April 15--In a dream scenario that even Chicago Sky coach Pokey Chatman doubted would happen, lanky Texas Longhorns star Imani Boyette fell to the Sky, who selected the true center they were desperately seeking with the 10th pick in the WNBA draft Thursday night.
Chatman entered the selection process with an eye on adding a center to add rebounding and shore up a vulnerable interior defense. But she didn't rule out taking the best available player if the draft saw a run on bigs.
"We're thrilled that Imani was still on the board for us at No. 10," Chatman said. "Everyone talks about her height, her length, her ability to affect the side of the basketball we struggle with the most. (Six-foot-7), with that wing span, I think she impacts the defensive end of the floor. She also runs the floor like a guard. She can rebound. I think offensively we'll see her come into her own as the days turn to weeks to months to years."
With the first pick, the Seattle Storm took Connecticut's Breanna Stewart, a four-time NCAA tournament champion and three-time Naismith College Player of the Year. It was a no-brainer. During ESPN2's live broadcast from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., laughter broke out in the audience when the announcer said the Storm was on the clock -- Stewart sapped all the suspense from the No. 1 pick.
In fact, the Huskies dominated the top of the draft in the same fashion like they rolled to a fourth straight national title. Stewart's teammates Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck went second and third to San Antonio and Connecticut, respectively, the first time in WNBA draft history players from the same school went 1-2-3. In 2002, Connecticut's Sue Bird and Swin Cash went back-to-back in the first two picks, and fellow Husky Asjha Jones went fourth overall.
The Sky have one other pick in the draft, the 10th pick in the third round and 35th overall. They sent their second-round pick to Minnesota as part of the trade that also sent Sylvia Fowles to the Lynx and brough Erika de Souza to Chicago.
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