The WNBA Draft typically takes place in mid-April, after the Final Four is finished, but typically before rookies have actually graduated from college. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA doesn't have a so-called "one and done" expectation — most players are required to graduate from college before they're draft eligible.
As newcomer Justine Pissott told reporters during the Indiana Fever's training camp, this actually means they're often juggling schoolwork with training camp, and potentially the start of the WNBA season. In Pissott case, the last day of undergraduate classes was April 22, and exams take place between April 23 and 30. That means she'll be finished by the time the WNBA season officially begins, but is very much in the thick of things during training camp.
That's a pretty unique role that doesn't have as widely discussed as it should. Rookies in the WNBA are already faced with a lot: making a team and keeping their spot, exploring their options if they're not able to stay in the league, learning new styles of play and getting to know new coaches and teammates, and adapting to the physciality of the league. There's also the standard stuff that most of us go through when we begin new jobs anywhere: there's just a lot of adjustment.
On top of that, they're usually the ones on the floor during preseason games. Pissott noted that she's often in the practice gym with the Fever until 7 p.m. at night, at which point she goes back home to finish homework, study, and potentially even take tests. It's also safe to assume that as she was navigating her first-ever WNBA game against the New York Liberty this past weekend, she was also thinking about what needs to be prepared for on her upcoming final exams.
Pissott, who currently has a developmental role on the Fever, told reporters that she is hoping to land a spot on a team's roster of 12. It's possible she could do so with the Fever, or that another team might attempt to poach her with a final roster spot. The Fever need a player like Pissott, a stretch 4 who can also play the 2 and the 3, who can stretch the floor and knows how to make, take, and land her own shot, and who has plenty of potential. The Fever could sign her to a four-year rookie deal and keep her on the team, which would allow them to develop her at a pace that works.
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