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WNBA PRE-DRAFT MEDIA CONFERENCEApril 10, 2015Carolyn PeckLaChina RobinsonTHE MODERATOR: With us to begin the conference call from ESPN are basketball analysts Carolyn Peck and LaChina Robinson. And we'd like to go directly to the question‑and‑answer session with Carolyn and LaChina. Q. Can you guys just talk about the last few days and with the decision by Zahui B. and Jewell Loyd and how much you think this shakes up the top of the draft? CAROLYN PECK: I think that it started out as a unique draft and turned into a very special draft. I think that no one could be happier about the change than Seattle. I think with those two players, with Jewell Loyd and Amanda Zahui B. coming into the draft, it shook players as far as where they sit on the draft board, and especially with Seattle having that first and third pick, they've got really three top options. There are others, but those are three top options that could significantly impact their team. LACHINA ROBINSON: I would agree with Carolyn. I think we just added two game changers to the draft list. I think everyone is going to be a step or actually two steps up from where they thought in terms of the quality of player that they can acquire. And I learned a lot I think about where the culture of the WNBA is headed. I mean, to have two players that have eligibility remaining to decide to head to the league is something that we hadn't seen before, especially two players that change the draft dramatically. I think we kind of felt like Amanda Zahui B. may make the decision to go. But to be honest, Jewell Loyd was a total surprise to me. I do know that she had attended some practices with the Chicago Sky and I think this is a young woman who is very smart, who has evaluated this situation and thought she could have an immediate impact on the league. And obviously it changes her position this season with a draft that is not as deep as what we may see next year. So Jewell Loyd goes from somewhere in the first round next year with the likes of Breanna Stewart coming out to a player that could go first. Q. I'd like to ask both of you your opinions of where you think Zahui B.'s game is now and what she'll need to work on at the next level to be successful at the next level? LACHINA ROBINSON: I'm very impressed with Amanda Zahui B., to be honest with you, and where her game has grown. I guess the number one area since coming‑‑ I had an opportunity to watch her play some at practice before she became eligible at Minnesota, and I remember the team was on one end and she was on the other end and I was like, wow, who is this over here. So at 6'5", she has soft hands. She has tremendous work ethic in terms of establishing herself in the post. She's very physical, which coming from Sweden, which is known for more finesse style of play, very physical. She's transformed her body and lost a lot of weight and gotten herself into condition to be able to play for longer stretches in a game. I think where she will need to continue to grow is, number one, in experience. I just think we have some great savvy veteran players in the post in the WNBA and there's some tricks of the trade that I think with her youth she will need to learn. I do think she wants to continue to transform her body and to get into even better shape to put in more muscle mass to be able to bang with the likes of Sylvia Fowles or Brittney Griner or Érika de Souza. But her step‑out game is what makes her unique. We saw Brittney Griner step out a little bit and shoot the 3, but just in terms of the 6'5" player that has the ability to score around the rim like remember with Lauren Jackson and step out and shoot the 3, that just makes her very special. CAROLYN PECK: I think that a couple of things. First, I think that what makes her extremely valuable is her experience, her international experience that she competed at at such a young age. And so I think that is the beginning steps of preparing her to be pro‑ready. I think that her height‑‑ what makes her special is her energy. And when you look at her rebounding statistics, rebounds don't necessarily come to you, you gotta go get'em. And she's had multiple games of 20‑plus rebounds in a game. To me, that's impressive. Because you've got to have that kind of energy to play in the WNBA and at the professional level. I agree also with LaChina in that strength is going to be‑‑ there's a big difference than playing in the Big Ten and playing in the WNBA and going against some WNBA‑style players. But she has shown that she can adapt to the environment, just find out what it is that she needs to do when she gets herself prepared to do that. And I think that that's what makes her so extremely valuable going to the next level into the pros. Q. How much do you guys watch or did you see of the Pac‑12 to make an assessment on Jazmine Davis? I know she's not probably a first round, but just to kind of see what you guys thought about her in the league or her chances in the league? CAROLYN PECK: I talked to just a couple of people that had really spent a lot of time in studying the Pac‑12, and they feel like she's a hidden gem, with her abilities, her tempo, she's one of these players that I think that I don't know that a lot of teams specifically‑‑ I think they're on the board, just not high on the board, but she would be one of those players that would go late second or probably third round. Q. You've already talked about Amanda. I want to ask that question‑‑ I want to ask about the latest decision that Candace Parker made to take off at some time at the end of the season. In your opinion, is that starting to be a growing trend in the league, and if it is, what can the league do about that especially when you've got Tauasi not coming in as well? LACHINA ROBINSON: First and foremost, I would say that what these women athletes do year‑round is tremendous. From playing in the WNBA, most of them go right over and play overseas in Europe. And they're playing all year long. And it's tough. It's tough mentally, physically. They're away from their families. So I think for me to even try to evaluate those decisions, which seem to be very difficult, I'm sure, for these athletes, I probably can't do. But what I will say is that Candace Parker in particular has some injuries that have plagued her over time. We even at some points looked at the difference between Candace Parker when she's playing a back‑to‑back, like on that second day and Candace Parker in that first game. Because she has some aches and pains that have followed her, especially in these recent years as she gets up in age. So I think you have to listen to your body. And if she's saying she needs rest, then that's what she needs. That may be the thing that allows her to play longer in the WNBA. And we've seen this happen. And again these women take on a tremendous schedule. It's tough on their bodies. So I don't think there's anything the league can do, other than support these athletes and what they feel like they need to do. I think the difficulty is obviously with the coaches and the decisions that they have to try to make to continue to win even though you're missing a big piece. Q. I was wondering if you could talk about South Carolina's Aleighsa Welch, what she brings to the league and how you think her game, what she might need to improve on once she reaches the professional level. CAROLYN PECK: I'm a big fan of Aleighsa Welch. And first and foremost it's because of her motor. The energy that she plays with, she is high energy, extremely competitive. She's an undersized post player but can rebound with the biggest of players. I also like her leadership and the maturity that she exhibits that she did with her South Carolina team. And that kind of maturity is extremely valuable when you go to the next level and playing professionally, because you have to have accountability for yourself. You also have to be able to rally a team and have everybody understand their role and go out and compete night in, night out. I think the area‑‑ there's two areas that I think Aleighsa Welch has got to improve in, and that's extending her range of scoring outside the paint and her free throw percentage. But I think both of those two things are improvable or teachable, but you can't teach a work ethic like she has. And when that comes natural, that makes her a valuable player. Q. Going back to Amanda Zahui B. I'd like to get your opinion if she's whether an player who can make an immediate impact in the league or is she someone that it may take her a season or so to really find her way in the WNBA and become her best self? CAROLYN PECK: I'll go first. I think that it depends on the team that she goes to and what she's surrounded by. She goes to a team that already has veteran and talented post players. She may play that back‑up role as she learns and comes along, where if she goes to a team that really needs a center but can be surrounded by very talented perimeter players, I think that she can have an impact, because with the WNBA and having the three‑second defensive rule, it's tough to double team. So she could be playing a lot of one‑on‑one. And she's active. She will run the floor. She's going to have offensive putbacks and second‑chance opportunities. But I think it depends on which team she goes to and what she's surrounded by. Q. Carolyn, when you started off you were talking about three players that factor into Seattle's decisions with the two of the top three picks, and I'm wondering is Kaleena Mosqueda‑Lewis one of those three? And if you were Seattle and you had two of the top three picks, would you want to take a guard and a forward or would you take two players of the same position? CAROLYN PECK: Well, I would take a post and a guard. And when you have a 6'5" player like Amanda, that's hard to pass up. And then with her upside that I think she still has, knowing that you have that No. 3 pick, you're not going to go wrong in having either a Jewell Loyd or a Kaleena Mosqueda‑Lewis. And I think that Loyd and Lewis are two different players in that Loyd is more of a player who can create off the bounce, not that Kaleena Mosqueda‑Lewis doesn't, but she's more of that just perimeter‑oriented guard. What you get with Kaleena Mosqueda‑Lewis is a versatile perimeter player who can also post up. It's kind of like that swing position that Plenette Pierson and Swin Cash played, but she's an automatic from the 3‑point line. So she's going to extend the defense. And you look at players and a lot of question has been can she defend the 3? Well, you have teams that have the versatility where she may not have to do that, put her on a 4 because they have an athletic 4 player who can defend the 3. So I think that that's where‑‑ both of those players, Loyd and Lewis, have extreme value, and I don't think Seattle‑‑ those are the three players between Amanda, Jewell and Kaleena that I'm talking about in the top three picks. Q. Ladies, could you talk about how you think Isabelle Harrison is perceived, given her injury, and also has Cierra and Ariel Messengale‑‑ did they improve their stock with the season they had this year? LACHINA ROBINSON: I think Isabelle Harrison is going to have a great career in the WNBA. I just think back to even a season ago what we had similar situation with Chelsea Gray and Natalie Achonwa, we knew they weren't going to have an impact right then. Both players are on track to contribute in major ways this season. So I think she's still looked upon as a possible first round, maybe even early second round pick. And I think she just brings those intangibles in terms of her work ethic. She's got size. She's energetic on the glass. And I believe if she attacks this rehab with the same tenacity she has in improving her career over time, she will be just fine. So she probably would have gone a few spots higher had she been healthy. But I don't think that she's going to drop dramatically. And in terms of Cierra Burdick and Ariel Messengale, I think Cierra Burdick more than anything improved her draft position since Isabelle Harrison went down. We saw her go to another level of play in terms of rebounding, she was depended on more for scoring, and she answered the call. I think the challenge for her is where does she sit on a WNBA team. She will have to be the undersized power forward or big guard where she may need to improve her consistency from outside and her ball handling. So she's a tweener. And figuring out where she fits best. And Ariel Messengale, I think she's a steady point guard. The difficulty for her is that there's so many point guards in this draft. And so you have to look at 5s, at ability to stretch the floor with your 3‑point shots. But I believe she will get an opportunity to prove that she belongs at that level. Q. Nneka Enemkpali, coaches around here early in the season thought that she would probably be a lock to be in the WNBA draft at some point. She was the heart and soul of the team. Led the Big 12 in rebounding and about halfway through the season tore her ACL. Two‑part question. One, do you believe that there's a chance that she would be drafted this season. And, two, if not, would she have some sort of future in the WNBA next season, the season after that, so forth? CAROLYN PECK: To answer about Nneka Enemkpali, with her skill and athleticism rebounding‑wise, especially coming out of the Big 12, she has demonstrated that she can rebound with the best of them. And I think that when it comes to rebounding, she may be among the best pro‑ready, before she tore her ACL, and expect her to be back at 100percent once she's rehabbed that. And a team that can afford to hold her rights will benefit greatly. She'll not be able to play this season. But I think through rehab and through time and potentially having an opportunity to go test herself overseas will definitely be a player that could have an impact in the WNBA. Q. LaChina, a follow‑up on South Carolina's Aleighsa Welch. She was known so much for her intangibles at South Carolina, leadership on the floor. Do those things matter at all as far as the draft is concerned and can they translate to the next level? LACHINA ROBINSON: They do. I think one thing that we try to capture in the WNBA, or coaches try to capture, is that college environment, that type of energy, because it is very different. And the WNBA, though we continue to enjoy the game of basketball, it does become a business for these women, where I think there is a great energy that spills over from the college level that coaches try to capture day to day. And to have a young woman like Aleighsa, who already has the energy, the accountability, all of those things in place and is a leader, just adds to every dimension of what a team puts on the floor. You don't have to worry about who is going to pick someone up or someone‑‑ you know she's going to follow whatever directions the coaches have. I think any coach at any level will tell you that some of their time is spent trying to coach players into just playing, into being present, into bringing the type of energy that Aleighsa brings. I think it's something very special about a player that motivates themselves and the people around them and you don't have to do that for them. Q. I just wanted to ask the ladies if they were familiar with Vicky McIntyre of Oral Roberts University and where they thought she might fall in the draft and what they think of her? CAROLYN PECK: I am familiar with Vicky from her playing from Oklahoma State to Florida to Oral Roberts. And 6'6" can be a value. You look at a player that has size who made a roster last season in Theresa Plaisance. That size, depending on which teams and where they fall in the draft, she would have an opportunity to potentially be drafted and if not drafted, invited to a training camp. Now, she's got that nice sweeping hook shot, especially to the left. She's got good energy for a 6'6" player. So I think that she would be a player that teams would have to take a look at. Q. Could you both talk about Samantha Logic of Iowa. I saw one mock draft where they have her going seventh overall. Could you talk about her skills? LACHINA ROBINSON: I think Sam Logic is I think one of the best point guards, even though this is a point guard deep draft, she's one of the best in that list. She reminds me a lot of Lindsay Whalen in her physical play. They call her Nails, I'm sure you know that, because of her toughness. She does not back down. It's very difficult to keep her out of the paint, which is where she loves to deliver the ball. And I thought Lisa Bluder did a fantastic job of surrounding her with players that finished a lot of those beautiful passes that she made. Her vision is tremendous. And I think she's even worked hard over the course of her career to extend her shooting range, so teams have to respect her 3‑point shots. She's a very good rebounder. As you know, her triple‑doubles are well noted. She can contribute so many places on the floor. Again, reminds me a lot of Lindsay Whalen. And I think the one challenge as is for most prospects making that leap to the WNBA is the defensive end of the floor. And I think the WNBA presents some of the fastest back courts in the world and just being able to contain where Iowa has played a lot of zone is important. So she'll have to get into a system, I think, where again she has players around her that can capitalize on her passing ability but defensively she can grow. Q. I spent most of the year covering Cheyenne Parker at MTSU before she got dismissed because of a failed drug test. I'm seeing mock drafts have her in the second round. Two‑part question. First, what are her prospects? How do you see her game translating to the next level? And then, two, how much will her off‑the‑court struggles or problems affect her draft position next week? CAROLYN PECK: She's 6'4". And she is a talent. And I think that I was kind of doing research on her, and if you can learn from your mistakes and not repeat them, then I think that she could have a terrific professional career. And it sounds like to me she's on that path. I think that as players are drafted, invited to training camp, there will be a lot of interviews and communication between GMs, coaches and the player to finding out where that player is, where their maturity level is and where they want to go with their professional career and what that means to them. And I think that Parker has an opportunity to prove herself and redeem herself as she makes that next step professionally. Q. Can you please speak about what Wake Forest Dearica Hamby would bring to the WNBA and if you have any thoughts which team might be the best fit for her? LACHINA ROBINSON: I can take that. I think that Dearica is very special in this draft because of her mobility at the power forward position. We have a lot of true centers back to the basket post but not as many with size at 6'3" that can play the power forward. And I think Dearica's strengths are she's got quick speed. She's mobile in the post. She's relentless on the glass because of that speed and reaction time. What impresses me the most is how she can get out in the passing lane, she's always been very good at getting steals, and she can switch, if you're playing for a coach that wants to switch 1 through 4 or 1 through 5, she could play a little at the 5 spot, but I think her value is going to be at the 4. And as she continues to extend her shooting where she got cut, she can hit shots from the free‑throw line, but her 3‑point shot will continue to improve, as we know in WNBA the power forwards are now expected to do so much. Many coaches are running their offense through the 4. I think she's unique. She's gotten herself in great shape. She put on a lot of muscle. She was a thin and wiry kid coming into college. So I expect to see Dearica go somewhere in the top half of the first round. Obviously with this week's development, that has fallen a little bit. But I definitely think she's a first round pick and would fit with a team that had a defensive team that would allow her to use that mobility and footwork defensively on the perimeter. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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