9. Dallas Wings select Ruthy Hebard
No, Ruthy Hebard is not a stretch five. She’s not a perimeter threat, she’s a traditional big. So sure, that limits her ceiling. But once again, I see a prospect who is being defined by what she isn’t, rather than what she is. Remember, Ruthy Hebard is devastatingly effective at scoring, both in the pick-and-roll and around the rim generally. She’s not just second in the nation in field goal percentage this season, she’s been top five in each of the past three seasons! She’s top 100 in the nation in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates. She’s become a steadily better passer, though she can continue to improve on that front, and she’s built to go up against the WNBA’s big bigs already, a strong 6’4. This is a league that rewards versatility, yes, but this is also a league that employs Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner, Teaira McCowan and Kalani Brown. Ruthy Hebard is going to help a team. Odds are, incidentally, it won’t be Dallas, who has 14 players under contract already and four picks in the first round, with a max of 15 even allowed in camp. Something like Dallas flipping Hebard to, say, New York or Seattle for a 2021 pick makes too much sense not to happen.