2007 WNBA.com Draft Prospect Tracker
| WNBA.COM
COLLEGE PROSPECT TRACKER as of March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The top seniors in the 2007 class have been tracked and followed pretty much since they were freshmen. Several were McDonald's All-Americans in high school and went on to enjoy similar success college. So how will they shake out on April 4? After watching them play, talking to scouts, analysts, coaches and other "experts," here is how the top 13 players rank at the current point. This board does not attempt to match players and team needs, instead focusing on the best all-around prospects. As the NCAA Tournament unfolds and the prospects get their final shot to impress, we'll also be updating this list throughout...
Lindsay Harding (Duke):
3/19: Harding was one of two seniors and four total finalists named for the
Naismith Player of the Year Award on Saturday. Back in action on Sunday, Harding
was not hitting in her shots in the early going of her first round game against
Holy Cross, but you cannot really take too much away from an opening round game
against a 16-seed. She finished with seven points.
3/12:
When Candace Parker ended the speculation about her future last week, it allowed
us to focus completely on debate over who should be the top pick. We cannot answer
that here, but Harding, last season's ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was awarded
the 2007 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award last week. It is just the latest accolade
for Harding, who led the Blue Devils both offensively and defensively this season,
averaging 14.0 points and 4.1 rebounds and compiling 121 assists and 45 steals.
The Blue Devils (30-1) did suffer their first loss of the season, 70-65 to NC
State in the ACC Tournament (Harding shot only 3-for-13 in that game), but Harding
and Duke remain in the top spot.
3/5: The best
player, the leader, the spark for the best team in the nation all season long.
Yes, Duke lost this weekend, but they are still the favorite to win it all and
Harding is the primary reason. She is battling Candace Parker for Player of the
Year, and in the unlikely event that Parker is eligible for the Draft, they will
battle for the top spot as well. But not onl can she create offensively, Harding
was just named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well.
Ivory Latta (North Carolina):
3/19: With an
easy victory over the 16-seed Prairie View in the first round, we didn't need
to see too much out of Ivory Latta. She scored 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from
the floor, but the fiery Latta was one of five Tar Heels to score in double figures.
Carolina clicking on all cylinders after winning the ACC and now a strong first
round showing, they will be a tough out in the weeks to come.
3/12:
Ivory Latta scored 20 points in the ACC Championship
game, navigating through some of the toughest competition in the nation. In the
process, she became North Carolina's career scoring leader. Latta has had an up-and-down
season by her own standards, but looks to be on track to lead the Tar Heels deep
into the Tournament. Even more impressive has been her leadership and drive. Latta
gave the Tar Heels their third straight ACC title, something she promised as a
freshman after North Carolina lost to Duke in the 2004 title game.
3/5:
Latta was a frontrunner to be a top pick at the beginning of the season, but has
not stepped up and shown the dominant qualities of a number one overall pick.
That said, she is still a tremendous guard capable of scoring and creating for
her teammates. In the guard-focused ACC, Latta stands tall with (and sometimes
below) elite of that group. Not that we're matching players with teams, but both
San Antonio and Minnesota have expressed the need for an offensive-minded point
guard and both Harding and Latta are certainly that.
Jessica
Davenport (Ohio State):
3/19: One and done for Ohio State in the NCAA
Tournament is not how Davenport wanted to end her collegiate career. The Naismith
finalist got the news that she was among the final four for the Award on Saturday
morning, but ended the day with a disappointing loss to 13-seed Marist. Davenport
simply did not take over the game as many expected she would without injured senior
teammate Brandie Hoskins to help lead the show. The three-time Big Ten player
of the year finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists, but also 11
turnovers. The 6-5 senior and Columbus native ended her run in Columbus earlier
than she planned, but a bright WNBA future is calling for Davenport.
3/12:
In Ohio State's loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship game last week, the
Buckeyes found themselves in a huge hole early on that Davenport could not get
them out of. She was the only Ohio State player to score in double figures, finishing
with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but there were stretches where she looked overmatched
on the defensive end. That is not what you want to see heading into your last
NCAA Tournament. Davenport still has time to make a last-minute play for the top
spot, but look for Ohio State to take their game on the road.
3/5:
Jessica Davenport has been ready to play in the WNBA for about three years now
and we will finally see how she stacks up against the best bigs in the world.
She is averaging just short of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and has great
moves anywhere in the low block.
Armintie
Price (Mississippi):
3/19: Once again, the speedy and tenacious Price
led Ole Miss to victory, this time a 88-74 win over TCU in the first round of
the NCAA Tournament. Price led a tough press, scored 21 points and grabbed
eight rebounds (her team scored 39 points off 23 turnovers). Mississippi
won in the NCAAs for the first time since 1994, posting its highest-scoring game
ever in the tournament.
3/12: We didn't see as much of
Price as we wanted as Mississippi lost to LSU in the tough 4-5 quarterinals game
of the SEC Tournament. The defense focused primarily on shutting Price down, yet
she managed 12 points despite going 3-for-15 from the field. She struggled with
her jumpshot all game, yet we will see her again. With 10 wins in a tough conference
that is the SEC, Mississippi should have a strong enough resume to earn an at-large
bid.
3/5: Ole Miss may not be the traditional
SEC powerhouse you are used to, but the top senior in the SEC has drawn considerable
attention and will draw some even more attention from WNBA lottery teams. How
good is she? She is now one of only five players in women’s college basketball
to ever score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds, record 300 assists and have 300
steals. The others are Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and
Sophia Young. Wow.
Tiffany Jackson (Texas):
3/19: Jackson's tremendous collegiate career has come to an end, though she
has already established herself as one of the top post players available in the
Draft. With some doubters out there, she could benefit from some extra exposure
during the WNBA's pre-Draft camp on March 29-31 in Cleveland, but it remains to
be seen whether or not she will accept an invitation to participate.
3/12:
Texas has fallen short of expectations this season and their run in the Big Twelve
Tournament ended with a quarterfinals loss to Oklahoma. We would liked to have
seen Jackson do more to lead her team this season, but her talent is undeniable.
Let's just hope we haven't seen the last of Jackson and the Longhorns, who are
very much on the bubble of making another trip to the Big Dance.
3/5:
Wow, do coaches like her game. While the Longhorns have struggled this season
and falled out of the Top 25, Jackson is the prototypical power forward who is
at or near the top of many UT records. This season, as a senior leader, Jackson
is first on her team in scoring, rebounding, blocks, steals, minutes played, double-doubles,
double-figure scoring games and games as the teams leading scorer or rebounder
(23).
Alison Bales (Duke):
3/19: With a good tournament, Bales could be a top five pick. Of course, she has
already proven herself, but she would love to go out on top. She made some key
shots in the first round win over Holy Cross, made some great passes and finished
with 13 points and eight rebounds.
3/12: Bales and duke
were unable to run the table and finish with an undefeated season, but that is
really no fault of Bales. She had 17 and 7 in the ACC tourney semifinals loss
to NC State, both of which led her team. The good news is that she gets to play
more games in front of the local Duke fans as the likely top seed in Raleigh.
3/5:
At 6-7. Ali Bales is big and plays that way. She has been the anchor for Duke
all season long and really for the past four years. The Ohio native won't win
any races, but she is a defensive force in the middle. A regional MVP in the Tournament
last year when Duke fell just short last year, we are excited to see what Bales
and the Blue Devils have in store for a post-season run this year.
Noelle
Quinn (UCLA):
3/19: Without any more games to prove herself, Quinn must
rely on the strength of her resume and one last invite to pre-Draft camp to prove
herself worthy of a top pick. Of course, she did put together quite an impressive
collegiate career and WNBA teams are very high on her athletic ability.
3/12:
Unfortunately we may have seen the last of Quinn in a UCLA uniform. The Bruins
finished their season with a 14-18 record. Quinn had 25 points and six assists
in a loss to tournament finalist Arizona State and is still a lock for the first
round.
3/5: The best out west, Quinn has not
been in the national spotlight as much this season because her team has fallen
out of the Top 25, but losing two teammates to the WNBA last season could do that
to you. The Pac 10 never gets enough coverage in my opinion
Brooke
Smith (Stanford):
3/19: If you had any
doubt that she could take on a starring role when needed, look no further than
Saturday's opening round performance over 15-seed Idaho State. In the 38-point
victory, Smith made her first 10 shots on the way to a season-high 29 points.
She will play her final game in Maples Pavilion on Monday night against Florida
State.
3/12: Smith spent the Pac-10 Tournament
playing second fiddle to Wiggins, but was vital to the Cardinal's run to the championship.
She had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the title game and haven't
lost in more than a month. Heating up at the right time, look out for Stanford,
who has likely locked up a two-seed and will open up the first two rounds at home.
3/5: The best post player
on the best post team in the Pac 10. Any possibly the nation. Underclassman Candace
Wiggins may be the best all-around player and capable of taking over games, but
Smith frees her up by demanding attention down low.
Eshaya
Murphy (USC):
3/19: Murphy's college career is over, though we expect
that she will be one of the marquee names to accept an invitation to pre-Draft
camp. The top four or five prospects often to not participate in the camp, so
look for Murphy to stand out as one of the stars.
3/12:
The Lady Trojans lost in the Pac-10 semifinals to eventual champion Stanford.
As she always does, Shay Murphy led the way for U.S.C. throughout the tournament,
with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the 5-seed. We likely won't
see Murphy in the NCAA Tournament, but there is always the WNIT and then a chance
to shine at pre-Draft camp in Clevaland.
3/5:
Underrated a bit because her conference is not as strong as it has been, but Shae
Murphy is the real deal. A swing player with versatile skills, she is the latest
in a long line of talented USC players... Miller, Cooper, Leslie, Thompson...
she might not be in that company, but she is a legit first rounder.
Camille
Little (North Carolina):
3/19: Camille Little had another typical Little-like
performance in the first round against Prairie View, chugging away for 14 points
(12 points in the first half) and 5 rebounds on 6-of-9 from the floor. She scored
seven of the first 11 points of the game and the Tar Heels never looked back.
Her energy and spark put the game out of reach before the opposition even got
on the scoreboard.
3/12: Little did little to stand out
during the ACC Tournament and needs a good Tournament to stay on the first round
radar. WNBA teams know who she is and are familiar with her game, but fans should
start paying attention to her game. She lacks the star power of some of the names
above, but will definitely make a team next year.
3/5:
Strong post player who always seems to do the little things for North Carolina
and thrives on the defensive end. She gets into passing lanes well for a bigger
player and comes up with a number of steals that spark her team on the offensive
end. Often overshadowed by her teammates as the second-leading scorer and rebounder
on her team, Little also was named a Naismith Top 30 Finalist.
Chrissy
Givens (Middle Tennessee St.):
3/19: Another game, another dominant performance
for Chrissy Givens. Led her team to its 27th straight win, a 40-point victory
over Gonzaga in the first game of the NCAA Tournament. Givens led the way with
24 points and moved into fifth place on the school's career scoring list. She
also climbed to third for assists after dishing out four assists. The Sun Belt
Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year also had five rebounds and
five of her team's 17 steals in the win. Up next, Marist on Monday night and shot
at the Sweet 16.
3/12: Speaking of deserving of national
headlines, Givens has been getting her fair share in leading this mid-major into
the top 25. Middle Tennessee won its conference tournament and has now won 26
straight games. They have the NCAA bid in their pocket and are just waiting to
see where they end up. They deserve a 4-seed, but Sun Belt teams typically are
not seeded that low, so we'll see what the committee has in store for them.
3/5:
The only reason she is not higher on this board is because we haven't seen her
play live yet. But we will in the NCAA Tournament. Givens is a big-time player
at a mid-major school, but she has the team firmly entrenched in the Top 25. Now
everyone in the nation is learning about Givens' game thanks to ESPN and USA Today
cover stoties and come NCAA time, we'll see just how good she can be against top
competition.
Jessica Dickson (South Florida):
3/19: South Florida has a date with Coppin State in the WNIT on Monday. Unlike
many of her other Draft prospects, at least she still has games left to play...
3/12:
Dickson led South Florida all season, but could not lead them past a hot UConn
team in the quarter of the Big East Tournament despite 18 points. South Florida
has done all it can to stake a claim for one of the last at-large bids so we should
see Dickson at least once more, but if she can lead her underdog team in an upset,
she'll make national headlines and finally get more the attention she so deserves.
3/5:
The all-time leading scorer at USF, Dickson is both a scorer and a rebounder from
the wing position. She always knew she wanted to stay close to home, yet turned
down Florida to play at SF. She was the nation's top-scoring freshman during the
2003-04 season, at 18.6 points per game and ESPN.com named her the best wing player
in the country. Naturally, she is extremely athletic and is unstoppable if you
let her catch-and-shoot. She has a tireless work ethic and wants to always get
better. She is the prime reason that South Florida is even competitive in one
of the best conferences in the nation.
Lyndsey
Medders (Iowa State):
3/19: What a
leader for her team! People certainly have caught on to Medders this season and
it would be unfair to call her a sleeper at this point. She has been everything
for her team and is very much on the radar of every WNBA team in need of a point
guard. Medders also performed well on the national spotlight over the weekend,
tallying 12 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on an off-shooting night in a
big opening round win over Washington. She also showed she has range an hit on
2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Others
to keep an eye on:
Katie Gearlds (Purdue):
3/12:
Gearlds rises into the top 13 this week thanks to her tremendous performance in
the Big Ten Tournament. In the finals, she recorded 25 points, seven rebounds
and five assists and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award in
the last college game in her home state.
Bernice
Mosby (Baylor):
3/5: Mosby transferred from Florida,
so might be an old name in a new place for those just catching on. If you are
just catching on, where have you been? She is having a great senior season, averaging
18 and 10. Bears fans may miss Sophia Young, who brought the school a national
title, but Mosby is plenty good and is the reason why Baylor has stayed in the
Top 15 despite losing an immediate All-Star in Young.
Carla
Thomas (Vanderbilt)
Cori Chambers (Georgia)
Kamesha Hairston (Temple)
Emily
Westerberg (Arizona State)
Jillian Robbins (Tulsa)
Sidney Spencer (Tennessee)
--and
about 75 more...
