three
former ABL players were chosen in the first round. Four-time
Olympian Teresa Edwards chose not to play in the league for the
second consecutive season.
Cleveland coach Dan Hughes, who only saw Wauters on tape, was
impressed.
"I wanted a mobile post, somebody who could run the floor,"
said Hughes, a former Charlotte coach who replaced Linda
Hill-MacDonald. "She brings so many elements to our program. We
were hard hit (at center)."
Orlando picked 6-5 center Cintia Dos Santos of Brazil at No. 4.
Minnesota, which had three first-round selections because of
trades, chose guards Grace Daley of Tulane and Betty Lennox of
Louisiana Tech with the fifth and sixth picks.
The expansion Portland Fire chose guard Lynn Pride of Kansas,
Detroit took guard Tamicha Jackson of Louisiana Tech, the expansion
Seattle Storm picked Kamila Vodichkova of the Czech Republic and
Minnesota selected forward Maylana Martin of UCLA at No. 10.
"Most teams are looking for a piece of the puzzle," Seattle
coach Lin Dunn said. "We need all the pieces."
With the final six first-round selections, Charlotte took 6-6
center Summer Erb of North Carolina State; Utah chose 6-3 center
Naomi Mulitauaopele of Stanford; New York picked 6-8 center Olga
Firsova of Ukraine who played at Kansas State; Sacramento selected
Stanford graduate and former Portland Power forward Katy Steding;
Los Angeles took Kubik, and Houston took Chakirova.
ABL players not selected in last season's draft are considered
free agents who can be added to rosters after the draft.
Wauters will be fed inside by point guard Suzie McConnell Serio,
who had surgery to repair a fractured left foot in January.
McConnell Serio is expected to be ready by the start of the season.
The WNBA, which opens training camps May 3, begins its fourth
season May 29.
| |
ALSO SEE
Smith: Declaring winners and losers
WNBA draft picks
Smith: Mock draft
WNBA draft: It's all about the Big 12
 |
