And So It Begins: Rookie Recap
College stars A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Gabby Williams and friends continued the next step in their transition to the pros with the WNBA preseason. The shot clock may be shorter and the competition more fierce in the league, but A’ja Wilson can still absolutely dominate the backboards. Jordin Canada can still light up a scoreboard. These rookies came into this preseason with something to prove. Here’s how they did it.
Standout Performers
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces | South Carolina Gamecocks)
When talking about elite college basketball players last season, it was almost impossible to have a conversation that didn’t include forward A’ja Wilson. After averaging 22.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in her senior year at South Carolina, Wilson is looking for more of the same after being selected first overall by the Las Vegas Aces.
While two preseason games isn’t a large sample size, Wilson seems to be right on track. She pulled down 12 rebounds in the Aces’ preseason finale against the Dallas Wings. Although the Aces weren’t able to pull out the W, Wilson looked every bit the tenacious rebounder we saw throughout her college career. Wilson did struggle from the field as she went 4-for-17 against the Wings, but she had already shown her scoring ability in the Aces’ preseason opener against the Chinese National Team. In only 22 minutes of action, she scored 20 points shooting an incredibly efficient 72.7% from the floor.
Wilson makes her regular season WNBA debut on May 20 when the Aces take on the Connecticut Sun at 1p.m. Eastern.
Jordin Canada (Seattle Storm | UCLA Bruins)
If you’re looking for a gifted passer and defender as well as a high-octane, rapidly improving scorer, look no further than Jordin Canada. The Seattle guard’s passing has been consistently exceptional. She finished in the top ten for assists in both her junior and senior season at UCLA. She’s also shown her drive and work ethic, steadily improving her three-point shot each season.
The 5’6” guard scored effectively in her two preseason games with her shot appearing very refined. She went 13-for-14 from the line and despite going 0-for-3 from behind the arc in her preseason opener, she finished on a high note by hitting 3 of her 5 three-point attempts to finish out the preseason. She averaged 1.22 points per scoring attempt during the preseason. Her defense really stood out, as her quick hands earned her a game-high 5 steals against Phoenix.
Canada’s shot appears crisp and her hands look quick. She seems primed for a special season, which opens on May 20 against the Phoenix Mercury.
Dynamic Duo
Stephanie Mavunga (Indiana Fever | Ohio State)
The Indiana Fever’s second round pick out of Ohio State, Mavunga performed just as well (albeit in this small preseason sample), if not better, than many players taken ahead of her. Mavunga averaged 16.6 points per game in her senior year, but she exceeded that in the Fever’s preseason-opening win against Chicago with 18 points in only 19 minutes.
Along with her wicked-hot hand, she pulled down four offensive rebounds to pair with her four defensive rebounds. Among players with at least 30 preseason possessions, she led the team in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates with of 19% and 24% respectively. This means that if a defensive rebound was available on the floor, she was the one to grab it 24% of the time. Her defense was solid as well as she swatted a shot and grabbed a steal.
Mavunga is definitely someone to keep an eye on. Catch her on the court again as the Fever open the regular season at 1p.m. Eastern on May 19 against the Chicago Sky.
Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever | Ohio State)
The Indiana Fever must’ve been pretty impressed with the Ohio State Buckeyes this year, as they used two of their first three picks in the draft on former OSU players. Mitchell didn’t put up superstar numbers during the preseason, but she was consistently solid. Two games certainly won’t tell the whole story, but Mitchell’s free-throw shooting was great (93% average) despite her struggles from the field. Once she settles into a rhythm, Mitchell and Mavunga should play well alongside one another.
To Be Determined
There was a lot to take in during the preseason, but there were still a couple players that we’ll have to wait to see take the court. Another exciting player is third-overall pick Diamond DeShields, a guard out of the University of Tennessee. She decided to forgo her senior season to play in Turkey and finished up her current season overseas this week. She won’t make her debut until the Chicago Sky’s regular season opener against the Fever.
The Sparks’ rookie center Maria Vadeeva also had business to finish up overseas, but at only 19, the excitement around the 11th overall pick is impressively high. She’ll see the court on Sunday when the Sparks open their season in Minnesota against the Lynx at 5p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
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