|
Vote now!
|
Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter
Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images
|
|
When the WNBA's first All-Decade
Team was announced in June of 2006, it was chock full of women's hoops legends:
Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes among them. Some fans were dismayed
that Diana Taurasi, a rising star in the WNBA at the time, was named only as
an honorable mention.
While Diana and some other younger stars seem to be shoo-ins for the next All-Decade
Team -- unofficially scheduled for release in June of 2016 -- that begs the
following questions:
Who is the top young player in the WNBA? And which youngster drafted in the
past three seasons is most likely to be named to the next All-Decade Team?
Are you swayed by the impressive All-Star resumes of Seimone Augustus and
Cappie Pondexter? Or are you more affected by the promise and expectations surrounding recent WNBA Draft picks Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles?
The beauty of topics like this is that they're open to discussion. And that's
just what our Fan Voice is for. Check out the list below.
Then say it loud and
say it proud… Make your case for the players you'd put at the top of the
list. Post your rankings and comments in the thread here in the WNBA Fan Voice.
So without further ado, here's a glance, in alphabetical order (lest you think
we're playing favorites), at eight of the best WNBA players to be drafted in
the past three years.
Gauging
the best WNBA players with less than three seasons of service
|
Seimone
Augustus, Minnesota Lynx (No. 1 pick, 2006) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
Minnesota
|
2006
|
34 |
21.9 |
3.8 |
1.5 |
0.6 |
0.5 |
.456 |
.897 |
|
Minnesota
|
2007
|
34 |
22.6 |
4.0 |
2.3 |
1.2 |
0.6 |
.508 |
.873 |
|
| Though
the Lynx have gone 20-48 over her two seasons in Minnesota, Augustus
has established herself as one of the league's top scorers, finishing
second in the league in ppg in both 2006 (behind Taurasi) and 2007
(behind Lauren Jackson). |
|
|
Candice
Dupree, Chicago Sky (No. 6 pick, 2006) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
Chicago
|
2006
|
34 |
13.7 |
5.5 |
1.8 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
.457 |
.779 |
|
Chicago
|
2007
|
33 |
16.5 |
7.7 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
.446 |
.775 |
|
|
Dupree improved on her banner rookie season by upping her scoring
and rebounding all the while establishing herself as one of the league's
top post presences at both ends of the court. She has been an All-Star
both of her years as a pro and her game will continue to develop with
Sylvia Fowles in her frontcourt. |
|
|
Sylvia
Fowles, Chicago Sky (No. 2 pick, 2008) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
*LSU
|
2006-07
|
36 |
17.9 |
13.3 |
0.4 |
1.3 |
2.2 |
.571 |
.612 |
|
*LSU
|
2007-08
|
35 |
17.4 |
10.3 |
0.6 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
.584 |
.616 |
|
|
OK, so she hasn't yet played a WNBA game, but this 6-6 beast of a
center is already one of the top threats on the USA Basketball team
currently playing in China and will be expected to step in and perform
at the offensive and defensive ends for the relatively young squad
in Chicago. |
|
|
Lindsey
Harding, Minnesota Lynx (No. 1 pick, 2007) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
*Duke
|
2006-07
|
34 |
13.6 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
.444 |
.748 |
|
Minnesota
|
2007
|
20 |
11.7 |
4.4 |
3.9 |
1.0 |
0.3 |
.354 |
.679 |
|
| This
highly touted and highly intelligent point guard out of Duke was the
front-runner for the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award before tearing
her ACL halfway through the season. But she'll continue to be a go-to
player in Minnesota as her offensive game improves and could end up
being a significant backcourt player for the USA National Team. |
|
| Candace
Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (No. 1 pick, 2008) |
 |
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
*Tennessee
|
2006-07
|
36 |
19.6 |
9.8 |
2.4 |
1.8 |
2.7 |
.529 |
.712 |
|
*Tennessee
|
2007-08
|
38 |
21.3 |
8.5 |
2.5 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
.536 |
.698 |
|
| Like
Fowles, CP3 hasn't taken the court for a meaningful WNBA game yet,
but she's arguably the most talented player to come out of college
since fellow former Lady Vol Chamique Holdsclaw. Sparks coach Michael
Cooper is expecting her to come into the experienced L.A. lineup and
contribute immediately. |
|
| Cappie
Pondexter, Phoenix Mercury (No. 2 pick, 2006) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
Phoenix
|
2006
|
32 |
19.5 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
1.2 |
0.1 |
.442 |
.853 |
|
Phoenix
|
2007
|
31 |
17.2 |
3.6 |
4.0 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
.431 |
.815 |
|
| The
only player on the list to have a WNBA Championship to her name (not
to mention a Finals MVP trophy), Pondexter is a go-to player for the
Mercury despite having Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor as teammates.
This two-time All-Star is an electric scorer who is uncanny in her
ability to take defenders off the dribble and should be a star in
the WNBA for years to come. |
|
|
Armintie
Price, Chicago Sky (No. 3 pick, 2007) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
*Mississippi
|
2006-07
|
35 |
19.1 |
8.8 |
4.7 |
3.7 |
0.5 |
.457 |
.608 |
|
Chicago
|
2007
|
34 |
7.9 |
6.0 |
2.9 |
1.2 |
0.2 |
.409 |
.517 |
|
| Price,
a big-time scorer while at Mississippi, narrowly won the 2007 Rookie
of the Year Award... but because of her non-scoring traits. At just
5-9, she led all rookies in rebounding at 6.0 per game and her athleticism
helped the Sky mightily on the fast break and on defense. |
|
|
Sophia
Young, San Antonio Silver Stars (No. 4 pick, 2006) |
|
|
|
|
G |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
FG% |
FT% |
|
San Antonio
|
2006
|
34 |
12.0 |
7.6 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
0.4 |
.416 |
.730 |
|
San Antonio
|
2007
|
33 |
16.8 |
5.8 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
0.4 |
.478 |
.749 |
|
| Perhaps
the most unsung star to come out of the 2006 Draft, Young is an absolute
bruiser down low despite being undersized (6-1) for a power forward.
A two-time All-Star, she can score, run the court and play solid D.
|
|
Once again, click
here to check out the WNBA Fan Voice and make you opinions known on the
young WNBA stars most likely to make the next All-Decade Team.