WNBA Draft 2015: Complete 1st-Round Results and Players to Watch
The future of the WNBA arrived Thursday night at the draft, as the league’s next wave of superstars heard their names called and graced the jerseys of their new teams.
The Seattle Storm were the big winners with the Nos. 1 and 3 picks, and their immediate future looks much brighter heading into next year and beyond.
Here is a look at the complete results from the 2015 draft as well as a few marquee players to watch next season.
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WNBA Player Rankings 📊
| Round 1 | ||
| 1 | Seattle Storm | Jewell Loyd, G, Notre Dame |
| 2 | Tulsa Shock | Amanda Zahui B., C, Minnesota |
| 3 | Seattle Storm | Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, F, Connecticut |
| 4 | Connecticut Sun | Elizabeth Williams, C, Duke |
| 5 | Chicago Sky | Cheyenne Parker, F, Middle Tennessee State |
| 6 | San Antonio Stars | Dearica Hamby, F, Wake Forest |
| 7 | Los Angeles Sparks | Crystal Bradford, G, Central Michigan |
| 8 | Washington Mystics | Ally Malott, F, Dayton |
| 9 | New York Liberty (from San Antonio Stars) | Brittany Boyd, G, California |
| 10 | Atlanta Dream | Samantha Logic, G, Iowa |
| 11 | New York Liberty (from Minnesota Lynx) | Kiah Stokes, C, Connecticut |
| 12 | Phoenix Mercury | Isabelle Harrison, C, Tennessee |
| Round 2 | ||
| 1(13) | Tulsa Shock | Brianna Kiesel, G, Pittsburgh |
| 2(14) | Los Angeles Sparks | Cierra Burdick, F, Tennessee |
| 3(15) | Washington Mystics | Natasha Cloud, G, St. Joseph's |
| 4(16) | Minnesota Lynx (from New York Liberty) | Reshanda Gray, F, California |
| 5(17) | Chicago Sky | Betnijah Laney, G/F, Rutgers |
| 6(18) | Phoenix Mercury | Alex Harden, G/F, Wichita State |
| 7(19) | Connecticut Sun | Brittany Hrynko, G, DePaul |
| 8(20) | Seattle Storm | Vicky McIntyre, C, Oral Roberts |
| 9(21) | Indiana Fever | Chelsea Gardner, F, Kansas |
| 10(22) | Chicago Sky | Aleighsa Welch, F, South Carolina |
| 11(23) | New York Liberty (from Minnesota Lynx) | Amber Orrange, G, Stanford |
| 12(24) | Phoenix Mercury | Zofia Hruscakova, F, Slovakia |
| Round 3 | ||
| 1(25) | Tulsa Shock | Mimi Mungedi, C, Nevada |
| 2(26) | Seattle Storm | Nneka Enemkpali, F, Texas |
| 3(27) | New York Liberty | Laurin Mincy, G, Maryland |
| 4(28) | New York Liberty (from Minnesota Lynx) | Michala Johnson, F/C, Wisconsin |
| 5(29) | Atlanta Dream | Ariel Massengale, G, Tennessee |
| 6(30) | San Antonio Stars | Dragana Stankovic, C, Serbia |
| 7(31) | Los Angeles Sparks | Andrea Hoover, G, Dayton |
| 8(32) | Washington Mystics | Marica Gajic, F, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 9(33) | San Antonio Stars | Nikki Moody, G, Iowa State |
| 10(34) | Atlanta Dream | Lauren Okafor, C, James Madison |
| 11(35) | Minnesota Lynx (from New York Liberty) | Shae Kelley, F, Minnesota |
| 12(36) | Phoenix Mercury | Promise Amukamara, G, Arizona State |
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm selected Jewell Loyd with the top overall pick and made her the biggest headline of the 2015 WNBA draft.
Adam Derengowski of WSBT in South Bend, Indiana, noted that Loyd made some Notre Dame history in the process:
Loyd was a notable first pick because she declared early for the draft. While that happens every season on the men’s side, it is a rarity in the WNBA because the incredible NBA salaries simply aren’t there in the women’s game.
However, Kate Fagan of espnW.com pointed out that Loyd has the opportunity to make nearly $300,000 by going overseas and accepting endorsements during her first season as a professional basketball player, so she won’t exactly be hurting for money.
On the actual floor, Loyd will help Seattle challenge for a playoff spot as soon as next season because of her ability to light up the stat sheet on a nightly basis. She averaged 19.8 points per game last season at Notre Dame (27th in the country) and helped lead the Fighting Irish to the national championship game.
Mechelle Voepel of espnW.com believes that Loyd will fit in right alongside Seattle’s star player, Sue Bird:
The prospect of Loyd attacking the rim and filling the lanes as Bird pushes the ball in transition is an enticing one for Seattle fans. An immediate turnaround after a lackluster effort last year is certainly possible.
Amanda Zahui B., Tulsa Shock
Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. was the other contender for the No. 1 pick, but she ultimately went second to the Tulsa Shock. Interestingly, Zahui B. also declared early for the draft instead of staying in school and earning her degree before achieving her WNBA dreams.
Zahui B. averaged 18.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game for the Golden Gophers last season and is a double-double threat every time she steps on the floor. She is also a dominant rim protector who will likely start right away for the Shock as they attempt to solidify their defense.
ESPN Stats & Info pointed out just how dominant Zahui B. can be when she plays up to her potential:
If she produces like that at the WNBA level, the Shock will look much more dangerous as soon as next season.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Seattle Storm
Loyd wasn’t the only impact player that the Storm grabbed Thursday. Seattle drafted Connecticut’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis with the third overall pick after she set an NCAA Division I record with 398 made three-pointers last season.
Without her perimeter shooting, the Huskies may not have steamrolled the competition all year on the way to yet another national title.
Indiana Fever assistant coach Gail Goestenkors noted that Mosqueda-Lewis will make her mark right away, even if she needs to improve her defense, per John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant (h/t Ryan Wilson of NBCConnecticut.com):
"Well, there is no better shooter than she is. If a team needs a shooter, she's going. But her defense and her conditioning are the question marks. …
But every team needs a player like her. Every team is searching for more shooters. They need one that in crunch time can be depended on. In terms of her defense, she may just need to be one of the smartest players on the floor, one that's able to use angles [to help].
"
Defensive concerns aside, the idea of Bird, Loyd and Mosqueda-Lewis teaming up in Seattle should worry the rest of the league. Bird and Loyd will frequently attack the rim, and Mosqueda-Lewis will be waiting behind the three-point line to drill open threes when defenders crash on that penetration.
Seattle is going to put up plenty of points next season.
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