Red Letter Day for Oklahoma

[schooner2]

Three!! Three players taken in the first round of the WNBA draft. Dales-Schuman (that will take some getting used to) taken third by the Washington Mystics, Caufield taken by Utah Starzz as 14th pick and Rosalind Ross as the 16th pick to Los Angeles Sparks.

Congrats Sooners!

Baylor had two taken - Lambert to Charlotte as 7th pick and Crockrom as 11th pick to Utah. Crockrom and Caufield together!

Only UCONN had more picks than OU with 4 Huskies taken.

[mred]

Welle must really have not impressed at the camp. She is undrafted through 22 picks.

[Zo31]

I can't wait to see Crockrom and Caufield play together. It would have been wild if Charlotte had picked Crockrom along with Lambert. Great showing by Baylor and Oklahoma!!

[swok34]

no kidding, zo....I thought that was really cool.
I'm not crazy about rooting for the most schzicho team in the WNBA in Washington, but I love Utah and LA, and Charlotte.....
Really wanted to see Stacey go to Portland, but it's nice to see her go higher than #5 (about $7500 more bucks, too.)
Caufield is perfect for Utah, they traded away their SG/small forward yesterday for this pick and replaced her with Caufield. Roz is perfect for LA.....I heard the Sparks Coach say they will evaluate her knee and the Sparks are the one team that can afford for her to wait a year to play.

Keep hearing that Sheila may make it back to play this year ?by July.....I also keeping hearing of a trade, though I think it involves the other guard that Charlotte took right after Sheila.

Way to go Big XII!!!!Awesome.

here's the pay scale, if anyone is interested:
$57,500 for picks 1-4; $50,000 for 5-8; $47,000 for 8-16; $40,000 for the second round; $37,000 for the third round; $30,000 for the fourth. Far, far cry from the NBA, but it's a start.

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 04-19-2002).]

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 04-19-2002).]

[carolann]

I'm surprised that Utah traded Kore Hlede to NY to draft Caufield. However, I think this is a good opportunity for both Crockrom and Caufield. Utah has 2 great guards in Azzi and Ferdinand but not much behind them.

[swok34]

carolann......I'm surprised that New York TOOK the trade...what do they need with another #2/3 type player?

[mred]

Originally posted by swok34:
what do they need with another #2/3 type player?

They must really like them. They drafted Gahan, after all... http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif Talk about a logjam.

[Zo31]

swok34, are those pay scales set in stone? I had no idea what the players were paid. It is an insult when you look at the ego maniacs in the NBA. But maybe the game will always be more enjoyable!!! Do alot of players in the WNBA get endorsement contracts? Just curious.

[swok34]

Zo.....I'm pretty sure these are set salaries. In the WNBA, the salaries are paid by the leagues, not the teams. I heard something about them doing some kind of "reorganizing" on salary...but to be honest, I haven't heard an update on that.

They also pay housing costs, ?food, I would suspect, they are allowed one car for 2 players.....not sure what they get beyond that. Some players get endorsement contracts, but I think that's few and far between......Lisa Leslie, Chamique Holdsclaw, Jackie Stiles probably has one....

They have some positions that open up on the teams during the offseason (promo stuff), though I think most coaches like to see some of their younger players go overseas to play to do some more developing and I believe they still make more money overseas than they do in the states.

[metromaniac]

I guess there is no doubt anymore-----


The Big 12 does rule! After UConn.

and by the way,,,,

Go http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/ou.gif

[carolann]

SWOK, I've been expecting to see another NY trade soon that cuts down the number of 2/3 guards. If no decent trade happens, then I agree with you.

In any case, I don't see any quality guards on Utah's roster after Azzi and Ferdinand, so that is good for Caufield's chances.

[dem]

In an interview during the draft, NY Liberty Coach Richie Adubato made it very clear that he has some trades in the works. You don't want to get too comfortable with your new "home" team in the pros -- it could change any minute. Just look at some of the comments made by Nikki Teasley and Shaunzinski Gortman right after they were drafted about where they were going; a few hours later, and they're headed thousands of miles in a different direction. Welcome to professional basketball.

[dem]

Originally posted by mred:
Welle must really have not impressed at the camp. She is undrafted through 22 picks.

This is Nancy Lieberman's opinion (ESPN.com):

Should have gone higher

Of all the big names we expected to hear sooner, Angie Welle tops the list. The Iowa State center averaged a double-double in Big 12 play and led the nation in field-goal percentage. She was projected to be drafted in the middle or later part of the first round, but was selected by Cleveland with
the 31st pick overall.

[DblT81]

Congratulations to all the B12 draftees!

Five players in the first round--a record day for the B12. I'm not sure there have been 5 B12 players drafted-combined-prior to this season in the first round.


There are several former players from B12 teams in the WNBA, but many of those were not *drafted* from college, they joined the WNBA after college.

2001 WNBA rosters included:
Tech-Swoopes, Angie Braziel, Alicia Thompson
Texas-Edwina Brown, Edna Campbell, Vicki Hall
Kansas-Tamika Dixon, Jaclyn Johnson, Lynn Pride
Missouri-Amanda Lassiter
A&M-Jaynetta Saunders
Kansas St-Shanele Stires
Colorado-Isabelle Fijalkowski

Who am I missing? There have been several who played but are no longer on a WNBA roster. NY had two, the big girl from K-St, Olga Firsova (sp?) and from ISU.... argh! why can't I think of her name? [OT-Can't remember her name but can remember when she was late for the start of the second half of the B12 tournament ?championship? game in Kansas City because she had to run off to throw up. For some reason, I always thought that was funny. I'm sure she didn't think so....but she came back a played like it was no big deal.]

Both Whaley and Keitha Dickerson got cut from Minnesota. Was Megan Taylor with Minnesota? Stacy Frese with Utah. Nicole Kubik with LA. Texas had several *veterans* who played the first couple of years of the WNBA.

Since I'm rambling on here anyway-Does Houston not have strange draft choices? Amanda Lassiter was a good choice, but many of the Comets picks have been suspect. I've often wondered if they won because Van Chancellor was the coach or in spite him.

Ok. I'm done. Go Big 12 in the WNBA!




[This message has been edited by DblT81 (edited 04-20-2002).]

[mred]

Originally posted by DblT81:
[OT-Can't remember her name but can remember when she was late for the start of the second half of the B12 tournament ?championship? game in Kansas City because she had to run off to throw up. For some reason, I always thought that was funny. I'm sure she didn't think so....but she came back a played like it was no big deal.]

Desiree Francis. She was actually drafted a few spots ahead of where Welle was drafted, although the draft was weaker that season (Firsova in the first round?) She hung around the Liberty for a season, playing mop-up time in a few games. She was cut during preseason a year later, as was Frese. Stacy had a decent role with the Starzz. Once she even hit a clutch three to tie the game with a few seconds left in the game. She was #2 in the league in FT%, hitting 33 of 36. Megan Taylor never made it past the preseason. Yep, all three were cut within days of each other in the 2001 preseason. Des has been playing overseas and Megan graduates from ISU this semester. Stacy was the WBCA grad assistant of the year at Evansville.

[DblT81]

Yes, Desiree Francis, thanks mred.

Keitha Dickerson had a similar experience to Francis, though she did start many games for Minnesota her rookie season, she was cut in preseason the following year. Dickerson made another team but it was only for a very short time. Keitha played smart and with a lot of hustle but at 5'11, just didn't have the size to play inside and didn't have the outside shot to play a small forward.

The WNBA has a "history" section to their draft page but they only list the first rounders.

[kate dawg]

You might as well cross Fijalkowski off, she's been suspended for three seasons. She is in France and isn't coming back.

[swok34]

Thanks, dblt.........for the history information.

I'm not very familiar with which Big XII players went where PRIOR to Edwina Brown......the draft she went in ?2000, produced ?3 Big XII, maybe even four, because didn't Kubik go to LA in the first round that year:
Edwina Brown
Lynn Pride
Olga Firsova

were there any other Big XII players that year?

I watched the entire draft this year, NBATV had the entire thing broadcasted over the internet, that was really cool......
some of the comments I heard from the ESPN wonky's:

Dales is more versatile and not a true #1, please.......would you guys go back and watch some tape PRIOR to OU this year?

Lambert may be too short to play to the PG position? Ask any Big XII fan who's seen her play what they think of THAT statement.

Crockrum is a VERY nice addition to the Utah team due to Natalie Williams having a naging ankle injury last season.

Rosalind Ross will have a hard time making such a star-studded roster....I think that's true, though trading away their starting PG in Ukari Figgs and picking up Nikki Teasley, may have made Roz' chances a WHOLE lot better.....there was talk about Roz' playing the PG position.
Who in the heck is the REAL coach at Washington?....Summitt made all the comments to ESPN. I think Washington really, really wanted Summitt as the HC and she doesn't want to leave Tennessee...will be interesting to see what role she plays during the season since she is listed as "player draft consultant".....
some folks thinks she's also on board as the Chamique motivator.

The one team I'm not really crazy about is Washington, and a lot of that involves the situation 2 years ago when Chamique called up Summitt and complained about the current coach.....the woman was fired and an interim was hired. It didn't happen immediately after the Chamique call, but it was obvious how seriously that strained player relations.....that said, I think it's a good situation for Stacey to go to, she likes those losing record programs and it's probably about half-way between both her hometown and her husband's hometown in Houston.

The wonksters completely missed the #3 pick, thinking Washington would pick Nikki Teasley.....there's a lot of talk of her being a "head" case, think back to what we big XII fans thought of Lynn Pride her senior year and there wasn't a thing said about her that year. Pride is probably the single Big XII player that I really have a hard time rooting for.....her attitude sucked two years ago and IMO, still does.

I haven't made it through the tape on all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks, though I recall watching on the computer and the ESPN wonksters were off in interview land; not certain a lot was said about Mandy Nightingale, Angie Welle or Tracy Gahan, but I'll update my post later if that was the case.

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 04-21-2002).]

[mred]

Originally posted by swok34:
not certain a lot was said about Mandy Nightingale, Angie Welle or Tracy Gahan, but I'll update my post later if that was the case.


My wife was watching on the internet. They didn't even mention when Angie was drafted. They were too busy talking to Cynthia Cooper. Several picks later, one of the people asked "Are you surprised Welle hasn't been picked?" They then realized that she had. Nightingale got a brief mention, and Gahan didn't really get anything.

I'm pretty happy about Welle's chances in Cleveland. I was worried at first because 4 centers (other than Welle) were listed on the roster, but one is Fijalkowski (suspended), one is Wauters (possibly not playing in the WNBA this season), and one is Paige Sauer (who played a total of 2 minutes last season). That leaves a good Chasity Melvin as the Rockers only option other than Angie.

[mred]

Originally posted by mred:
They didn't even mention when Angie was drafted. They were too busy talking to Cynthia Cooper.

Of course, why should we expect anything else. They covered the draft just like they cover the games, both college and WNBA: they talk about anything and everything that doesn't actually have anything to do with the game.