One last time: Jessica Shepard can do it all. She can pass, she can rebound, she is in top condition (only player to play all 40 minutes against UConn in the national semifinals? Shepard). She’s got range on her shot, she gets buckets for her team with her outlet passes — the reason, per Synergy, Notre Dame was sixth in the country in points per possession in transition, first in total transition possessions. She’s got off-the-charts basketball IQ, she comes from a basketball family, she’s got WNBA size at the 4 and she’s relentlessly coachable. She’ll be a great fit in Minnesota, where I have her in this mock, but really, she’s a great fit anywhere.
13. Phoenix (from Indiana via Las Vegas) Bridget Carleton, Iowa State
14. New York Han Xu, China
15. Chicago Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
16. Minnesota (from Las Vegas) Jessica Shepard, Notre Dame
17. Dallas Cierra Dillard, Buffalo
18. Minnesota Kiara Leslie, NC State
19. Los Angeles Kennedy Burke, UCLA
20. Minnesota (from Phoenix) Paris Kea, North Carolina
21. Connecticut (from Atlanta) Regan Magarity, Virginia Tech
22. Dallas (from Washington) Chloe Jackson, Baylor
23. Atlanta Megan Gustafson, Iowa
24. Seattle Alexis Jennings, South Carolina