9. Connecticut Sun: Megan Gustafson, Iowa
At first glance, this is an imperfect fit. Gustafson is a traditional five at Iowa, one of the very best but still post-bound, and Curt Miller’s offense is anything but traditional. And then, the more people I talk to, the more I hear about how diverse Gustafson’s offensive game is, that the Mikan drills are merely where it starts, that Lisa Bluder herself says Gustafson can shoot it out beyond three. But that efficiency around the rim: here, take a look at a Connecticut shot chart from last season, courtesy of Positive Residual’s VITAL WNBA site:
This is a team that needs better efficiency around the rim. It’ll complement the elite three-point shooting, and open up space in the midrange for people like Courtney Williams. And think about it from an opposing gameplan perspective: what is your defensive answer when Gustafson and Jonquel Jones are on the floor? Is your solution to put an undersized four on Gustafson, who can finish at will at the rim? Or do you send your four to chase Jones all over the floor, suffering the height disparity at every turn? The more I think about Gustafson as an added dimension for Miller, the more I’m sold on her going here.