Mystics pick former Terp Austin at No. 3
There were no surprises at the top of the WNBA draft Monday night: Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith and Shakira Austin went 1-2-3.
But what could qualify as a surprise is that Washington Mystics coach/general manager Mike Thibault didn’t stray from expectations when he selected Austin, a former standout at Maryland and Riverdale Baptist, with the third pick. Over a career in which he has become the WNBA’s winningest coach, Thibault has forged a reputation for having player evaluations that differ from mainstream projections, but that was not the case this year.
“No question, we got what we wanted,” Thibault said. “That has been clearly defined for us tonight. ... We felt we got a player who was capable of being the first pick and then got an added bonus and got another player.”
The Mystics won the draft lottery in December but traded the top pick to the Atlanta Dream last week for No. 3, No. 14 and the opportunity to swap first-round picks in 2023. (That pick would come from the Los Angeles Sparks.)
The Dream stuck with Howard, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Kentucky who averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds and was atop most draft projections. Smith, a 6-4 forward, went to Indiana at No. 2 after averaging 22.1 points and 11.5 rebounds as a senior at Baylor.
The questions started at No. 3. Thibault had said his staff was comfortable with drafting any of the top three players — without detailing whom the Mystics had in mind beyond Howard and Smith. Austin ended up being that mystery player. She averaged 15.2 points and nine rebounds in her second year at Mississippi after starting her college career with two seasons at Maryland.
Thibault raved about having a 6-5, athletic post player who can handle both forward and center. He called it “rare” while adding that Austin’s strong defensive foundation gives her a head start as her offensive game continues to evolve.
“I feel like I got lucky,” she said. “To be in a position to learn from vets and people who you just look up to as role players, it’s just an amazing feeling. I feel like this opportunity is going to bring the best out of me, and I’m ready to just start a career in D.C., back home. It’s just an honor.”
Clouden, Dickey get selected
The Connecticut Sun drafted Michigan State guard Nia Clouden with the 12th overall selection. Clouden, a 5-8 guard from St. Frances in Baltimore, averaged 20 points. 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season.
At Michigan State, Clouden was named a first team All-Big Ten selection in both her junior and senior seasons. She broke the school record for points in a single contest when she tallied 50 in a double-overtime loss to Florida Gulf Coast last season and finished her collegiate career as the Spartan’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,882 points.
Delaware shooting guard/small forward Jasmine Dickey, a Catonsville graduate, went No. 30 overall to the Dallas Wings. Dickey, 22, will graduate next month with a bachelor’s degree in sports health and a legacy as the first Blue Hen since Elena Delle Donne to earn back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year awards. She is the second player in program history to be named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division I All-America honorable mention.
Dickey ended this past season ranked third nationally in points per game (25.3) and averaged 10.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals while amassing 19 double-doubles. She will leave Delaware with 1,981 points, 1,038 rebounds, 213 steals, 192 assists and 48 double-doubles.
Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate Mia Davis (Temple) went undrafted.