WNBA Prospect of the Week (1/5-1/11)

Taking this week's Prospect of the Week honors is the 6'4" senior Auburn forward, DeWanna Bonner. #6/8 Auburn went 2-0 for the week with wins over South Carolina and #19/19 Florida. In the 81-65 win over Florida, Bonner scored a game-high 29 points, while also pulling down 11 rebounds. In that very game, she shot 53% from the field, 33% from three, and 89% from the free throw line. For the week, Bonner averaged 29 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 58% field goal percentage, and 79% from the free throw line. This is Bonner's first Prospect of the Week award.

 Also Considered: Angel McCoughtry (Louisville), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State), Sha Brooks (Florida), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Ashley Walker (California).

Agler hopes Offseason will result in the Perfect Storm

After signing two All-WNBA type of talents in Sheryl Swoopes and Yolanda Griffith, the Seattle Storm seemed poised for their second title. However, a first round exit against LA sent the Storm packing, and now there are things that need to be changed. Let's look at what went well for the Storm, what didn't go well, and what they could look for in the 2009 WNBA Draft.

The Jackson Five
One of the key strengths of the Seattle Storm was their experience of their starting five. Everyone in the starting five has won at least one WNBA  title, and each brought their own experience to the table. But there's one problem - age. Swoopes and Griffith were servicable, but it was obvious both have regressed a bit. Adding a healthy Burse could help cover that up, but there's still another question out there - Lauren Jackson. Jackson is being courted by every team in the WNBA but the front runners seem to be Seattle, Phoenix and Connecticut. With the added age of Swoopes and Griffith, the injury prone nature of Burse, and the questionable direction of Lauren Jackson, look for the Storm to be smart in who they draft because they probably will make the squad. The Storm must look to the future before they get caught in the present.

O is the show, but d is the key
When Agler shopped Castro-Marques and Lennox around for the possiblity of bringing on Cash and Swoopes, Storm fans knew one thing would change - defense. The Storm were the best defensive team in the league last year, giving up the least amount of points (70), and we second in opponent field goal percentage (40%). Obviously adding Swoopes and Griffith made the difference, but so did Agler. Agler is a very defensive minded coach, which was not necessarily a strong suit of Ann Donovan. If one thing went well for the Storm it was their defense. 

Get To The Point
Since Tully Bevilaqua left Washington state, the Storm as a franchise have yet to fill her place consisently. Last year, Beck was used part of the season, but was waived and then picked up in the post season for roster limit reasons. Tanisha Wright played a bulk of the back up point guard duties, but is not a pure point. If the Storm win the Lauren Jackson Sweepstakes, expect them to after their next most sought after position - the point guard. Among the most sought after point guards are Shalee Lehning, Briann January, Mandy Morales, Kristi Cirone, and Kristi Toliver. If they want to go with a defensive minded point guard, they might go with January. If they want to go with a play making point guard, they will probably go with Lehning. However, the Storm were the second worst three point shooting team last year in the league, only being better than LA in that regard. With that being said, they might go offensive with someone like Cirone or Toliver. Seattle might actually find a point guard this year.

I don't want no scrubs
Let's be honest. The Storm have never been known as an overly deep team and we've discussed their aging veteran issues. Wright and Katie Gearlds give the Storm hope in the back court, but there is little to no hope in the post play area. Ashley Robinson, for some odd reason, has kept a stable job. This is a woman who has more career fouls than points (zing!). And while Shyra Ely has improved, she's still a project, and of the last-minute-blah-im-tired-of-this variety. If the Storm want to get serious, they should cut the fat and go for some youth in the post. There is more need for guards in this year's draft, it seems, so even in the third round, posts will still be available. I expect the Storm to take a chance on a big in the third round, and I'm quite sure they'll be as good, if not better, than Ashley Robinson.

Introducing...Star Allen
Among our top ranked prospects, one of the more surprising names to appear week after week is Ohio State forward Star Allen. All is now a senior and has been apart of three Big Ten Championships. She while she has endured her fair share of ups and downs, including being academic ineligble for most of her junior year, Allen has been poised for a strong senior campaign. It hasn't been easy, though. Many wondered how Allen would return. Would she be out of shape? Would she be focused? Well, early returns say Allen returned better than ever. Marscilla Packer, a former Ohio State standout, touched on Allen's strengths by saying "Star does a lot of great things, she has guard skills that help our team out a lot." It's safe to say Allen has 'starred' in many Buckeye wins. And with the WNBA draft approach, Allen will need to continue to put on a show.

Introducing...Shalee Lehning
Point guard are always of need when it comes to the WNBA, and there's one that's standing out in the Little Apple. For years, Shalee Lehning has led the Wildcats both on and off the court. Kansas State head coach Deb Patterson said Shalee "is as good a player as I've ever had the opportunity to coach. Different, but as good as any I've had. Intensity beyond description and a heart as big as a planet." Lehning's game is not something you see everyday. She's a very physical player who will battle with anyone. Her ability to create plays for both herself, as well as others, is uncanny. And her ability to rebound as if she's a foot taller leads Deb Patterson to nickname Lehning as a 'throwback player.' ESPN.com even named her as one of the Top 5 point guards this season. Lehning leads her team in assists, field goal percentage and rebounds per game. Not to mention that she's already had four triple doubles and the nation's assist leader. There's an element about Shalee that intrigues people, even Texas head coach Gale Goestenkors. "She's one of the best point guards in America," Goestenkors noted, "For some reason she has been under the radar but I would put her up against any guard in the country."

Prospect Rankings: Weeks 6, 7, 8

This is our first ranking update in three weeks. Much has changed.

   Rank - Name (Team) - Last Week's Rank
  1. Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) - 1
  2. Ashley Walker (California) - 2
  3. Star Allen (Ohio State) 4  
  4. Angel McCoughtry (Louisville) - 5
  5. DeWanna Bonner (Auburn) - 6 
  6. Ashley Paris (Oklahoma) - 3
  7. Shalee Lehning (Kansas State) - 9
  8. Danielle Gant (Texas A&M) - 7
  9. Kristi Cirone (Illinois State) - 28
10. Chante Black (Duke) - 16
11. Robyn Fairbanks (Utah Valley State) - NR
12. Marlies Gipson (Kansas State) - 17
13. Renee Montgomery (UCONN) - 10 
14. Marshae Dotson (Florida) - 11
      Monique McLean (St. Johns) - NR
16. Jernisha Cann (IUPUI) - 22
      Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburg) - 25
18. Marissa Coleman (Maryland) - 14
19. Lyndra Littles (Virginia) - NR
20. Whitney Thomas (Indiana) - NR
      Kristi Toliver (Maryland) - 29
      Chandrea Jones (Syracuse) - 18
      Rachel Porath (UW-Green Bay) - NR
24. Laura Kurz (Villanova) - NR
25. Traci Edwards (UW Milwaukee) - NR

HM: Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue), Jessica Bobbitt (Belmont), Rashanda McCants (North Carolina), Briann January (Arizona State), Megan Frazee (Liberty).

WNBA Prospect of the Week (12/29-1/4)

After returning from a Fall Semester Suspension, Lyndra Littles (6'1 Forward Virginia), came back in a big way, taking this week's Prospect of the Week Award. Littles' Virginia Cavaliers went 2-0 this week with wins over Louisiana Tech (68-52) and Georgia (62-60). Littles scored 33 points in her first game back while also managing to pull down 7 rebounds. For week, Littles averaged 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Littles also shot 44% from the field. This is Littles' first Prospect of the Week Award.

Also Considered: Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburgh), Robyn Fairbanks (Utah Valley State), Ashley Walker (California), Heather Ezell (Iowa State).

Will Stars Align Again in San Antonio?

Last year, San Antonio made one of the biggest draft day trades by trading with Atlanta to recieve Ann Wauters, the strong center out of Belgium. Once Ann arrived, San Antonio seemed unbeatable. Let's look at how San Antonio stacked up and what we could look for them to do come draft day.

Forever Young
Becky Hammon, the odds on star for the Silver Stars, had yet another solid season, but it was the play of 6'1" forward Sophia Young that caught people's attention. Young averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds for the Stars last season. Wauters also had a stellar campaign, scoring around 14 points and pulling down 6 boards a game. The Big Three did a lot for the Stars. At times, they heavily depended on those three. But once again, the story of San Antonio's season was execution and balance. The Stars are very disciplined and score a lot out of halfcourt sets. The Stars also, despite not having a huge roster due to cap reasons, went about as deep as possible - bringing off veteran guards like Helen Darling, Vickie Johnson, and Edwige Lawson-Wade. Balance and discipline helped get San Antonio to the finals. Oh, and so did that Sophia Young girl.

Exit Stage Left
The Silver Stars had one of the most memorable trips to the Finals, by beating a fiesty Sacramento team and ultimately beating the LA Sparks, a team most thought would win the title. However, once they got to the finals, the Stars struggled. Detroit's in-your-face style of defense really bothered the Stars. San Antonio has people that can create their own offense, but at some times it can get tough. This is the reason why they also struggled against a Sacramento squad who, on paper, shouldn't have been able to stay that close. But Sacramento frazzled the Stars and thus made a series out of it.

Reaching for the Stars
The Stars currently hold the 14, 26, and 39 draft picks. Though they don't have a pick in the first round, they get first dibs in the second round. Like any WNBA team, the Stars need to look at their roster and predict what will happen. Will Wauters and Lawson-Wade come back? Lawson-Wade plays for France and Wauters plays for Belgium. Eurobasket 2009, the qualification tournament for the World Championships, will be held this summer. Will the two Euros be no-shows? If so, the Stars might look to go with a post and a guard with their first two picks. With Shanna Crossley returning, the Stars do get some shooting, but how will older players like Darling and Johnson hold up? Johnson was a no-show in the finals last year. The guard position may be of need in San Antonio.

It's Shot Creation, Stupid
No matter what position the Stars draft, they need players who can create their own shots at any time. A player like Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton is a possiblity if she isn't drafted in the first round. Also look for someone like Shavonte Zellous or Briann January if they go guard. The Stars might even look in the Big XII for a player - someone like Danielle Gant, Takia Starks or Marlies Gipson. San Antonio might even take a chance on Liberty star Megan Frazee, a player who could thrive in the WNBA due to her versatility. The Stars were the best team for most of the year last season, which means they don't need a huge upgrade, but there are positions they need filled. They need someone who can create their own shot on the drop of a dime and someone who can act as a lockdown type of defender, because who wants to see Katie Smith light up the Stars again? I know San Antonio fans don't.

Introducing...Amber Bland
Amber Bland. Does the name sound familiar? Well, for Big Ten enthusiasts, the name should sound familiar. Bland is a guard from North Carolina A&T, making it big in the world of mid majors. But that's not how it always was. Bland began her career at Penn State, where she was expected to fill the shoes of Kelly Mazzante. During the whole Rene Portland saga, Bland decided that she, too, would transfer. Bland was the third Lady Lion to leave the program, and that's what brought her to North Carolina. The Aggies welcomed Bland with open arms. She's been one of the better players that area has ever seen, setting single season scoring records. Bland has garnered multiple awards, and have drained many jumpers on opponents all over the nation. Patricia Bibbs, head coach at NC A&T, thinks this is Amber's chance to get in the spotlight. The Aggies are odds on favorites to get to the NCAAs via an automatic birth, and anything less would be disappointing. "Amber is loaded with so much talent,” said Bibbs. “I think sometimes Amber doesn’t know how talented she is. She gives so much so much on the court. But I told her, ‘it would be a travesty for you not to take your team to the NCAA tournament.’ I know sometimes it doesn’t happen, but she is the kind of player that can make it happen.”

Introducing...Krystal Ellis

Krystal Ellis, despite being one of the more explosive scorers nationally, is also one of the least talked about players. Seriously, if Ellis' name were to appear in a dictionary, it would be on the page that features the term 'underrated.' Marquette  has never really been known as a women's basketball power, but since Ellis arrived, they've been making noise. Since her arrival, The Golden Eagles have been on the fast track to success. Marquette is coming off of a WNIT title and two years ago, Marquette made the NCAA Tournament, eventually falling to Oklahoma. Ellis has had some memorable scoring performances, including putting down 31 against a Top 25 Wisconsin, and 40 on Kentucky in the WNIT. But while numbers are nice, Ellis has more on her mind. "It'll be exciting to break the record but I'm more focused on winning a national championship, actually," Ellis said. "I'm really excited about getting back to the NCAA tournament again, because that's the biggest goal of all. I can set all the records and everything, but I just want to win." Now a senior, Krystal has had to step in as a leader, something that has not always come naturally to her. But still, Ellis has had quite a part in Marquette's history. She will go down as one of the better players to ever play there, and hopefully she'll get the national credit she deserves.

WNBA Prospect of the Week (12/15-12/28)

Over the holiday season, Shavonte Zellous, the 5'10" Pittsburgh guard, picked up her second WNBA Draft Net Prospect of the Week award. In a span of two weeks, Zellous' Panthers went 2-1, only losing to a ranked Florida Gators team. The Panther's easily beat Wagner and Florida A&M, also. In the loss against Florida, Zellous went off, scoring a career-high 42 points on 54% shooting, while also dishing out 6 assists and pulling down 4 rebounds. For the two weeks, Zellous averaged 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. She also shot, on average, 53% from the floor, 55% from the three point line, and 87% from the charity stripe. This is Zellous' second Prospect of the Week Award.

 Also considered: Sha Brooks, Chante Black, Lyndra Littles, DeWanna Bonner.