The “3 to See” – Elena Delle Donne of Delaware, Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame, and Baylor’s Brittney Griner – headline a list of 12 prospects invited to attend the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, which will be held on Monday, April 15 at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
Rounding out the list are guards Alex Bentley (Penn State), Layshia Clarendon (California), Kelly Faris (Connecticut), Tayler Hill (Ohio State), Lindsey Moore (Nebraska) and Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown); forwards Tianna Hawkins (Maryland) and Toni Young (Oklahoma State); and center Kelsey Bone (Texas A&M).
A 6-8 native of Houston, Griner finished her collegiate career ranked first all-time in Women’s NCAA Division I history in blocks (748) and dunks (18), and second in points (3,283) and double-figure scoring games (146-of-148). Her blocks total actually paces both women and men – topping the 564 of Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado – while her 18 dunks account for 54.5 percent of the 33 total dunks by college women.
Diggins, a four-time All-America and two-time Big East “Player of the Year,” led the Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four berths, and finished her career as Notre Dame’s career leader in points and steals, and also ranks second in assists. The 5-9 guard also became one of the most popular players in collegiate sports and a social media celebrity; her Twitter account (@SkyDigg4) has grown to over 300,000 followers.
A 6-5 guard/forward, Donne led the nation in scoring as a junior and finished second as a senior. The Wilmington, Del., native’s 33 points in the school’s first Sweet 16 game ever (vs. Kentucky) moved her past Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Maya Moore into fifth place in NCAA history in career points (3,039).
Bentley earned All-Big Ten First Team honors three times and was twice a member of the conference’s All-Defensive Team. Clarendon led the 2012-13 Golden Bears to their first 30-win season and first NCAA Final Four berth. Faris helped UConn reach the Final Four in each of her four seasons, and led the Huskies to their eighth national championship earlier this week.
Hill, the No. 5 scorer in Ohio State annals, capped her career as the Big Ten’s scoring leader this past season. Moore was a two-time finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s top point guard in women’s Division I basketball. Rodgers, the most decorated player in Georgetown women’s basketball history and the program’s all-time leading scorer, earned a spot on the All-Big East First Team in each of her four campaigns.
Hawkins, the ACC’s third-leading scorer and No. 2 rebounder this season, is only the third Terrapins player with 1,000 career boards. As a senior, Bone ranked first, second, and third in the SEC, respectively, in field goal percentage, rebounding, and scoring en route to All-America Third Team honors. Young, who didn’t begin playing basketball or high-jumping until her second year of high school, has vaulted to prominence both as a top WNBA prospect and as a participant in last year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track & field.
Where the Teams Stand
And Where To Tune In
The Phoenix Mercury holds the top pick in the WNBA Draft for the third time in franchise history. In 2004, the Mercury used the No. 1 pick to select Diana Taurasi from the University of Connecticut and in the 2007 Draft they chose Duke’s Lindsey Harding. Rounding out this year’s top five picks are the Chicago Sky (second), Tulsa Shock (third), Washington Mystics (fourth), and the New York Liberty (fifth).
The 2013 WNBA Draft will make history as it will be televised on Prime Time television for the first time in the league’s 17-year history. ESPN2 will provide coverage and analysis of the first round beginning at 8 p.m. ET from ESPN in Bristol, Conn. ESPNU will air the second and third rounds beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The telecast will also be available online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Host Kevin Negandhi, analysts Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck, along with reporters Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson, will handle draft coverage duties throughout the night.
WNBA.com, in addition to providing comprehensive draft-day coverage, will serve as the web destination for fans who want to track top prospects throughout the Draft.
The players invited to attend the 2013 WNBA Draft telecast from ESPN are:
Name College/University Position Height
Alex Bentley Penn State Guard 5’7″
Kelsey Bone Texas A&M Center 6’4″
Layshia Clarendon California Guard 5’9″
Elena Delle Donne Delaware Guard/Forward 6’5″
Skylar Diggins Notre Dame Guard 5’9″
Kelly Faris Connecticut Guard 5’11”
Brittney Griner Baylor Center 6’8″
Tianna Hawkins Maryland Forward 6’3″
Tayler Hill Ohio State Guard 6’0″
Lindsey Moore Nebraska Guard 5’9″
Sugar Rodgers Georgetown Guard 5’11”
Toni Young Oklahoma State Forward 6’2″
About Post Author
