2021 WNBA Draft Tracker: Complete results, grades as Charli Collier taken with No. 1 pick by Dallas Wings
As expected, the Dallas Wings took Collier with the first pick Apr 15, 2021 at 10:19 pm ET6 min read
The 2021 WNBA Draft is in the books, and as expected the Dallas Wings started the night by selecting Texas center Charli Collier and Finnish center Awak Kuier. They needed depth in the frontcourt, so that was no surprise. Collier is WNBA ready and Kuier has perhaps the most potential of any player in this class.
Aari McDonald, Arizona s NCAA Women s Tournament star went No. 3 to the Atlanta Dream, and after that things got a little wild. The Indiana Fever rounded out the lottery by selecting West Virginia guard Kysre Gondrezick, who most expected to go in the second or third round.
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Can Cheryl Reeve, general manager and head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, cap off a successful offseason by drafting yet another instant-impact player?
Reeve and company will have one shot at finding another future star, as the Lynx enter draft night with only the No. 9 pick. Related
However, after adding the trio of Kayla McBride, Aerial Powers and Natalie Achonwa in free agency, the Lynx do not need this draft pick to blossom into the Rookie of the Year, as Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield did. Rather, they need this draftee to fulfill a more specific role backup point guard.
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The Chicago Sky enter the 2021 WNBA Draft with a roster that is, for the most part, ready to compete for a WNBA championship. The signing of five-time All-Star Candace Parker officially ended Chicago’s rebuilding phase, putting the Sky in a position to win now but with Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley all in their mid-30s, it’s a championship window that may not be open for long.
With that in mind, expect the Sky to draft a player who they think will contribute immediately to their 2021 title run. While Chicago has plenty of skill in the backcourt, athleticism on the wing and defensive playmaking in the frontcourt, the team has a weakness that has been an issue in recent years: lack of guard depth.