LaChina Robinson and Swin Cash analyze the 2017 draft class and give their predictions for how they will fare this season.

wnba-preview-new-draft-class

WNBA Preview: New Draft Class

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Team Previews: <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-stars-work-season/">Stars</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-wings-work-season/">Wings</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-mystics-work-season/">Mystics</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-sun-work-season/">Sun</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-mercury-work-season/">Mercury</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-storm-work-season/">Storm</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-dream-work-season/">Dream</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-fever-work-season/">Fever</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-sky-work-season/">Sky</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-liberty-work-season/">Liberty</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-sparks-work-season/">Sparks</a> | <a href="http://www.wnba.com/news/five-reasons-watch-lynx-work-season/">Lynx</a>
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2016 Record: 11-23
Key Offseason Moves: 
Traded Odyssey Sims and the No. 11 pick in the draft to Los Angeles in exchange for the Nos. 4 and 23 picks in the 2017 draft 
Aerial Powers underwent surgery to repair a hip labrum tear in November
2016 Highlights
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<h2>Diggin&#8217; In</h2>
In 2014, Skylar Diggins averaged 20.1 points and 5.0 assists per game. She was a true superstar. But an injury derailed her 2015 season, as she only played in nine games before undergoing knee surgery. Last year, Diggins averaged 13.1 points per game in 27 appearances. If she stays healthy this season, perhaps Diggins can regain her superstar form and lead the Wings as she did during their Tulsa days.
<h2>Era Of Evelyn </h2>
The No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA Draft is primed to make an impact from day one. Akhator, the highest selected Wildcat in University of Kentucky women&#8217;s basketball history, averaged about 14 points and 10 rebounds in her storied college career. The 6-3 forward should give the Wings a stronger presence inside.
<h2>Adding An NCAA Champ</h2>
The Wings traded guard Odyssey Sims for the No. 4 pick in this year&#8217;s draft, which they used to select Allisha Gray. The 6-foot guard has a championship pedigree after leading her team to the NCAA title earlier this month. Gray averaged roughly 13 points, five rebounds and three assists per game this past season at South Carolina, and she should be able to boost the Wings from the get-go.
<h2>The Big 3</h2>
In addition to Akhator and Gray, Dallas boasts a trio of returning players that it will rely heavily upon this season. Both Glory Johnson and Skylar Diggins have missed significant time in recent years due to pregnancy (Johnson) and injury (Diggins), while Aerial Powers is still recovering from offseason hip surgery. If all three can get on the court together, the Wings have a solid core to build on.
<h2>Power From Above</h2>
Look for Powers to make a significant leap in her second season. The 6-foot forward averaged more than 10 points off the bench during her rookie campaign despite seeing less than 20 minutes of action per night. With additional minutes and responsibility this season, Powers is primed to exert an even bigger impact.

five-reasons-watch-wings-work-season

Five Reasons To Watch The Wings Work This Season

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Evelyn Akhator

CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Selected by the Dallas Wings as the third overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft
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2017
Saw action in 15 games as a rookie&#8230; Debuted in her first WNBA game on 5/25 at San Antonio&#8230; Scored her first WNBA points against Phoenix on 5/27.
COLLEGE
Completed her collegiate career at Kentucky after transferring from Chipola Community College, in Marianna, Fla., where she led the Indians in scoring and rebounding each year…. At Kentucky, she held an All-American senior season for the Wildcats, earning Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention honors.… Finished the season averaging 15.9 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game with a team-best 29 blocks.… Also ranked second on the team with 45 steals, while her 56.8 percent
from the field was a team-best.… Started in all 33 games, averaging 31.5 minutes per game.… Posted 18 double-doubles during the season which was the fourth most in a single season in program history and the most ever by a play not named Valerie Still.… Ended her career with 31 double-doubles, which ranked tied for third all-time with former UK All-American Victoria Dunlap … Although she was only on campus for two years, she ended her career second all-time rebounding averaging (10.1), eighth all-time in scoring average (13.7) and fourth in field-goal percentage (54.1)…. Started all 33 games her junior campaign, after transferring from Chipola College…. Led Kentucky in rebounds and blocks and finished third in steals and points…. Ended the season averaging 11.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 0.9 blocks per game, hitting a team-best 156-for-306 (.510) from the field &#8230; Had 316 total rebounds on the year, which was the seventh most in a season in UK history, while her 9.3 rebounding average ranked eighth in a single season…. &#8230; In her first ever SEC Tournament, she recorded two double-doubles with 15 points and 13 rebounds against LSU and 12 points and 11 rebounds against Florida.
PERSONAL
Parent(s): James Akhator &#8230; Siblings: One brother (Friday), four sisters (Maris, Grace, Fidelia, Sandra) &#8230; Graduated from Kentucky on May 4, 2017 with a major in Community and Leadership Development… Growing up in Nigeria, first picked up a ball at 14 at a girl’s camp; was encouraged to play due to her height…  When her mother, Benedicta passed away in 2013, Evelyn nearly gave up basketball and the dream of moving to the U.S.; her pastor and prep coach guided her back to playing.