The LSU women’s basketball team fell one win short of a return trip to the Final 4, but the defending National Champions still turned in another huge season in Baton Rouge.
With Kim Mulkey winning the program’s first basketball title in Year 2, one of the key pieces to LSU’s success over the past two seasons is Angel Reese.
With the WNBA Draft approaching on April 15 in New York, Reese is part of a deep draft pool of talented college basketball stars who will hear their names called on draft day.
In a group that includes Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, Stanford’s Cameron Brink and more, where will Reese come off the board?
Reese projected as a Top 10 pick
ESPN Mock Draft: Angel Reese – LSU – No. 7 overall – Minnesota Lynx
ESPN’s Breakdown: With the personnel they already have, the Lynx seem likely to look for the best player available with this pick. The big question: Will they think that player is Reese? Rebounding is her top strength; she’s exceptional there. The concern is whether her offensive skills can grow to the point where opposing teams think they have to guard closely even when she is not in the paint. If the Lynx believe they can help her expand her game with the talent she has, they might go with Reese.
Quick Notes: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is projected to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick, while Reese finds herself in the No. 7 spot overall as the third power forward selected in ESPN’s latest mock draft. ESPN has Stanford power forward Cameron Brink going No. 2 overall and Connecticut power forward Aaliyah Edwards going No. 5 overall.
The Tight Squeeze of WNBA Rosters
While Reese is expected to land inside the Top 10 in the draft, there’s still work to be done to find staying power in the WNBA.
The league sits at 12 teams with a max roster size of 12 players, though it should be noted that balancing the salary cap means teams often carry just 11 players on the active roster. In the 2023 WNBA Draft, just 15 of the 36 players selected made a team’s roster for the first game of the season. Being drafted high certainly increases a player’s chances of finding a roster spot given, and 2023 proved to be a good year for Top 10 picks as nine made the team’s opening day roster, while the lone player not on an active roster came as a result of a season-ending ACL injury.
