The 2022 WNBA draft was historic for a variety of reasons. Ameshya Williams-Holliday became the league’s first draft pick from an HBCU in 20 years, while smaller schools such as North Florida saw their first ever draft selections Monday night as well.
Yet it would be the blue bloods of Women’s basketball that once again produced the most draft picks at this year’s event.
The UConn Huskies had three players drafted this week, breaking a tie with the Tennessee Volunteers for the most WNBA draft picks of any school. Their 43 total selections since 1997 includes 26 first rounders since the league was formed in 1997.
All three Huskies players were drafted in the second round in 2022. The Washington Mystics selected Christyn Williams with the 14th pick, Los Angeles took Olivia Nelson-Ododa with the 19th pick, and with the 21st selection the Seattle Storm took Evina Westbrook.
Christyn Williams, G, Washington Mystics
Williams was second in scoring on the Huskies with 14.9 points per game, shooting 45% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. However, Williams did struggle in the National Championship against South Carolina’s tenacious defense, scoring just two points. She will now head to the WNBA and try to crack the Mystics roster.
“It was a dream come true to hear my name being called,” Williams said. “I’m just super excited and grateful to be a part of the league and just to get to work when I get to Washington.”
Williams is a good defender and slasher with the basketball. Her shooting comes and goes, but the WNBA is more wide-open than playing at UConn. The former McDonald’s All-American could help Washington with wing defense and become a slasher on offense. However, the former UConn star will need to find consistency in her outside shot to reach her full potential at the professional level.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Nelson-Ododa averaged 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds this past season for the Huskies. She’s a solid rebounder and defender but needs to work on her offensive game. At times her moves have had a tendency to become predictable, which she may have been able to get away with in college, but is unlikely to do so in the pros.
It will be a tall task for Nelson-Ododa to carve out a role in the Sparks rotation with all the front-court talent Los Angeles has already. But, even if she doesn’t factor into their immediate plans, Nelson-Ododa can gain some knowledge from playing with Liz Cambage and the Ogwumike sisters. If Nelson-Ododa can polish her offensive game, she could be a solid player in the WNBA given her wingspan and 6’5” frame.
Evina Westbrook, G, Seattle Storm
Westbrook emerged as a true leader for UConn this past season. While her numbers could have been better, perhaps heading back to the Pacific NorthWest, she’s a native of Salem, Oregon, will do some good for her confidence.
The 6’0” guard averaged 9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Westbrook previously averaged 14.9 points per game as a sophomore but had a slightly diminished role in recent years in Geno Auriemma’s offense.
For the Storm, Westbrook brings versatility. She can play point guard and a wing position. She would also be surrounded by veterans to learn from in Seattle. Because of
her ability to play and guard multiple positions, she could have a good chance of carving out a role in Seattle.
If Westbrook is able to consistently knock down outside shots then she could see some bench minutes as a rookie during the 2022 campaign.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: Danny Karwoski. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.