WNBA Mock Draft Big Board 3.0: Knock-on effects as free agency arrives

BRISTOL, CT - APRIL 11: Elizabeth Cambage and Maya Moore pose for a photo during the 2011 WNBA Draft Presented By Adidas on April 11, 2011 at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Potthieiser/NBAE/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, CT - APRIL 11: Elizabeth Cambage and Maya Moore pose for a photo during the 2011 WNBA Draft Presented By Adidas on April 11, 2011 at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Potthieiser/NBAE/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 14
Next
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 14: Ezi Magbegor of Australia (R) in action during the Women’s Gold Medal Game on day 10 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast Convention Centre on April 14, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 14: Ezi Magbegor of Australia (R) in action during the Women’s Gold Medal Game on day 10 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast Convention Centre on April 14, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) /

9. Connecticut Sun: Ezi Magbegor, 6’4 F/C, Australia

This is a pick for now and later. Ezi Magbegor showed us several things during last fall’s FIBA World Cup. One is that she is capable of performing against older, more experienced bigs, that the years of additional weight training do not scare her or force her away from what she does well offensively and on the boards. But Magbegor’s versatility also matters here. In Curt Miller’s system,  where stretch fours and stretch fives are often interchangeable, it is easy to see how Magbegor fits long-term. Soon enough, the Sun are going to face some uncomfortable salary cap decisions in their frontcourt, and having a rookie-scale contract like that of Magbegor to potentially plug the rotation hole created by a trade can only serve Miller well as he navigates the seasons ahead.