2013 WNBA Draft Results: Breaking Down Top Picks That Will Have Biggest Impact

The results from the 2013 WNBA Draft are in, with the biggest names from women's college basketball selected throughout the three-round draft.

There were no surprises, as Baylor star Brittney Griner went with the first overall pick, and the other big names of women's college ball soon followed the star center—snapped up by WNBA teams right around the league and primed for strong seasons in the big-time.

Which picks will have the biggest impact for their various teams in 2013?

Read on and find out.

Brittney Griner—No. 1 Pick to the Phoenix Mercury

Griner is the hottest name in women's college basketball and will instantly become the biggest name in women's professional basketball following her selection by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 pick. And as a crazy as it seems, Griner could very well make the Mercury an instant playoff contender once they can figure out how to best utilize the star center in their rotation.

The Lady Bears star finished with an average of 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.14 blocks for the season—with an incredible 0.607 field-goal shooting percentage.

Her performances throughout the years at Baylor were the biggest reason why the Lady Bears went on their incredible winning streaks and why they became so tough to break down—an impact that she could well have with the Mercury throughout this year.

Phoenix will love the defensive energy that Griner can bring inside, and that should be the biggest catalyst for a strong season from the Mercury.

Skylar Diggins—No. 3 Pick to the Tulsa Shock

Like Griner, the reputation that Skylar Diggins has needs no introduction, and she will surely become a star of the WNBA throughout her career.

But when it comes to impact this year, that's also a no-brainer. Diggins is a premier playmaker who is capable of leading the Shock well this year—directing their attack and enhancing their production at the end of the court as a result.

The Notre Dame star finished the 2012-13 college season averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.1 steals. Moreover, she showed great leadership and ownership of the Fighting Irish attack, and will look to have the same impact now that she's with Tulsa.

Diggins will be joining her good friend Candice Wiggins with the Shock, and if that pairing can get going, then they're certainly in for a dominant year together. A very Stanford-dominated side with Nicole Powell and Kayla Pedersen also on the roster could lead to big things from the Shock. 

Kelsey Bone—No. 5 Pick to the New York Liberty

Kelsey Bone is an interesting prospect to watch for this season, with the Liberty's latest star definitely capable of increasing their production throughout 2012-13.

Bone still had a year of college eligibility remaining, but wanted to come to New York this year and play under Bill Laimbeer—telling WNBA.com:

"

[This is] the right time, the right fit. It's amazing to go to New York and play for Coach Laimbeer. Watching the Comets growing up, Detroit was that next dynasty and to watch Ford and Cash play and be so tough and intimidating. It was awesome.

You either love Laimbeer or hate him, I am lucky enough to love him with all of his experience and sarcasm and not being afraid to speak his mind—it's exciting. Can't wait to get things going...

"

The 6'3" center averaged a stellar 16.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season, which will be a big bonus for the Liberty. New York ranked seventh in rebounds per game last season and was often found to be wanting inside—something that the arrival of Bone could well change.

Look for Bone to be a big steal for the Liberty this year.

2013 WNBA Draft Results: Full First-Round Picks

Pick	Player	Pos.	School	WNBA Team
1	Brittney Griner	C	Baylor	Phoenix Mercury
2	Elene Delle Donne	G/F	Delaware	Chicago Sky
3	Skylar Diggins	G	Notre Dame	Tulsa Shock
4	Tayler Hill	G	Ohio State	Washington Mystics
5	Kelsey Bone	C	Texas A&M	New York Liberty
6	Tianna Hawkins	F	Maryland	Seattle Storm
7	Toni Young	F	Oklahoma State	New York Liberty
8	Kayla Alexander	C	Syracuse	San Antonio Silver Stars
9	Layshia Clardendon	G	California	Indiana Fever
10	A'dia Matthies	G	Kentucky	Los Angeles Sparks
11	Kelly Faris	G	Connecticut	Connecticut Sun
12	Lindsey Moore	G	Nebraska	Minnesota Lynx

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