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WNBA PRE-DRAFT MEDIA CONFERENCEApril 10, 2015Jenny BoucekAnne DonovanDan HughesFred WilliamsTHE MODERATOR: Thank you. We will now bring in to the call our four WNBA coaches. We'll welcome to the call from the Seattle Storm, head coach Jenny Boucek; from the Connecticut Sun, head coach Anne Donovan; from the San Antonio Stars, head coach and general manager Dan Hughes; and from the and Tulsa Shock, head coach and general manager Fred Williams. Thank you all for joining us. Q. Jenny, what would you say the chances are that two of the three players you're going to take next week are going to be named Loyd, Zahui B., and Kaleena Mosqueda‑Lewis? JENNY BOUCEK: It's hard to answer that. I think there's 100percent chance that we'll take one of them at 1. And at 3, we're really exploring a lot of options with that pick. Q. Carolyn Peck was saying if it was her she would take a post and a guard. You've got so many holes to fill now. Is that sort of what you're looking at, or are you not restricting yourself to a position? JENNY BOUCEK: We are not restricting ourselves to position. We're going to try to take who we think are the best players in those spots and really try to add two pieces for the future. Q. Jenny, when you say you're exploring options, does that include potentially trading that 3 pick? JENNY BOUCEK: Yeah, I think anytime you're in a draft you try to maximize the draft by comparing the value of who you perceive‑‑ the perceived value of the player you're going to take there versus what people are offering you for that pick. So, yeah, we're analyzing everything. Q. Can I ask, what have the last few days been like in terms of your draft corps? You spend months trying to evaluate and figuring out what you want to do with that No. 1 pick and in the last few days things have changed dramatically? JENNY BOUCEK: Yeah, a couple of things changed. Our No. 3 pick just became our No. 1 pick in terms of analyzing that choice. And both picks got a lot more popular. Q. Maybe each of the coaches could comment on what is their biggest need in this up coming draft, what need are they looking to fill on the respective teams? DAN HUGHES: People that can come in, come in the middle minutes of the first quarter and help my team. That would be the place to start. FRED WILLIAMS: I think we just need somebody to help us with our bench drift coming in, helping out with defensive scoring and athletic type of player. It can be post or perimeter. ANNE DONOVAN: I agree with Fred. We could go either way. We have a need for a strong guard or a strong post. So we're thankful with the two additions, because that drops players down that we really didn't think were in our consideration before. Q. As you know in the Bay Area, we had for the last four years two fantastic point guards who will be somewhere in the draft, with Brittany Boyd and Amber Orrange. Just a general question, I'm wondering how important are point guards in the complexion of the WNBA? Sometimes these people aren't the leading scorers on teams but they play a real important role in the general sense. ANNE DONOVAN: I'll attack it. I'm a big girl by trade so I'm always looking for the biggest player in the draft, the strongest, most dominant paint player. But there is only one position that makes your team go. And that's the value of a really strong point guard. And I don't think any coach undervalues that position at all. It's huge. And I think both of the players you mentioned have shown how efficient they are at running their teams and both offer different things. But both are, I think, going to be good WNBA players. FRED WILLIAMS: And I'll add on to what Anne said. I think your point guards are really developing sometime into being your 2 guards for you, too, because of the style of play in the pro game. And they're the quarterback for you. So with collegiate players coming out having that mindset of being a big quarterback, you want a good college player to come in and really develop and guide an experienced veteran pro team. Q. Here at the University of Texas, most people thought Nneka Enemkpali would be locked to be in the WNBA draft. It's a two‑part question. One, do you think somebody would roll the dice on somebody who tore her ACL halfway through the season, and, two, if not, do they see that she would still have a future in the WNBA at some point? FRED WILLIAMS: I think with any player that's on the board, you can do a collegiate year, even having a certain injury, they always have a high value at some point in the draft, but also at some point in the future. I know there's been a couple of players in the past that has been drafted and were able to come back and utilize their skill to help an organization. So we never rule out any player. DAN HUGHES: I think Fred's correct. It's a shame. I thought Nneka was gaining incredible momentum in her senior year, and I think she'll return to her health. It's just when does the opportunity for a team come about that they could either add her by drafting or in subsequent seasons. But she's sure going to have a chance, I think. Q. Fred, I covered Cheyenne Parker with MTSU for most of this year until she was dismissed for off‑the‑court stuff. Rather than get into her prospects or anything, I'm wondering how much ‑‑ when you have a player like that who has some off‑the‑court issues, how much of that affects your draft board and how you are evaluating her or any player that may have some issues not related to the game of basketball? FRED WILLIAMS: Well, I just think if one player‑‑ especially young players‑‑ they go through things in their college life, they learn a lot of life lessons. And the other is that we still keep a high value on that player on the board for the college draft. But those things are workable. They're doable. I think it happens a lot in baseball, pro baseball, pro football. And we've got one here in the WNBA. So she'll still be a high commodity for somebody to look at to be drafted. Q. If two of you maybe could talk about Samantha Logic of Iowa. ANNE DONOVAN: Sam Logic has had a tremendous career. Throughout her senior season she stepped it up another notch. The triple‑doubles shows she's a strong point guard that does more than just pass the ball around the team. She's capable of scoring herself. Capable of adding boards. So I think she's had a tremendous career, done a lot for herself, and showing that she's a heady point guard. I think the next level is a different level and she's going to have challenges, especially defensively, and from an athleticism speed standpoint. But her intelligence will make her very interesting in training camp. I think my guess is that she's a quick study and a quick learn. So I think when she gets into training camp, returning players in that position should be aware. Q. Dan, I wondered if you would comment on what do you think the perception is of Tennessee, Isabelle Harrison in light of the knee injury she suffered this season? DAN HUGHES: Well, the perception is unfortunate, because I thought‑‑ I think all of us were excited to watch her come back from knee injury and start playing. And I think all of us see the potential there. So it's just a shame, just a shame that health didn't follow the whole season. But I think all of us realize there's potential in the future. She's going to get healthy again. It's just a matter of when in the draft can you find availability to take that knowing that it's going to be a while before she plays. But there's real value in her. And sometimes these situations work out, but it might take a second year. I mean, Tamika Catchings is an example, a player from last year's draft. I think the coaches understand her value. We all know at some point she's going to be a contributor to this league. Q. Anne, this is a question for you. You've been here for the Pac‑12 tournament. I wanted to see your opinion on Jazmine Davis, and also just general players who ‑‑ how likely‑‑ there's a few players undrafted that made rosters and fought really hard, how likely is that anymore as the WNBA goes forward? ANNE DONOVAN: Can you ask the question again? Q. Jazmine Davis, I wanted to ask about her and I guess the assessment as pro player, WNBA player, and then also just as general there have been a few players that have worked their way to rosters without being drafted or drafted late, how likely is that going forward with all the challenges coming into the WNBA that you can kind of work your way on to a roster just out of the training camp? ANNE DONOVAN: Davis is one that people have evaluated. And I think she's got another one that it depends on the camp that she gets into and how well she performs in camp and then who is around her. You know, some of these players, and in particular this draft, it really does depend on who drafts them, what the needs of the team are, and do they hit the ground and run, how quickly do they transition into the league and can do the 3‑point line. There's some factors there that will determine how successful she'll be when she gets to training camp. So the other part of your question, it is. It's gotten increasingly harder. And I think there's so many people that don't understand, once upon a time we had 18 players in training camp. A, it was easy to get into a training camp. And B, you could fight your way in and prove yourself. And now it's two factors. We're down to 15 on a training camp, which most of us have a lot of returning players and then the addition of draft picks, free agent here or there. So the No. 15 starts to come up pretty quickly. And then also this season we have all of our returning players back for the most part. So it's not a season where the European overlaps with the WNBA training camp. So this season in particular, it's going to be really hard for an undrafted player or a third round pick to come into camp and find her way. I think it's definitely getting harder and harder with every year, and this year in particular, I think it's very tough. Q. Coach Donovan, I was wondering if you can comment on your arena being and venue being the host site again for the second year in a row for the draft, how you feel like the energy impacts your fans and just in general momentum for your organization? ANNE DONOVAN: Yeah, really, I think most everybody recognizes that the state of Connecticut is just unique with women's basketball. Tribute to UConn and Connecticut Sun how well they've done marketing and the product they've put on the floor. So us hosting the draft two years in a row, it brings great excitement. And it brings to our fans who care, they care about the draft pick, not just who Connecticut is picking but Seattle who is picking, who the second round picks are. They really truly care. Our arena will have people come in be a part of that process. They're excited to see where Kaleena ends up in this draft and Kiah Stokes. So there's a real vested interest with our fans, and it's awesome they've been rewarded that way. I think anybody who was at the draft last year saw that it was really well done. Our organization, our management, just does a terrific job. So I think the college players coming in with their families, with their coaches will be very impressed again, and it's just an exciting time. It's a great kickoff to the 19th season. Q. This is a two‑part question. First, with each of you, I know no one's is going to give away what your total draft board is, but if you could say what you think are the top two needs of your team and name a couple of players that are on the board this year that you think you'd be looking at closely, and also especially for Coach Hughes, are there international players that maybe obviously other than Zahui B. who have not been part of the NCAA scene that would be players to keep an eye on? DAN HUGHES: Our needs on our team, honestly, we've kind of waited on the draft to kind of fill some depth. So we can go back up at the wing. We can go back up at the post. We can go back up at the point. And we made a trade to give us an opportunity to get at six, which has turned into a little bit better pick than we thought originally. That's what we're trying to do. And we can go any of those ways, maybe two of those three ways will be really good as we kind of build a core of a team that's kind of young and allows this to be part of that core. In relation to a couple of players, Jewell Loyd and Zahui B. would be wonderful, not likely for me to pick, but if you need me to name two, I'll shoot for the top and I'll name those two. They would fit in nicely for us. In relation to international, yes, I think it will play a part in this. I'm not at liberty maybe to throw names at you, but I think what's going to happen, there's some 19‑year‑olds in this draft that you're going to find are going to be part of this draft. And you may not realize seeing them until down the road. If like someone ‑‑ we took Astou Ndour last year who ended up the last month with us. She's going to be in training camp this year. Those players have a little longer trek to being well known, but, boy, they've got a good chance, and I think you will see a part of that in this draft. Although it might be the latter part of the draft. Q. Anne and Dan, I'd like to get your thoughts that we had two players with eligibility remaining enter the draft this year. Do you see this as a watershed moment that we might see this happening more frequently and do you see it as good or bad for basketball? ANNE DONOVAN: I have to say Zahui B., that wasn't a huge shock. She's an international player already. She's a little bit older already. She's kind of got a pro body, if you will. It's definitely further along than a lot of college sophomores in terms of translating into the professional game. So I don't think that one really shocked me. But Jewell Loyd, I'll be honest, I was very surprised. I just didn't think coming from Notre Dame that we were going to see that jump anytime soon. So I have to say I'm really pleasantly surprised. There's a lot of people talking about this outside of WNBA, outside of women's basketball. So it's bringing a different look into the league and it's getting some outsiders that really haven't paid too much attention to us to now talk about it and start to understand that the WNBA is here; it's been around; it's going to stay around, and it's a very wanted product. So very excited. Do I think it will be a trend moving forward? I don't see that. But then again I'm old school. I'm the one that was shocked when Jewell jumped. I guess I'll be shocked when the next underclassman does it as well. DAN HUGHES: I think each of the situations are unique and you can't just put a blanket statement out about is it good or bad. So many factors, I think, have got to be considered by the player, by the school that they're involved with, what have you. So it's just unique to me. I think every young player that has to think through that has a unique story that's got to apply. What I find about‑‑ whether it's good or bad, is I like player development. I've drafted more than a few 19‑year‑olds in my time from way back in Penny Taylor and those people. And I think that part of our programs in the WNBA have got to continue to develop players. So I think it can be good, but the players have got to understand‑‑ they've got to keep getting better. If they do, then they make it work. And we see examples of that in the NBA every year. Q. Coach Williams, I wonder if you could give me an idea how a player like Aleighsa Welch from South Carolina fits in the WNBA, given that she's known less for scoring and more for rebounding and work ethic and intangibles and things like that. FRED WILLIAMS: It's a player that's shown a lot of improvement over the years. Good team leader. Pro body. Pro‑ready. And you have a quality player who is high in the draft to be selected. I think she's been a great leader for South Carolina and Dawn Staley and her program, and the kid has shown a lot of good tools. I think whoever gets her will get a fine athlete. Q. Fred, as Jenny said that Seattle had seen an increased interest in their No. 3 pick, I just wonder if you guys have seen increased interest in your No. 2 pick and if it alters maybe the idea that you're definitely going to build in the draft, maybe this is something that you could look at dealing the pick? FRED WILLIAMS: We looked at it both ways there. I think we can go either way if there was a trade that was likable to our needs. But I like what I see. I know what we have. But I like what I see in the draft and some of the high‑quality athletes that are coming out, especially in that top tier, and safe to say that we're still contemplating on that up until draft day. Q. To follow up on the question from a few questions ago about the two underclassmen joining the draft. For the coaches, since players are basically given until a week before the draft to declare, would you like to see a bit more time between the declaration date and the draft? And with those announcements happening so soon, did that kind of shake up your draft process and draft strategy going into just under a week left before the draft? ANNE DONOVAN: I don't know who spoke who answered the previous question, I'll just jump in. For me, it's just added excitement to this last week before the draft. It's not‑‑ given the situation of the college game, it's probably not ever going to happen or be changed or need to be changed in terms of how early the college player needs to declare. Does it mix things up? Absolutely. But it also is‑‑ it's a nice shakeup for all of us. So I think happily we all rework our draft boards to figure out where we're going to go. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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