Back court improvements could Spark a title for LA

After the return of Lisa Leslie and the drafting of Tennessee star Candace Parker, many considered LA to be the odds on favorites for a title in 2008. But the Sparks did not even advance to the Finals. Let's see what went right and wrong for the Sparks in 2008 and what they might do about it via the draft...

She's a Brick House
Last year, working in the paint was a strength of LA, but they struggled a lot on the perimeter. The Sparks ranked last in the WNBA in three point shooting percentage, shooting just 31%. The Sparks signed Marie Ferdinand Harris and drafted Shannon Bobbitt, but neither really helped the cause as far as knocking down shots from the outside with any sort of consistency. Sidney Spencer, the team's only real sharp shooter, had to sit a lot because of defensive issues. The real scary part is that Spencer shot a team high 38% from three, which ranked 11th in the league. Imagine what their percentage would be without her.

Golden Girls
One thing the Sparks could be proud of was the play of their three All-Star posts. Milton, Leslie and Parker all played for Team USA in Beijing and played well both professionally and on their national team. LA was first last season in blocks per game and by quite some margin (+1.50). The Sparks also were first in rebounds per game. Obviously, their strength is in the post. Leslie has returned to the court and still looks servicable, and Milton and Parker both showed flashes of greatness in 2008. Look for that to continue.

Baby Mama Drama
Pregnancy is never a bad thing, but for the second time in three seasons, the Sparks will be without one of their key players because of pregnancy. Candace Parker announced last month that she and husband Shelden Williams would be expecting their first child. While Parker seems poised for a return in 2009, not everyone can pull a Tina Thompson and return so quickly. Hmm. Speaking of Tina Thompson, since the demise of the Comets, rumor has it Thompson is interested in joining the Sparks, essentially replacing Parker at the four position. If the Sparks can get Thompson, it would be huge. Not only is she another strong All-Star calibre post but Thompson is a strong shooter from the perimeter, maybe even better than Parker and Milton. Having Thompson return to California would be huge for LA.

It's Toler Time
Penny Toler has not always made the best decisions, but in 2009 she may have to. The Sparks will need to look careful and who they want to draft. Their perimeter players really underperformed last year and a change is needed at both the point and shooting guard positions. Among the most sought after point guards are Briann January, Kristi Toliver, Renee Montgomery and Shalee Lehning. Toliver and Montgomery will most like be gone, and Lehning isn't the shooting type they need, so January may be a good picks. Also, keep and on eye on players like Krystal Ellis, Takia Starks, Kristi Cirone, Danielle Gant, and Sade Logan. These are players that could possibly help out the LA cause a bit. Again, LA might have to go young in the backcourt, but hopefully it will be quality.

There is an age old saying - 'dynamite comes in small packages. Well, for Mandy Morales, that couldn't be more true. You may not have heard of her, but Morales has garnered All-American type of attention and was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, an award given to the nations top point guard. Morales, who is originally from Billings, Montana, first signed with Arizona State before transferring to Montana. She found out her grandfather was ill, so she transferred and redshirted her freshman season. One thing that makes her Mandy unique is her heritage, which consists of both Mexican and Indian ancestory. Morales has joked that at Montana, she is known as the 'wannabe native' because "My grandpa was half native (Comanche) and my dad is only a quarter, so I'm like half a quarter." Things have not always been easy for Morales, though. Despite her off the chart numbers, she has had injury issues in the past. But assistant coach Annette Rocheleau summed up Morales' passion and work ethic by saying “She’s one of those kids who’s in the gym everyday, 12 months out of the year It’s almost to the point where you would just like to say to her, ‘Mandy go home and get some rest.’ She works extremely hard.” And the hard work has paid off, as Morales' Montana team is having yet another strong season and hopefully will end up in the NCAA's once again. Morales will be a key player to watch come draft day, because if you don't do your homework, you may miss out on quite a player.

Stock Up, Stock Down

We're getting into the thick of the conference season, let's see who's impressing and who's slacking...
Stock Up

                    Chante Black (Top 5) 

                                DeWanna Bonner (Top 3) 

                                                 Lyndra Littles (First round)

                                                               Shalee Lehning (Top 10

                                                                                Danielle Gant (Top 20) 

                                                                                                        Sha Brooks (Top 20)


Stock Down 

                Marissa Coleman (from Top 5 to Top 10)

                               Rashanda McCants (from first round to Top 20)

                                                 Briann January (from first round to Top 20)

                                                                 Kia Vaughn (from Top 20 to Top 25) 

                                                                                    Takia Starks (from Top 15 to Top 25)

Prospect Rankings: Week 11

  Rank - Name (Team) - Last Week's Rank
  1. Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) - 1
  2. DeWanna Bonner (Auburn) - 5
  3. Ashley Walker (California) - 2
  4. Angel McCoughtry (Louisville) - 3
      Ashley Paris (Oklahoma) - 4 
  6. Shalee Lehning (Kansas State) - 6
  7. Natasha Williams (DePaul) - 9
  8. Star Allen (Ohio State) - 13
  9. Kristi Cirone (Illinois State) - 13
10. Danielle Gant (Texas A&M) - 7
      Robyn Fairbanks (Utah Valley State) - 11
12. Marlies Gipson (Kansas State) - 15
13. Noteisha Womack (Seton Hall) - NR
14. Chante Black (Duke) - 7
15. Marshae Dotson (Florida) - 12
16. Lindsay Wisdom-Hytlon (Purdue) - 19
17. Marissa Coleman (Maryland) - 26
18. Whitney Thomas (Indiana) - 23
      Renee Montgomery (UCONN) - 16
      Kristi Toliver (Maryland) - 20
21. Megan Frazee (Liberty) - NR
      Jernisha Cann (IUPUI) -NR
23. Chandrea Jones (Syracuse) - NR
      Laura Kurz (Villanova) - 21
      Rachel Porath (Wis. Green Bay) - 28

HM: Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburgh), Julianne Viani (Marist), Amber Bland (NC A&T), Briann January (Arizona State), Tiffany Green (Old Dominion).

WNBA Prospect of the Week (1/19-1/25)

DeWanna Bonner, a 6'4 guard/forward from Auburn, has been chosen as this week's WNBA Prospect of the Week. Bonner's Auburn Tigers went 2-0 this week with wins over #10/12 Tennessee and rival Alabama. Against the Vols, Bonner went off, scoring 35 points, pulling down 9 rebounds and picking up 6 steals along the way. She also shot 48% from the floord, 33% from three, and 88% from the charity stripe. For the week, Bonner averaged 29.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and shot 54% from the field, 40% from three, and 86% from the free throw line. This is Bonner's second POW award from WNBA Draft Net.

Also considered: Courtney Paris(Oklahoma), Chante Black (Duke), Renee Montgomery (UCONN), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State).

Sun set for sensational season in '09

The Connecticut Sun have been one of the WNBA's most dominant franchises in the league's history. But that didn't stop people from doubting them after losing some vets and going young. Still, the Sun made it to the playoffs and took hold of the East's second place spot. Will they Sun rise in 2009? 

Out with the Old, in with the New
Believe it or not, losing players like Nykesha Sales (Europe) and Katie Douglas (Indiana) didn't end the world. Many couldn't imagine a Sales-less or Douglas-less Sun team, but in fact, the Sun responded well. Asjha Jones and Lindsay Whalen continued to play to the All Star level they're capable of and Tamika Whitmore, who was the addition via the Douglas trade, played a strong role in the paint. The Sun showed that they aren't a franchise that depends on a couple players, which is good.

Point Guard by committee
One key weakness of the Sun last season was their lack of post play. Sure, they had Jones, Whitmore and the french import Sandrine Gruda, but after that, it got sloppy. The Sun had four point guards on the roster last season in Whalen, Australian Erin Phillips, UCONN standout Ketia Swanier and veteran Jamie Carey. With the rosters being trimmed to 11, cuts will need to be made to make room for post players. The Sun were a middle of the pack offensive team by percentage last season, and they need to add more offensive fire power in the post.

Jekabsone-Zogota (above) will play a big role in the Sun backcourt

Doing His Homework
Like him or not, Mike Thibault knows how to build a successful team. No, he doesn't just sign mediocre American free agents or look to build strictly via the draft. He looks outside the box (or the country) and finds quality prospects. One smart move for the Sun last season was selecting Arkansas standout Lauren Ervin in the third round. This was a quality first rounder before she tore her ACL. She will look to suit up for the Sun this year. Also, the Sun are in pursuit for one of Europe's best shooters - Anete Jekabsone-Zogota , the Latvian international. Thibault is very craft with his draft choices. I wouldn't be shocked if he went with someone foreign in the third round, possible Spain wing/guard Alba Torrens.

Go Big or Go Home
As previously stated, the Sun need a big. They need someone taller than 6'3 who can rebound the basketball and score in the paint. Easier said than done. But there are quality bigs out there in this class. Chante Black from Duke could be someone the Sun pursue, as well as Kia Vaughn, Aisha Mohammed, and Devanei Hampton. Jones and Whitmore are fine, but they're both power forwards. The Sun need a true center and they'll be set for 2009.

Introducing...The Scouting Database

Today, we are very proud to launch our full scouting Database. Need info on WNBA prospects? Check out our draft Directory.

 Also today, we debuted out first mock draft. Send us your comments and suggestions. Enjoy!

 https://wnbadraftnet.tripod.com/wnbadraftnet2009/

Prospect Rankings: Week 10

CP3 is back on top. 

  Rank - Name (Team) - Last Week's Rank
  1. Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) - 3
  2. Ashley Walker (California) - 1
  3. Angel McCoughtry (Louisville) - 2
  4. Ashley Paris (Oklahoma) - 9 
  5. DeWanna Bonner (Auburn) - 7
  6. Shalee Lehning (Kansas State) - 4
  7. Danielle Gant (Texas A&M) - 5
      Chante Black (Duke) - 10
  9. Natasha Williams (DePaul) - NR
10. Sybil Dosty (Arizona State) - NR
11. Robyn Fairbanks (Utah Valley State) - 13
12. Marshae Dotson (Florida) - 5
13. Kristi Cirone (Illinois State) - 11 
      Star Allen (Ohio State) - 8
15. Marlies Gipson (Kansas State) - 11
16. Traci Edwards (Wisconsin Milwaukee) - 22
      Renee Montgomery (UCONN) - 14
18. Julianne Viani (Marist) - 21
19. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue) - 17
20. Kristi Toliver (Maryland) - 18
21. Laura Kurz (Villanova) - 26
      Monique McLean (St. John's) - 15
23. Whitney Thomas (Indiana) - 19
      Sha Brooks (Florida) - 15
25. Mandy Morales (Montana) - 25

HM: Marissa Coleman (Maryland), Rashanda McCants (North Carolina), Rachel Porath (Wisconson Green Bay), Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburgh), Lyndra Littles (Virginia).

WNBA Prospect of the Week (1/12-1/18)

Marshae Dotson, a 5'11 forward from Florida, is this week's WNBA Draft Net Prospect of the Week. Dotson's Gators enjoyed two wins this week, beating both South Carolina and Georgia. Against South Carolina, Dotson scored 19 points and pulled down 6 boards, while blocking 1 shot. She shot a perfect 8-8 from the field. For the week, Dotson averaged 19.5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 64% from the field and 63% from the free throw line. This is Dotson's first Prospect of the Week selection.

 Also Considered: Robyn Fairbanks (Utah Valley State), Ashley Walker (California), Christina Wirth (Vanderbilt), DeWanna Bonner (Auburn), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State).

Shock looking to build for title defense

Last year, the Detroit Shock did just what they wanted to do - win a WNBA title. But it was how they did it that defined their season. Through injuries and suspensions, the ladies from Motown cruised to a Finals victory, winning their 3rd title in franchise history and cementing themselves as one of the best franchise in league history. Let's look at how the Shock can build on such a season...

Built Ford Tough 
Cheryl Ford has been a huge question mark the past couple seasons. She's sustained several injuries and as one of the main building blocks of the Shock team, Ford's importance is almost unexplainable. Last year, Ford got injured during a scuffle between Plenette Pierson and Candace Parker, sidelining her for the remainder of the season. For Detroit to win another title, they will need Ford to be healthy and on top of her game.

Going Postal
Since Bill Laimbeer arrived, the Shock have become one of the WNBA's most intimidating post teams in the history of the league. Last year was no different. In adding Taj McWilliams-Franklin, they add depth to a position which already included All-Stars Kara Braxton and Cheryl Ford, and Plenette Pierson. West Virginia Rookie Olayinka Sanni and UCONN alum Kelly Schumacher also were servicable in small minutes. In 2009, the Shock will still continue to be one of the toughest front courts.

Young Guns
With a strong front court, it is obvious to everyone that the Shock will most likely be selecting a guard in the first round. Elaine Powell isn't getting younger, and Sheri Sam has obviously regressed. Katie Smith and Deanna Nolan will continue to play at All-Star levels, but they could still add some youth. Look for the Shock to pursue someone like Shavonte Zellous, Krystall Ellis or Takia Starks. Zellous would be a perfect fit for the Shock, but she will probably be taken before that.

The Dishing Divas
Unless the Shock think Elaine Powell is of starting quality or that Alexis Hornbuckle could fill a void, the Shock may even look to bring in a point guard. Shalee Lehning could be interesting here. She's as strong playmaker and rebounds from the guard position like nobody else does. She seems like Laimbeer's blue collered type of player. But also look for possibly selecting Briann January or even (gasp) Kristi Toliver. Again, the point guard isn't a huge need for the Shock if they have faith in Hornbuckle and Powell, but I could see Laimbeer possibly taking a point guard.