Lynx Pick Deveraux Peters

The Lynx have 6 picks in this year's WNBA draft, but being the defending champs, it is thought to be very doubtful that anybody after the #3 pick in the 1st round would stick with the club.

So the only name you probably have to get accustomed to is Deveraux Peters, a 6-2 power forward from Notre Dame. She scored career highs of 12 points with 9 boards and 2 assists as a 5th year senior this past year, when she helped the Irish to 2nd place in the NCAA. You might recall they defeated UConn in OT in the semi, then got blowed out by Baylor in the final.

The draft went according to Hoyle for exactly one pick, Nnemkadi Obumwike of Stanford, at #1. #2 was expected to be Shenise Johnson of Miami Florida but instead it was Shekinne Stricklen of Tennessee. The Lynx had been expected to take Stricklen, but now the reached down past Stricklen's college teammate, Glory Johnson, who was projected at #4, and grabbed Peters instead. Glory Johnson went 4th and Shenise Johnson 5th, and Lynx fans will be following the trio for years to come to evaluate how the Lynx did with their #3 pick.

They Also Ran

At #12 the Lynx grabbed perhaps the top 19 year old in the world, Damaris Dantas of Brazil. She's a 6-4 center who was the #1 scorer at the 2011 FIBA 19 & Under worlds at 21 ppg (plus 12.5 rebounds and 2 steals). Her upside would seem to be greater than current Lynx back-up post Jessica Adair but Adair performed well enough in last summer's playoffs that her position ought to be pretty solid. Perhaps the point of picking Dantas, aside from her upside potential, is that she can stay with and in Brazil for a couple of years and then the Lynx can harvest her when she is more mature and perhaps the Lynx' need will be "enhanced."

At #18 it was Julie Wojta, 6-footer from Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her senior numbers are 20 ppg, 10 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. She would be a keeper under anything other than the Lynx' "loaded" status. Hopefully she can be flipped for some future draft choices when the Lynx need them.

Ditto #19 Kayla Standish of Gonzaga, another tall one at 6-2, but clearly behind Wojta with 16 ppg, 8 boards and a .473 shooting percentage to Wojta's .501 (career) and .522 (senior).

And ditto #20 Nika Baric of Slovenia, a 5-7 point guard who scored 14 ppg with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

5 down and 1 to go.