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Optimism was in the air Monday night as 36 players were selected by WNBA franchises in the 2022 draft. Teams prepare for the draft the entire offseason, and we prepared by bringing you one of our favorite stats for each of the players picked in the first round, as well as for a few other notable players.
First Round
No. 1 Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream): Howard is the first player to average 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block since 2018-19.
No. 2 NaLyssa Smith (Indiana Fever): Smith was the only player to average 22 points and 11 rebounds this season.
No. 3 Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics): Austin ranked in the top 1% of Division I in both blocks per game and defensive rebounding rate this year.
No. 4 Emily Engstler (Indiana Fever): Engstler ranked second in the country in Defensive Win Shares this season (5.2).
No. 5 Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty): Sabally’s PER of 33.6 ranked in the top 1% of Division I this season.
No. 6 Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever): Hull was second in the Pac-12 with 2.1 steals per game in the conference season. She was fourth in free-throw percentage and sixth in 3-point percentage.
No. 7 Veronica Burton (Dallas Wings): Burton led the country in steals per game for the second straight year. She is the only player to average three steals a game each of the last three seasons.
No. 8 Mya Hollingshed (Las Vegas Aces): Hollingshed averaged 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game this season.
No. 9 Rae Burrell (Los Angeles Sparks): Burrell has averaged at least 18 points per 40 minutes each of the past three seasons.
No. 10 Queen Egbo (Indiana Fever): Egbo has made exactly half of her two-pointers both this season and last.
No. 11 Kierstan Bell (Las Vegas Aces): Bell won our Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award in both 2021 and 2022. Now Bell will be playing for the award’s namesake. Also, Bell is one of just three players since 2009-10 to post a usage rate of at least 38.0% while averaging at least 1.0 points per play with 500 or more minutes played.
No. 12 Nia Clouden (Connecticut Sun): Clouden is fifth in the NCAA with 5.7 free throws made per game. No player ahead of her shot better than her 88.5% from the line.
Other Notable Players
No. 15 Naz Hillmon (Atlanta Dream): Hillmon has the highest points per scoring attempt (1.23) in the country among players with her 29.9% usage rate or higher.
No. 17 Elissa Cunane (Seattle Storm): Cunane is the only center in the country to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line (minimum 20 3PA and FTA) this season.
No. 20 Destanni Henderson (Indiana Fever): Henderson is one of three players this season with 3.9 assists per game and a 3-point percentage of 39.9% (min 130 3PA).
In Closing
The 2022 WNBA draftees will remember Monday night for the rest of their lives. They earned the honor with their stellar performances in the NCAA or abroad. However, the draft is just the culmination of one phase of their careers and the start of another. Training camp is just a few days away, as these players will compete for a precious roster spot. Those who make a final roster will find their rookie season starts shortly thereafter on Friday, May 6th, just 24 days from now. Follow along with us throughout the 2022 season and playoffs until a champion is crowned!
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.