Meet the Draftees

Now that the books are closed on the 2010 WNBA Draft, here's a little more infomation about the Mystics' picks:

Jacinta Monroe: the BCs are very happy about the Mystics' first round selection, as the Mystics have added talent and height in the post. It's no surprise that Florida State's success in the ACC over the past two seasons has come with Monroe as a veteran leader on that team. As Terps fans, we've seen Monroe's contributions up close and personal. Monroe is athletic and a great shot blocker (unfortunately for Maryland). Her importance to the 'Noles was underscored in their ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Boston College -- Monroe went out with a minor ankle injury early in the game, and her team was unable to win without her. If you haven't seen Jacinta Monroe play, don't expect that at 6'5" she's a traditional low block, back-to-the-basket post. She's "slim," but a very skilled player who should help the Mystics where they need help the most. Of the Mystics' four picks yesterday, Monroe is the closest to a sure bet to make the roster.

Jenna Smith: Smith finished her career at Illinois as the record-holder in a number of important statistical categories, including scoring and rebounding. Since, as ACC fans, we admittedly aren't as familiar with Smith as we are with Jacinta Monroe, here's the scoop from the Illini site

Smith will go down as one of the best players in Illinois women's basketball history. She is a former All-American and is a three-time first team All-Big Ten selection. Her name is all over the UI records books as she Illini all-time leader in career scoring (2,160), rebounding (1,217), blocks (231), double-doubles (53), games started (221) and minutes played (4,561).

During her senior season, she averaged 18.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three-point range and 88.4 percent from the free throw line. She broke the Big Ten single-season rebounding record with 387 boards in 2009-10 and ends her career as one of just two players in conference history to rank in the Big Ten top-10 in career points, rebounds and blocks, joining former Ohio State center Jessica Davenport in the exclusive club.

Shanavia Dowdell: A forward at Louisiana Tech, Dowdell was named the WAC Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. And who better to tell us about her than one of her own coaches (someone very familiar to Maryland fans as well), La Tech's Associate Head Coach Daron Park, who in this post-draft interview with the BCs said that:

Shanavia is a very talented player who is just now beginning to understand her ability. In many ways she reminds me of Lang with her style, ability to score and rebound. In fact many of the things we taught Shanavia were the same things we worked on with Crystal a few years ago. She has great feet, is very good scoring around bigger posts and she can score with her back to the basket or faced up. Shanavia has 3-pt range and is very good "popping" off of on-ball screens for shots. She is a wonderful person, very shy but funny once you get to know her, and is affectionately called "bean." You will have to ask her how she got that name!

Thanks Coach, we will!

Alexis Gray-Lawson: A talented guard from Cal, Gray-Lawson just led the Bears to the WNIT Championship, and is Cal's record-holder in three point baskets and their third leading scorer. Gray-Lawson was recently named the recipient of the 2010 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given "annually to the nation's most outstanding NCAA Division I female basketball player who stands 5'8" tall or under and attends a NCAA Division I institution." No slouch off the court, either, Gray-Lawson's dream is to attend Harvard Law School. The BCs are by no means writing off Gray-Lawson's chances in the WNBA, but we do think that, as the 30th pick overall, she has a great fallback plan!

Good luck to all the draftees!

Photo credit: Florida State University