6. Minnesota Lynx: Jessica Shepard, 6’4 F, Notre Dame
The only question, in the eyes of multiple WNBA talent evaluators I spoke to about Jessica Shepard in 2017, was whether she could get into elite professional shape. 38 pounds later, that’s not in dispute. And neither is the skill set or the basketball IQ, the national champion can do it all. We even know her skills extend beyond the incredible passing (her outlet passes are the best I’ve ever seen from a collegiate prospect), the strong defending, ability to rebound—we saw her hit threes back in her Nebraska days, only forsaking them because of role with Muffet McGraw. Put her alongside Sylvia Fowles, and Cheryl Reeve has herself the kind of player she attempted (and to her credit, successfully) to make out of late-career Rebekah Brunson, but for the long-term. That is a high ceiling I’m calling for, but I don’t doubt this projection.