Tulsa Shock Draft Preview

The Tulsa Shock are in good position to select a top prospect to join its youthful roster.
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First 3 Selections in 2014 No. 2 overall No. 13 overall No. 25 overall Last 3 First Round Picks (Pick, Year) Skylar Diggins (3, 2013) Glory Johnson (4, 2012) Liz Cambage (2, 2011)

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The Shock franchise hasn't made the playoffs since it relocated to Tulsa four seasons ago. But the team has had a tremendous amount of success over the years picking good prospects in the draft. And with the No. 2 pick this year, the Shock are in a good position to find a player to help them get over the post-season slump.

"I think it's going to be two rounds deep of players who can make a WNBA squad," Shock coach Fred Williams said about this year's draft class. "And in that first round, you certainly are going to see a group of players who can start and make big impact on their team."

Williams joins the Shock from the Atlanta Dream, a team that has been to the WNBA Finals three out of the last four seasons. What appealed to him about joining Tulsa was the amount of potential the team's young roster has.

"I've been there on the championship level 3 out of 4 times so I know what it takes to be there," Williams said. "And I've got a good foundations of players here that want to work hard here in Tulsa and make a difference."

Tulsa already has a core roster of players with tremendous upside including Glory Johnson, Skylar Diggins, Liz Cambage and Riquna Williams. Each of those players bring strengths on different parts of the floor, and Williams said he's looking for the best available players in the draft that can compliment any of them.

"I'm either looking for someone who can play the post position, someone who can go up and down the floor, or maybe another guard in our backcourt who can help us with some scoring and some outside shooting," he said.

The Shock were 11-23 last season but their record is not even remotely reflective of the talent on this team. Most of the game's came down to the wire, including last season's epic double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Sparks last season.

Williams said adding a solid piece to the rotation will help the team close games like that this season.

"If you can keep the foundation of your young players together and add to that, over time they learn from one another to get better and start winning some of the games they weren't able to before," he said.