Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Even draft picks find it tough to make WNBA

Obviously it would have been great publicity and a nice ego-boost had James Madison's Dawn Evans or Richmond's Brittani Shells been selected in Monday's WNBA draft. But the reality is, with roster space at a premium, the odds of an undrafted free agent making a team, while slim, are pretty much the same as those of a second- or third-round pick.

Last year, for example, five undrafted free agents made opening-day rosters, as opposed to four second-rounders and three third-rounders. Overall, only 16 of the 36 draft picks actually made teams; even the No. 7 overall pick (Danielle McCray) couldn't make the cut.

In 2009, the first year the WNBA reduced roster sizes to 11 per team, only 18 of 39 picks made it to opening day.

Again, it would have been great to get drafted. But unless you're a first-round pick - and in most cases, even if you are - making a WNBA team is a longshot whether you hear your named called or not.

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