For the second year in a row the Gonzaga women's basketball program will be represented at the WNBA Draft. 15 of the top WNBA prospects are invited to the event which is held at the headquarters of ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. There will be 36 players drafted. The 15 that are invited to the event are essentially guaranteed to be selected. Last year Courtney Vandersloot represented Gonzaga at the draft. She was selected 3rd by the Chicago Sky. Vivian Frieson, while not invited to the event, is the only other Zag who has been drafted. She was taken with the 31st pick by the Tulsa Shock in 2010.
The WNBA draft has three rounds of 12 picks, one for each team. Though like most drafts teams can trade for better position. Standish is expected to go late in the first round or early in the second.
The 6' 2'' forward had a solid junior year putting up 617 points, second only to Vandersloot, for an average of 17.1 points per game while playing in all 36 games. Standish also led the team with 59 blocks and rebounds with 304.
During her recently completed senior season Standish was the leader of the Zags, and led them back to the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year. Her numbers took a slight dip, but when your team loses the only player in NCAA basketball history (men's or women's) to score 2000 points and 1000 assists (Vandersloot), that's expected. What wasn't expected was how well Standish handled that loss and far she took the Zags. She averaged 16.4 points and 7.5 rebounds this season. When it mattered she stepped up her game. For example, when it matters most, during the NCAA tournament. Standish averaged 23.2 points in Gonzaga's 3 tournament games.
Standish was an AP All-American Honorable Mention this season, as well as two time All-WCC player. What is interesting about the WNBA draft, especially for people who don't follow the WNBA much (like me) is that someone who is just an honorable mention receives an invitation to the draft.
While the NBA requires only 1 completed year of college for domestic prospects, the WNBA requires all 4 years of NCAA eligibility to be used as well as a minimum age of 22 for a player to be drafted. That makes it impossible for the most talked about and probably best player at the women's collegiate level this past season, Brittney Griner of Baylor, to be drafted this year.
Standish has had a fantastic career at Gonzaga. She's been a huge part of the success of the past two seasons. I wish her the best of luck on draft day and for the entirety of her WNBA career.
WNBA Draft
April 16, 2012
11 AM Pacific Time
ESPN2
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