The NCAA season is well underway. Beyond Women’s Sports’ first WNBA Mock Draft was published on Dec. 10 and now we’ll look at the top (and bottom) players’ draft stock. Who’s moved themselves into a possible first-round pick? Who’s moved themselves out of the first-round? Here’s a deep dive into four climbers and four players whose stock has tumbled since the NCAA season began.
Top 4 Climbers
Alissa Pili, 6’2 PF, Utah
Mock Draft position: No. 23 to the New York Liberty
Pili’s production over the past month has vaulted her into one of the best players in the nation. She’s currently tenth overall in the NCAA in field goal percentage (63.33%). Additionally, she’s shooting 46.7% from 3-point range. Her efficiency also remains one of the best and has kept Utah as a potential dark horse in the PAC-12. Finally, Pili will likely be an undersized post in the WNBA. Her ability to slide over to SF could be valuable for whoever drafts her, and she could end up a late first-round pick come April 15.
Jessika Carter, 6’5 C, Mississippi St.
Mock Draft position: No. 31 to the Minnesota Lynx
Carter’s draft stock continues to climb. She’s nearly averaging a double-double with 14.8 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game. Furthermore, she’s shown to be a defensive stopper inside, with 1.9 blocks per game. Carter can be a force inside the paint but has also developed a nice 15-foot jumper and can also run the floor. However, she did struggle recently in their games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee due to early foul trouble. Carter has likely moved into being an early-to-mid second-round pick now.
With her 35th career double-double, Jessika Carter lifted @HailStateWBK to a 66-63 win over Arkansas!#NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/QWI6AoWC12
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 12, 2024
Abbey Hsu, 5’11 SG, Columbia
Mock Draft position: No. 35 to the New York Liberty
Hsu continues to be an underrated player this NCAA season. A top sharpshooter that has also developed a solid defensive game this season. Currently, Hsu is averaging 21.4 ppg while shooting 44.7% from the field and 35.5% from the 3-point range. She possesses a versatile offensive game and can score from anywhere on the court. However, Columbia hasn’t faced any top opponents and Hsu has yet to see a strong defensive opponent. Hsu’s draft stock may be staled if Columbia doesn’t advance into the NCAA Tournaments in March.
Dyaisha Fair, 5’5 PG, Syracuse
Mock Draft position: No. 33 to the Dallas Wings
Fair is slowly climbing up in a lot of draft radars. Over the past six games, she’s averaged 23 points per game while shooting 82.1% from 3-point range. However, she’s shooting just below 40% from the field and averaging only 3.4 assists per game. Consistency has not been Fair’s strong point and has shot below 30% from the field during five games this season. Finally, Fair’s draft stock has probably moved her into a late second-round pick.
?PROGRAM RECORD ?
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) January 19, 2024
Dyaisha Fair's 9 threes is a program record?? pic.twitter.com/9ez7o4SpoG
Top 4 Tumblers
Georgia Amoore, 5’6 PG, Virginia Tech
Mock Draft position: No. 6 to the Washington Mystics
Amoore started off the NCAA season very well. She dropped 31 points against Iowa on Nov. 9 and dished out 16 assists against Houston Christian on Nov. 16. However, since December, she’s shot below 45% from the field on eight out of ten games. Additionally, Amoore’s assist-to-turnover ratio is at 2.2 and her 3-point shooting has dropped down to 30.9%. Lastly, Amoore has an extra year of eligibility left and might benefit from returning for another year. Her draft stock could move her into an early second-round pick in 2024.
Hailey Van Lith, 5’7 PG/SG, LSU
Mock Draft position: No. 11 to the New York Liberty
Van Lith’s experiment at point guard at LSU isn’t working out. She’s averaging a career-low in points per game (11.1) and rebounds per game (1.7). Her shooting has been inconsistent, but she still remains a solid threat from 3-point range. Additionally, Van Lith is averaging nearly three turnovers per game, while junior Last-Tear Poa has been more efficient running the floor. In conclusion, the transfer from Louisville to LSU hasn’t worked out for Van Lith. Another year of eligibility will likely enable her to find her game at LSU.
What do you think about the addition of Hailey Van Lith this season so far? ? pic.twitter.com/tB3vaIP9or
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) January 19, 2024
Celeste Taylor, 5’11 PG/SG, Ohio State
Mock Draft position: No. 18 to the Las Vegas Aces
Taylor’s statistics are down in almost every category since her 2022-23 season at Duke. She’s dropped down to 9.2 ppg and continues to shoot poorly from long range(26.2%). However, she remains one of the top defensive guards in the nation and a strong rebounder. Non-shooting guards in the WNBA are rare, but Taylor’s defense likely still gets her drafted in the late second round.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, 5’10 SG, Washington State
Mock Draft position: No. 22 to the Connecticut Sun
Leger-Walker started off the NCAA season very strong. She’s brought in two triple-doubles and nearly had a third in their game against Auburn on Dec. 20. However, she’s averaging a career-low in points per game (13.6) and 3-point-shooting (23.7%). Her all-around game appears suitable for the WNBA if she can find consistency and reduce her turnovers. The 2024 WNBA draft looks very heavy on guards, and she’ll need to improve her shooting percentages to increase her WNBA draft stock.
The 2024 WNBA Draft will be held on Monday, April 15, on ESPN.
Todd Roman is on Twitter, too. Follow Todd @TBRBWAY.
