he WNBA 2002 draft approaches us quickly. With the pre-draft camp
this weekend, training camps starting the end of the month, and draft
day next week I start to wonder what will happen. Will Seattle and
Detroit pass up Sue Bird?

Yeah right. I can't see Seattle trading their first pick for anything
in the world as I can't see them not choosing Sue Bird with the top
pick. Not only is she the best point guard out there who is ready to
take any team to the next level with her knowledge of the game and
her maturity. She is the best athlete out there, not taking away
anything from the others. She is so ready for the WNBA it is not
funny. Fortunately for the rest of us, there is also hope. This
year's draft is pretty deep, has good draft picks and lots of
possibilities.

I can understand the dilemma with Lin Dunn and the first pick, but
that is a no brainer, especially when she has guards like Edwards who
in 3 games averaged 1.3ppg; Henning 3.4ppg in 32 games; Marciniak 4.9
in 27 games and Smith averaged 1.8 in 32 games. Besides Semeka
Randall who proved to be a great steal in the second round who
averaged 9.4ppg in 2001.

For Detroit who has the second pick they are not in a desperate need
of a "true point guard". They have Deanna Nolan and Jae Kingi. I see
them drafting Stacey Dales who at 6 feet can probably transition into
a small forward position and with her scoring and slashing abilities
I can see that working quite well for Detroit.

Now with Sue Bird and Dales gone what does that leave my Mystics
with? My preference would have been Bird or Dales in that order. We
are in the desperate need of a "true point guard" and a center.

For the point guard position with the 3rd pick, with Dales and Bird
gone, I would have to go with Nikki Teasley. Nikki Teasley averaged
15.2ppg, 4.2rpg, and shot 77-for-209 (.368) 2001-02 three pointers.
She is also a good hustler and being from this area, she should feel
right at home. This can be a good thing or a bad one, that's just a
chance one must take. Like I said before there are good guards in the
drafts, just not good point guards like Bird. LaNeishea Caufield,
Kelly Komara, Sheila Lambert, Telisha Quarles, and Natalie Powers are
names that pop up for the point guard position also.

Now for that 4th pick, that's a tough one. What to do? With names
like Swin Cash (14.9ppg, 8.6rpg; F, 6-2), Danielle Crockrom (17.1ppg,
9.1rpg; F, 6-2), Jerkisha Dosty (17.9ppg, 8.4rpg; F, 6-2), Lucienne
Berthieu (14.0ppg, 7.6rpg; F/C, 6-2), Jermisha Dosty (14.5ppg,
11.9rpg; C, 6-3), Asjha Jones (14.0ppg, 6.6rpg; F/C, 6-2), and
Michelle Snow 12.3ppg, 6.5rpg; C, 6-5) what would one do? You have
good height and though some might disagree I like Swin Cash and she
will be a great player in the league, I would prefer Danielle
Crockrom. I was really impressed with her play. Just would need her
to be a little more looser. I'd honestly would have to go with
Michelle Snow. I know she did not do all that well, but she is the
type of player that will perform well with Mique and now with Summitt
in the mix, she might just live up to her full potential.

I like Swin so don't jump on me. Of course, if I was Detroit who will
also have 4 picks in the second round with the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th
pick I would be happy players like these might still be available in
the second round.

Last year I would have preferred the Mystics picked Semeka Randall
over Coco Miller but I did not make the picks. This year I hope the
Mystics redeem themselves with better draft picks. In the previous
years, we have helped others teams with our choices than we have
helped ourselves. In 1998, besides Murriel Page with our first pick
3rd pick overall and Rita Williams (whom Nancy Darsch traded) in the
second round 13th overall we have no idea who the other two were, at
least I don't. Who is Angela Hamblin? Angela Jackson?

In 1999, with our first overall pick, after must speculation (Wes
Unseld) about Chamique Holdsclaw not necessarily being the first
pick, we did in fact pick her. Again with the 13th pick we chose
Shalonda Enis, who was traded eventually for Vickie Bullet and who
never developed or fit in with the team. Then my favorite player
(sarcasm) Andrea "won't shoot no matter how open I am" Nagy.
Thankfully New York took her in a trade and the here now, gone now,
here again, gone again Jennifer Whittle, who has only proven that she
can play ball in Australia and with Tom Mahr who proved he can not
coach in the WNBA.

In 2000, this has to be the worse draft ever recorded in sports
history. Although not a great year for drafts, with a player like
Betty Lennox out there we chose Tausha "The Bust" Mills with the 2nd
pick overall. She never had a good college career, she barely existed
in the ABL, averaging like 3rpg, and 2ppg. What a wasted pick. For
that they could have traded away the pick for a veteran player. We
are still waiting to see what Tonya "Icy-Hot" will become. She was
the 18th pick overall.

To make matters worse, we made the playoffs in 2000, got swept by the
Liberty, and in turn got the 9th pick for 2001. Who does our
drafting? We choose Kelly Miller. Never mind the fact that Katie
Douglas, Kelly Schumacher, Semeka Randall, Penny Taylor (Olympics) to
name a few.

So you see, even though there are many possibilities for the
organization to do good this year, somehow they will find an easy way
to screw it all up. Just watch and see the 19th of April on Draft
Day. That is of course, if they don't have any other bright ideas
like trading before then. I pray hard at nights hoping that this year
with Pat Summitt having a say the Mystics will finally bounce in the
right direction.