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WNBA Mock Draft 7.0: Big Board, after the Tina Charles trade

By Howard Megdal

NEW YORK - APRIL 07: (L-R) Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee State, Kelsey Griffin of Nebraska, Jayne Appel of Stanford, Allison Hightower of Louisiana State, Alison Lacey of Iowa State, Danielle McCray of Kansas, Chanel Mokango of Mississippi State, Jacinta Monroe of Florida State, Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State, Monica Wright of Virginia and Amanda Thompson of Oklahoma attend the 2010 WNBA Draft celebration at the NBA Store on April 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 07: (L-R) Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee State, Kelsey Griffin of Nebraska, Jayne Appel of Stanford, Allison Hightower of Louisiana State, Alison Lacey of Iowa State, Danielle McCray of Kansas, Chanel Mokango of Mississippi State, Jacinta Monroe of Florida State, Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State, Monica Wright of Virginia and Amanda Thompson of Oklahoma attend the 2010 WNBA Draft celebration at the NBA Store on April 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images) /
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PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 31: Oregon Ducks forward Ruthy Hebard (24) reacts with Oregon Ducks guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) 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: Oregon Ducks forward Ruthy Hebard (24) reacts with Oregon Ducks guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) 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) /

8. Chicago Sky select Ruthy Hebard

No, Ruthy Hebard is not a stretch five. She’s not a perimeter threat, she’s a traditional big. Her coach, Kelly Graves, told me that she’s got the midrange jumper, it’s just that Oregon was best-served by keeping her in the paint. (Can’t argue with the results on that one!) 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. Think a quartet of Stef Dolson, Cheyenne Parker, Azurá Stevens and Hebard, all with some overlapping skills, each a delightful snowflake of a useful big in this league. God, I miss basketball.

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