WNBA Draft 2015: Selection Order, TV Schedule, Live Stream and 1st-Round Mock
Heading into Thursday's 2015 WNBA draft, nearly every franchise needs reinforcements to keep up with the Phoenix Mercury.
Last year's champions dominated all year, going 29-5 with a league-best 9.4 point differential. Of the dozen organizations, they were one of three (Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream) to finish the season with a winning record.
Some young talent, however, can alter the league's dichotomy.
TOP NEWS
Hailey Van Lith joins new team
Ex-Iowa star Kate Martin waived by WNBA team
WNBA Player Rankings 📊
WNBA Draft
When: Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. (ET)
Where: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
TV: ESPN2 (first round airs from 7-8 p.m.)
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Full Draft Order
| 1 | Seattle Storm |
| 2 | Tulsa Shock |
| 3 | Seattle Storm (via Connecticut) |
| 4 | Connecticut Sun (via New York) |
| 5 | Chicago Sky |
| 6 | San Antonio Stars (via Indiana) |
| 7 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 8 | Washington Mystics |
| 9 | San Antonio Stars |
| 10 | Atlanta Dream |
| 11 | Minnesota Lynx |
| 12 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 13 | Tulsa Shock |
| 14 | Los Angeles Sparks (via Seattle) |
| 15 | Washington Mystics (via Seattle, from Conn.) |
| 16 | New York Liberty |
| 17 | Chicago Sky |
| 18 | Phoenix Mercury (via Indiana) |
| 19 | Connecticut Sun (via Los Angeles) |
| 20 | Seattle Storm (via Washington) |
| 21 | Indiana Fever (from San Antonio) |
| 22 | Chicago Sky (via Atlanta) |
| 23 | Minnesota Lynx |
| 24 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 25 | Tulsa Shock |
| 26 | Seattle Storm |
| 27 | New York Liberty (via Connecticut) |
| 28 | Minnesota Lynx (via New York) |
| 29 | Atlanta Dream (via Chicago) |
| 30 | San Antonio Stars (via Indiana) |
| 31 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 32 | Washington Mystics |
| 33 | San Antonio Stars |
| 34 | Atlanta Dream |
| 35 | New York Liberty (via Minnesota) |
| 36 | Phoenix Mercury |
Round 1 Mock
| 1 | Seattle Storm | Jewell Loyd, G, Notre Dame |
| 2 | Tulsa Shock | Amanda Zahui B., C, Minnesota |
| 3 | Seattle Storm (via Connecticut) | Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, F, Connecticut |
| 4 | Connecticut Sun (via New York) | Elizabeth Williams, F, Duke |
| 5 | Chicago Sky | Reshanda Gray, F, Cal |
| 6 | San Antonio Stars (via Indiana) | Dearica Hamby, F, Wake Forest |
| 7 | Los Angeles Sparks | Brittany Boyd, G, Cal |
| 8 | Washington Mystics | Isabelle Harrison, C, Tennessee |
| 9 | San Antonio Stars | Samantha Logic, G, Iowa |
| 10 | Atlanta Dream | Crystal Bradford, F, Central Michigan |
| 11 | Minnesota Lynx | Aleighsa Welch, F, South Carolina |
| 12 | Phoenix Mercury | Amber Orrange, G, Stanford |
Luckily for teams holding top picks, particularly the Seattle Storm, a couple of prominent prospects declared for the pros. The draft figured to feature few game-changers, but then Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd and Minnesota's Amanda Zahui B. decided to join the fray.
"This draft got really interesting within 48 hours, and we were happy to make changes,” Storm general manager Alisha Valavanis told The Seattle Times' Jayda Evans.
With both All-Americans jumping early to the pros, the top of the draft board receives a massive revamp before Thursday night. Here's an updated look at the top selections.
1. Jewell Loyd, G, Notre Dame
Shortly after her Fighting Irish lost another NCAA championship clash to Connecticut, Loyd decided to forgo her senior season for the WNBA.
Her team finished second behind the UConn powerhouse, and Huskies forward Breanna Stewart edged out Loyd for AP Player of the Year honors. On Thursday, however, the star guard finally gets her turn as the main attraction.
The multifaceted guard represents a prototype of what a rebuilding team wants from its future cornerstone. Seattle is rightfully excited to see her on the board:
During her final season at Notre Dame—where she made the Final Four every year—Loyd registered 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. During her collegiate career, she shot an efficient 46.6 percent while imposing her will on the defensive end.
With Loyd paving the way, Notre Dame lost five regular-season contests dispersed through three years. A scorer, playmaker, rebounder, defender and leader, Loyd is the complete package Seattle will not hesitate to snag.
2. Amanda Zahui B., C, Minnesota
Even though Zahui B. doesn't fit perfectly onto the Tulsa Shock's depth chart, the center is certainly the best player available after Loyd. A 12-win team should primarily want to accumulate high-impact talent rather than worry about team needs.
Coming off a sophomore season in which she averaged 18.8 points, 12.9 boards and 4.1 blocks with a 55.5 field-goal percentage, the 6'5" center is too good to fall past the No. 2 slot. Instead, she'll prove Loyd's biggest threat to the top selection.
Per the Pioneer Press' Marcus R. Fuller, the top prospect addressed her decision to leave Minnesota after a stellar campaign:
The 21-year-old has proved to be unstoppable at times, such as on Feb. 17, when she manufactured 39 points and 29 rebounds during a victory over Iowa. Courtney Paris and Glory Johnson can clean up the glass for Tulsa, but neither can match Zahui's dominant post presence.
Pairing her interior strength with Skylar Diggins gives the Shock a potent inside-out dynamic duo to build around for years.
3. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, F, Connecticut
As recently as a week ago, Seattle likely gave Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis strong consideration for the top pick. While UConn's deadly shooter will prove a useful asset, she also isn't the franchise savior teams can only hope will surface when they fall into the No. 1 spot.
Now, however, the Storm will gladly welcome Mosqueda-Lewis with the No. 3 selection, which they acquired from the Connecticut Sun. Although the Sun possess the New York Liberty's No. 4 pick, the slight drop will rob them of securing a hometown favorite.
The forward drained 121 three-pointers for the NCAA champions at a precise 48.8 percent clip, tied for the NCAA lead with Wisconsin's Nicole Bauman. Jenna O'Hea led Seattle with a 40.3 three-point percentage last year, and the Storm collectively drained 201 deep balls.
After solidifying star power in Loyd, Seattle can feel better using its next pick on a shooting specialist. She doesn't boast the upside of her Notre Dame cohort, but Mosqueda-Lewis will thrive with Loyd absorbing the attention.
Looking to galvanize a rebuilding effort after three mediocre seasons, the Storm will enter the upcoming season with two stalwarts from college basketball's top juggernauts. Switching from foes to teammates, Loyd and Mosqueda-Lewis will nicely complement each other to revitalize last year's worst offense.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
