UNCASVILLE, CONN: Ivory Latta was single-handedly the firecracker spark of energy behind turning the Washington Mystics into a playoffs team last season, and joining her is No. 6 pick Stefanie Dolson, a dominant force in the paint at UConn that plays with the same entertaining level of energy.
Just minutes after getting selected, Dolson said she too is looking forward to tag-teaming with Latta.
"She has such skill playing off the dribble and attacking the basket," Dolson said. "I think I can help open her more on the floor and score easily, so I'm excited."
Dolson built a reputation at UConn for busting out into some dance moves from time to time, something she was asked if she'd continue at Washington.
"Psssh, of course!" she said with a laugh. "Someone asked me earlier today 'Are you going to bring your dancing skills with you?' Dancing goes everywhere with me."
Latta is known for being just as entertaining off the court, which should help Dolson fit in seamlessly into coach Mike Thibault's rotation.
"I talked to Coach (Thibault) and he's a great guy," Dolson said. "I think I'm going to really get along with the players. He even said to me about how all the players on the team have really high energy, and I just told him that's one of the things I know I can bring as a rookie."
In what could be one of the biggest game changing moves in WNBA history, the Connecticut Sun have traded their franchise star, and 2012 WNBA MVP, Tina Charles to the New York Liberty.
The move is no doubt a shock to fans everwhere and was requested by Charles herself, the Sun said in a statement.
�Learning that Tina was willing to sit out unless she was traded to New York was a shock to our organization and extremely unfair to a fanbase that has supported her efforts on and off the court,� Sun Vice President and General Manager Chris Sienko said. Monday. �We made significant changes to our roster this offseason based in part on her feedback. For our fans and this team to be left in the lurch was not an option. New York stepped up with a significant offer that will pay dividends now and in the coming years.�
In exchange for Charles, the Sun received rookie Alyssa Thomas � chosen by New York with the fourth overall pick on Monday night � second-year center Kelsey Bone and the Liberty�s first-round selection in 2015.
The Liberty have already welcomed Charles, a New York native, on Twitter.
Chiney Ogwumike has been selected by the Connecticut Sun as the top pick of 2014 WNBA Draft.
Prior to the 2013-14 collegiate season, Chiney Ogwumike was often referred to as "Nneka's younger sister," which was at least partially understandable due to the fact that Nneka Ogwumike was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, was named Rookie of the Year as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks and subsequently made the 2013 WNBA All-Star Game. Chiney's exploits for Stanford this past season have put all that "little sister" talk to bed, however, as she led Stanford to a sterling 33-4 record and a Final Four berth, where the Cardinal succumbed to eventual national champion UConn. Chiney's high-energy, high-efficiency game -- in addition to her winning personality -- should be a perfect fit for the rebuilding Connecticut Sun.
If Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike becomes the No. 1 pick tonight, she could make sports history.
Her older sister Nneka Ogqumike was the No. 1 pick in 2012. If all goes well tonight, the Ogwumike sisters would join NFL quarterbacks Payton and Eli Manning as the only siblings to get drafted as No. 1 in North American sports history.
UNCASVILLE, CONN -- With only a few hours left until draft, we found none other than Stefanie Dolson (right) and her National Title winning UConn teammate Bria Hartley with their signature styles (and attitudes to match).
Below, we also snuck up on Odyssey Sims, Chelsea Gray, and Meighan Simmons (left to right) looking glamorous as ever.
UNCASVILLE, CONN - Jeff Van Gundy's NBA expertise is common knowledge but he unveiled some serious WNBA chops on last night's ESPN broadcast of Thunder-Pacers.
Check out the video below, as Van Gundy extols the virtues of UConn center Stefanie Dolson's commitment to hard screens during the NCAA women's tournament.
The 2014 WNBA Draft is just hours away and many of the teams are already set up here gearing up for tonight's main event. What kind of player is each team looking for? Find out in the team overviews.
UNCASVILLE, CONN -- The crew and staff are hard at work getting everything ready for tonight, but they aren't the only ones. The draftees are busy getting their signature look ready for the big stage.
UNCASVILLE, CONN - As the potential WNBA draftees and ESPN broadcast talents get acquainted with their green rooms in anticipation of tonight's draft, let's take a moment to acknowledge a former WNBAer's affinity for green jackets.
Angie Watson (nee Ball, on the left above), the wife of Bubba Watson who just added his second green jacket to his impressive wardrobe after winning another Master's Golf championship yesterday, is a former W player. Injuries curtailed the 6-4 Watson's WNBA career, but the former Georgia Lady Bulldog hoopster, who met classmate Bubba on campus in Athens, is still connected to the world of sports, through her now husband.
UNCASVILLE, CONN - It's finally here: the 2014 WNBA Draft is tonight at Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino and will be broadcast at 8 PM ET on ESPN2. The stage is set, the draftees have arrived, and the excitement is only building.
Before you tune it tonight, be sure to brush-up on your favorite WNBA teams and draftees (links below). And check back here for more updates as we get closer to the big night.
