2019 WNBA Draft: Big Board 8.0, pre-Final Four edition

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 31: Mississippi State Bulldogs center Teaira McCowan (15) gets fouled by Oregon Ducks forward Ruthy Hebard (24) during the NCAA Division I Women's Championship Elite Eight round basketball game between the Oregon Ducks and Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 31, 2019 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 31: Mississippi State Bulldogs center Teaira McCowan (15) gets fouled by Oregon Ducks forward Ruthy Hebard (24) during the NCAA Division I Women's Championship Elite Eight round basketball game between the Oregon Ducks and Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 31, 2019 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 15
Next
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) celebrates after making a three point basket in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Quarterfinals game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Stanford Cardinal on April 1, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) celebrates after making a three point basket in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Quarterfinals game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Stanford Cardinal on April 1, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

6. Minnesota Lynx: Arike Ogunbowale, 5’8 G, Notre Dame

There’s so much that fits here with the Lynx and Ogunbowale. It’s easy to think of her as a one-way player because of how much attention is rightly paid to her offense, but Ogunbowale is a max-effort defender who has improved significantly on that end. There’s a lot of Seimone Augustus in her game as a whole, an underrated passer and elite court vision as a whole. But really, when you look at the Minnesota roster, what’s the missing thing? Someone to create her own shot, especially this season, with no Lindsay Whalen, no Maya Moore, and assuming Seimone, while a Hall of Famer, needs to have her minutes managed. Think long-term, and the idea of Ogunbowale as a worthy perimeter pairing with Sylvia Fowles inside could pay dividends for the Lynx for a long time to come.