WNBA Mock Draft Big Board 4.0: The best-laid plans

7. Los Angeles Sparks: Napheesa Collier, 6’1 F, Connecticut

This already looked like a fit. But now, with Essence Carson in Phoenix? The Sparks need a replacement, and they need an answer for Carson should the two meet up in the playoffs. Collier’s an elite rebounder, especially for her size, something Fisher identified as a key need when he took the job. But she does many other things, whether it’s versatility on the defensive end, stepping into passing lanes (Collier’s steal percentage is 2.4 percent and was north of 3 last year) and can shoot it from everywhere (though her drop in three-point accuracy this year is a red flag, reinforced by her drop in free throw percentage). She plays taller than she is, too, like Carson — block rate is 4.7 percent. Collier, like Samuelson, comes with UConn pedigree, a very high basketball IQ, and should help the Sparks as a logical three to put next to Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker, for instance—or even a lineup featuring a certain center the Wings have on the trade market, too.