SOMETHING’S BRUIN!
Liberty drafts UCLA forward Onyenwere with No. 6 pick
The Liberty selected UCLA’s Michaela Onyenwere at No. 6 overall Thursday in the 2021 WNBA Draft.
“This is what people dream of,” Onyenwere said after being drafted. “My agent kind of was like telling me like ‘you might go here, here, here,’ and so I was kind of expecting on New York a little bit... but it still doesn’t compare to actually hearing your name, the rush you get and just like the excitement from all my family and friends.
“It’s definitely a cool feeling, my legs were shaking for a while.”
Onyenwere, 21, from Aurora, Colo., brings a decorated resume to her new team in Brooklyn vying to deliver a certified winning culture from 2021 onward.
“She’s a home run for us,” Liberty head coach Walt Hopkins said after the draft.
The 6-0 forward was three-time All-Pac 12 and the only two-time AP All-America in UCLA history. Onyenwere was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Bruins in 2020 and 2021, holds the record for the fourth-most points in program history (1,888) and had 500-point seasons in two consecutive years (2020, 2019).
Her school sent their congratulations on social media: “The Liberty won the draft! We’re so excited Michaela is heading to the Big Apple!”
Onyenwere also wasn’t afraid of shooting three-pointers — she attempted 204 treys over her four years as a Bruin and finished a career 30.4% three-point shooter — something Hopkins made a point of in his offensive scheme last season. And she explained after the draft that she’s become more confident as a three-point shooter, particularly after the improvements she made her final year of college; Onyenwere made 23 of 69 threes attempted last season compared to the 18 of 70 the season prior.
But Onyenwere’s more than a budding sharp shooter. Hopkins and GM Jonathan Kolb pulled the trigger on picking her in the first round because of her character.
“Getting to have interviews with Michaela was really what moved the needle,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been watching her for years at UCLA, even as an assistant coach (with the Minnesota Lynx) and I was scouting, and I absolutely loved her. She’s got a motor that just is unbelievable. The confidence is really high, but she’s humble.”
Her all-around skillset and versatility was the plus. Hopkins specifically highlighted her defensive capabilities, talking about UCLA’s NCAA tournament matchup against Texas when she held Charli Collier (drafted No. 1 overall in 2021) to just five points.
Of her new coaches, she said: “I really like Walt. I also spoke with (assistant coaches) Dustin (Gray) and Shelley (Patterson), as well... I think Walt is a great guy. That’s what I’ve heard also from Kylie (Shook), that he’s a really good guy, so I I’m really excited to get to work with him, be coached by him, I think it can be a great experience with the whole coaching staff.”
Onyenwere comes in familiar with some of the Liberty’s now second-year players: Shook and Sabrina Ionescu. Shook was an AAU teammate with Onyenwere in Colorado. Ionescu was one of UCLA’s fiercest opponents in the PAC-12, when she played for Oregon. Now able to play on the same team, Onyenwere said that rivalry can end.
After Onyenwere, the Liberty picked up Baylor guard Didi Richards (No. 17 overall), Pacific guard Valerie Higgins (No. 25 overall) and international prospect Marine Fauthoux, a guard from France (No. 29 overall).