Leigha Brown drafted by Atlanta Dream
Congrats to Leigha, who will be joining Naz in Atlanta.
https://twitter.com/RachGall/status/1645582325844168705?t=che4w6Nh2bs4qKVSNjxZTA&s=19
Two years in a row we’ve had someone drafted. Gotta be good for crootin
Congrats to Leigha - she is one gritty player any team would love to have on its roster
Unfortunately roster cuts are brutal in the WNBA and the 15th overall pick is far from guaranteed to get a spot. But she plays with fire and that should get her some looks elsewhere if she doesn't make it out of camp.
April 10th, 2023 at 10:26 PM ^
Naw, someone else is getting cut!
The Atlanta Dream have selected Leigha Brown with the 15th pick in the WNBA Draft.
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) April 11, 2023
I'm all for Michigan everything but I can't believe she was the 15th best draft eligible woman.
I'm just going to assume you mean she should have been drafted higher.
WNBA restricts American players from entering until the year they turn 22. Caitlin Clark could be an immediate starter but isn't eligible. Other eligible players are staying in school because NIL deals are tied to the bigger college fan bases and rookie salary is like $75k for a lotto pick.
So Leigha probably isn't the 15th best draft eligible woman, and definitely isn't the 15th best prospect regardless of eligibility. Her play could be super frustrating at times since she was our alpha, but the ability to do a bit of everything gives her a shot to be a solid role player in the league.
April 10th, 2023 at 10:31 PM ^
Kinda silly rule… 21 is an adult that can vote.
April 11th, 2023 at 10:14 AM ^
I also think some of the frustration of her was a result of her needing to play on ball this year. Not sure what the plan for her is going to be while trying to stick in the league, but there's definitely some growing pains playing primarily on ball for the first time. She made a ton of really nice passes, but also made her share of passes that maybe showed too much confidence that resulted in turnovers.
Here's the link. Congrats to Leigha. Go Blue!
Good for her. Hopefully she sticks and has a successful career. Go Blue!
April 10th, 2023 at 10:14 PM ^
Highest ever draft pick from Michigan. Not bad. I think I've heard this story before, though. Naz was drafted #15th overall by Atlanta last year.
Odd season for the Wolverines. Plenty of wins, killer schedule. They were 0-6 against teams in the E8, with an additional 0-2 against #1 seed Indiana. Otherwise, 23-2.
I don't know what to make of WNBA picks. Even top picks routinely fail, with only 12 teams in the league. Since it's not a lot of money, either you make a roster, or you're falling back on your education (this is why the age-22 or graduate rule is important).
I wouldn't have figured Brown for that level, but scouts must see something in her game that translates well.
April 10th, 2023 at 10:32 PM ^
See a tall guard who can play point in a pinch and can score at all three levels.
April 10th, 2023 at 10:34 PM ^
$75 grand a year is pretty good for a college grad. But, you’re not going to get a 40 year career like other degrees with $50 grand starting salaries.
Atlanta has a reputation for standing behind their picks and developing their talent. Whereas, the people running the Indiana franchise don't seem to have a clue re Basketball.
April 11th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Loving what Atlanta is building. Many teams seem to be aimless with no real identity or just awful at roster construction.
April 11th, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
CONGRATS LEIGHA!!!!!!
NICE COLLEGE CAREER!!!!!!!
MAKE YOUR FUTURE!!!!!!!!!
GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!