2019 WNBA Draft: Best fits for potential early entry candidates
Tynice Martin, 5’10” guard, West Virginia
2018-19 stats: 36.1 minutes, 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals per game; 37.9% shooting and 38.5% on 3-pointers
Biggest strength: Stealing the ball without fouling. Both this season and last season, Martin is accomplishing the rare feat of averaging more steals than fouls per game. This season, her 1.7 steals per game and 2.5% foul rate each rank in at least the 91st percentile of all Division I players. And despite averaging more minutes than 98% of players nationally, she has not fouled out of a game this season.
Best WNBA fit: Phoenix. The Mercury ranked last in the WNBA in steals last season (224) while committing the third-most fouls in the league (703). Also, DeWanna Bonner played the most minutes of any player in the league last season; she, Britney Griner, and Diana Taurasi all averaged over 30 minutes per game. Martin won’t spell the 6’8” Griner, of course, but she could add depth, defense, and toughness in the backcourt for a team that looks like one of the best bets to win the 2019 WNBA title.