Storm Has Long Coveted Newton
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Get Storm Headlines!Kevin Pelton, stormbasketball.com | December 14, 2009
When the Seattle Storm selected guard
Chelsea Newton in Monday's Dispersal Draft of former Sacramento Monarchs players, it was a match of player and team that was some time in the making.
"I thought it was just a real pleasant surprise for us today because we've coveted her for a period of time," Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Brian Agler said by phone. "We've tried to trade for her on numerous occasions. In fact, we were close to adding her to our roster a year ago down the stretch."
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The Storm entered the Dispersal Draft uncertain if anyone would be available by the time Seattle's 10th pick was on the clock. Because unrestricted free agents Kara Lawson, Hamchétou Maïga-Ba and Ticha Penicheiro were not eligible, just eight current Monarchs were available. Atlanta and Los Angeles passed before the Storm selected Newton.
"I didn't really think we would pick anybody, as a matter of fact," said Agler. "The two teams ahead of us - L.A. and Atlanta - passed and she was sitting there, so we didn't even hesitate."
While Agler had not spoken directly to Newton (currently playing in Italy) as of this morning, her agent Eric Wiesel told him she would be excited to be selected by the Storm. Newton will be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning the Storm - which already planned to talk to her about coming to Seattle - will have the right to match any offers to her when free agency begins in January.
"In our position, she's somebody we like," Agler explained. "We have her rights. It's not a guaranteed contract, so we can judge how she performs in training camp and go from there, but we think that she'll play well."
That's what Newton did in her role as defensive specialist for the Monarchs. A second-round pick out of Rutgers in 2005, Newton claimed a spot in the starting lineup as a rookie and helped lead Sacramento to the WNBA championship, earning All-Rookie Team honors. She spent one season playing for the Chicago Sky after being selected in the Expansion Draft (teaming briefly with Storm center 
Ashley Robinson) before returning to the Monarchs in exchange for a first-round pick.
Newton's career averages of 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game don't do justice to her impact at the defensive end of the floor. A physical defender with good size for a guard, Newton is comparable to the Storm's 
Tanisha Wright as a perimeter stopper. In 2007, she earned All-Defensive Second Team honors, and she was the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year as a college senior.
"I've always appreciated her as a player," said Agler. "She started for them the year they won the championship and really values the defensive end. She's extremely competitive. She's a winner. She's a big, athletic wing player who does a lot of little things that help teams be successful."
The Storm nearly signed Newton late in the 2009 season to add some depth to an injury-plagued roster. She was released by Sacramento when she had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery in August, but ultimately decided to re-sign with the Monarchs.
"They released Chelsea so she could have surgery and she was getting healthy," Agler said. "We just about signed her going in to the playoffs, but she decided to finish out the last two or three games there with Sacramento because she appreciated how she was treated there and she was using their facilities to rehab and those type of things."
It ended up taking longer than Agler hoped, but ultimately the Storm was able to land Newton.
At the top of the Dispersal Draft, the New York Liberty selected All-Star forward Nicole Powell. The Minnesota Lynx followed with forward Rebekkah Brunson, while the Connecticut Sun selected veteran DeMya Walker and the Chicago Sky grabbed second-year center Courtney Paris. All four could make an impact next season. The opportunity for the league's non-playoff teams to pick at the top of both the April WNBA Draft and the Dispersal Draft should help them improve quickly.
Agler agreed that several teams helped themselves "Quite a bit."
"Look at Minnesota, for example," he said. "They're going to have the first pick in the draft, they picked Rebekkah Brunson in the Dispersal Draft, and then they're going to get the third pick in the draft. They're going to substantially make improvements. There will be other teams. Connecticut, they have the second pick in the draft now, and they picked up DeMya Walker. They're going to substantially get better."
