April 27, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Ranking the top WNBA prospects in college basketball
By The Next
The top three are all top-20 prospects in WNBA history, our draft experts say
In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, Hunter Cruse, Em Adler and Lincoln Shafer discuss their rankings of the top WNBA prospects remaining in college basketball after the 2024 WNBA Draft.
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The three players at the top of their list are UConn guard Paige Bueckers, South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley and USC wing JuJu Watkins, in that order. Shafer explains why Fulwiley is ahead of Watkins right now:
“It’s no dig against JuJu, really, to have her as the third-best prospect in college basketball. That means that she is somewhere between the 12th- and 17th-best prospect of all time in our eyes in the history of the WNBA. She’s obviously a very, very good player.
“But watching MiLaysia Fulwiley is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Her athletic abilities are, they’re out of this world. She is touching rim at 5’8 in game in high school. She’s already shown signs that she can be a plus 3-point shooter and has the ability to create paint touches at will and has also shown signs that she could become a very good point-of-attack defender … while also providing incredible help defense. …
“Also, I might be swayed because MiLaysia has the juice. She is just one of the sauciest basketball players to ever exist. … She’s so fun to watch and creates advantages in so many different ways.”
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Cruse disagrees, ranking Watkins ahead of Fulwiley as WNBA prospects. But Adler sides with Shafer:
“The thing I think that really separates it for me is … the playmaking. Because JuJu, in some universe, she can be the best player on a title team, but she can’t be the primary initiator on a title team. Whereas MiLaysia Fulwiley can be the head of — I shouldn’t even just say ‘can.’ She looks like the future head of the snake on both ends for a dynasty.”
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