As seen on TV – at a later time than was advertised – Phoenix won the 2013 WNBA draft lottery. The Sky will pick second, the Shock third, and the Mystics, fourth.
The possibility of choosing Baylor center Brittney Griner first is a predicament Mercury Coach Corey Gaines is happy to be in. Carolyn Peck talks about the 6-foot-8 Griner’s potential impact to a WNBA team.
What was magical for the Mercury was rough for the Mystics, says ESPN.
All of that is currently overshadowed, however, by the amount of fan outrage that sprang up on Twitter immediately following the draft lottery, which was done behind closed doors. A great many fans think that the Mercury purposefully lost a lot of games this year to have a better chance of winning first pick in the draft, including this columnist. The sheer amount of certainty on this fact among WNBA players, media and fans surprised even me. I feel for Mercury players, as they will undoubtedly hear a lot of “boo”s next season.
Aside from that, today’s results bring up several questions that also relate to the other two big names in next year’s draft – Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins:
1. Will Phoenix pick Griner? Sparks play-by-play dude Larry Burnett said Corey Gaines told him last week that Griner doesn’t fit their system – something Carolyn Peck echoed today.
2. If they take Griner, what will the Mercury do with superwoman DeWanna Bonner?
3. If the Mercury don’t choose Griner, who would they pick? Logic says Delle Donne, as they don’t need another point guard.
4. Though Delle Donne is arguably the most skilled player of the three, should the Sky choose her if Phoenix doesn’t? Logic says that they’d try to get Diggins, an Indiana native, which would help sell more tickets.
5. Who would the Mystics pick in a thin-side draft?
6. Why do the Mystics and Shock have such bad luck?