The 2022 WNBA Draft is now in the books. The first three picks went as expected, with Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, and Shakira Austin off the board. However, later in the draft, there were a few surprising picks, and many good players slipped to the second round.
Among all of the memorable storylines from last night’s draft, these three moments stood out the most.
Surprise of the Night: Lexie Hull
With the sixth draft pick, the Indiana Fever took Lexie Hull out of Stanford; many mock drafts had her going in the second round. When you are the Indiana Fever, you need just about everything to improve your roster. Hull will bring Indiana shooting and toughness on both sides of the floor. Hull shot 39.3 percent from three-point land; she will help the Fever, who finished last in three-point shooting last year.
Naz Hillmon and Destanni Henderson Fall in the Draft
Naz Hillmon went to the Atlanta Dream in the second round with the 15th pick. Hillmon finished the season averaging 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. However, many scouts think she is an undersized big that does not have an outside shot; it could be why she fail in the draft. Nevertheless, Hillmon is a great value pick for Atlanta because she will do the dirty work and is efficient around the basket. If Hillmon can work on her outside shot, she could develop into an outstanding WNBA player.
I thought Destanni Henderson would have been a sure-fire first-round pick, but that was not the case. Instead, Henderson fail to the Fever with the 20th pick. Size concerns might have played a part in that because she is only 5’7, but Henderson can ball. The South Carolina star can shoot from the outside as Henderson shoots 39 percent from three-point land and defend well. Henderson is good at picking you up full court on defense, and she can handle the ball. This was a massive steal for the Fever.
First HBCU Player Drafted
Ameshya Williams-Holliday was the first HBCU played drafted in the WNBA Draft; she was taken in the third round, 25th overall, by the Indiana Fever. Williams Holliday played at Jackson State, and she was a three-time Southwestern Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She was also Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season. Williams-Holliday averaged 19.2 points and 11.4 points per game this past season.
LaMarr Fields
LaMarr Fields has been sports writing for four-plus years now. He is a very dedicated writer that knows sports. LaMarr is from California and has dreams of being a writer full-time. You can follow LaMarr on twitter at @raiderway83.