Getting to know...Kansas G/F Danielle McCray

In light of rehabilitation efforts following a season-ending ACL injury back in February, Danielle McCray remains hopeful of her WNBA chances leading up to Thursday�s draft. The Kansas guard/forward expects a drop with regards to pre-draft rankings, but continues to focus on the positives.

�I have been rehabbing every day and getting my strength back to normal,� said McCray, now roughly six weeks out of surgery. �I am a versatile and powerful shooter, penetrator and rebounder who can bring hard work, focus, confidence and a fun attitude to the WNBA.�

Once McCray is cleared to play again, international play remains at the top of her to-do list. �As of right now I am just going to stay around school and rehab," McCray said during a conference call with WNBA.com. �Get myself back right and sometime in August or September go overseas and see how my knee feels and try to play in the league next year.�

McCray admits her emotions may be all over the map come Draft Day. �[I have] mixed emotions. I�m excited and nervous, but also anxious to know where I will end up.�

The typical player entering the draft may wonder the exact thing. But further rehabilitation coming off a shortened season certainly changes the playing field a bit for McCray and puts her in a place where limitations remain a factor.

In a recent media call with WNBA.com, ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck suggested McCray may still find her place in the league, but that destination may be limited. �It would have to be with a team who can wait for her to recover from her injury,� Peck said of McCray�s chances. �And there are some teams with that luxury.�

ESPN�s Rebecca Lobo mentioned that, prior to injury, there were no doubts surrounding McCray�s place in the draft. �This is a kid who, if she hadn�t been injured would have been a top five or six pick,� Lobo said. �This is a really talented player, but it�s going be a team who�s in a situation where they don�t have to fill a need right now." Lobo also added that whoever picks McCray will have to be a team that can afford to wait a year.

When McCray isn�t focusing on building up her strength, she has enjoyed some downtime with friends and family. No senior wants to see their season end the way McCray�s did, but the memories of college are still fresh in this guard/forward�s mind.

�The things I�ll remember from college are playing in front of a home crowd of 16,000-plus fans and building a strong bond with my teammates,� said McCray. �But the thing I�ll remember most is my growth from freshman year to my senior year as a person and player.�

The next level of play may not be an easy scenario for many to face, but it isn�t an impossible one either. When you take a player like McCray, who exhibits a tireless worth ethic and can-do attitude, it�s not so much a matter of whether or not McCray will be drafted. The real question is: Where?

Danielle McCray�s Top 10

1. What do you like to do to relax off the court?

-Shop, watch movies and hang out with friends

2. What are your hobbies or primary interests outside of basketball?

-Shopping, listening to music and fixing computers

3. How would others describe you?

-Confident, smart, funny, kind and thoughtful

4. What is your favorite food?

-Seafood

5. What is your favorite book?

-�Talent is NEVER Enough,� by John Maxwell

6. What is your favorite television show?

-America�s Best Dance Crew (ABDC)

7. Is there a current WNBA player you model your game after, or that you look up to?

-Alana Beard

8. What WNBA players are you most looking forward to playing against or meeting?

-Alana Beard, Tamika Catchings

9. Who are some of your all-time dream teammates that you�d want to play with?

-Tamika Catchings, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Candace Parker

10. What is your favorite karaoke song?

-�Aint No Mountain High Enough�