PHILADELPHIA — Two weeks ago, Villanova’s season came to an end with a loss to Miami in the Sweet 16. With an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, senior Maddy Siegrist left that game with a decision to make: Come back for a fifth year or enter the WNBA draft?
Just three days after the loss, Siegrist announced on social media that she would forgo her final year of eligibility and declare for the draft.
Many mock drafts, including ESPN, The Athletic, and Sports Illustrated have Siegrist going third to the Dallas Wings.
ESPN’s M.A. Voepel said that Siegrist’s draft stock has improved significantly over the last year.
“She was certainly thought about [as a lottery pick] even before this season started,” Voepel said. “But what she did over the course of the season did nothing but help her in the draft.”
WNBA-ready
During a predraft conference call Thursday, ESPN’s LaChina Robinson called Siegrist “WNBA-ready,” with Rebecca Lobo adding, “don’t sleep on Maddy Siegrist.” While the senior may not have been considered a lottery pick last year, she likely will be on every team’s draft board Monday (7 p.m., ESPN).
Siegrist led the nation in scoring this year at 29.2 points per game and became the all-time leading scorer in Villanova and Big East history. She received multiple postseason awards, including Big East player and scholar athlete of the year and the Katrina McClain Award for the top power forward. Siegrist also was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and John R. Wooden Award.
The 6-foot-2 forward can score at all three levels. Siegrist is most comfortable in the paint, especially with her signature turnaround jumper, but she also can stretch a defense with her 3-point shooting.
“She’s going to be in a setting where it’s so much harder to double and triple-team her,” Voepel said. “She was the focus of the game plan literally her entire time at Villanova, every single game. That won’t be the case in the WNBA.”
There will be challenges with the increased pace and physicality at the professional level. Siegrist will have to find ways to adjust to the different defenses she will face.
“She really loves the game and thinks the game well,” Voepel said of her adjustment. “As great [of] a college career she’s had, you can really see her blossoming as a pro player.”
Dallas Wings
Siegrist’s most likely destination is Dallas. The Wings have three first-round picks, including No. 3 and No. 5. While Siegrist initially was projected to go fifth, Voepel and other experts believe that Dallas will now take her third because they fear that Washington could take her at No. 4 if she is still available.
Dallas has been rebuilding, but president Greg Bibb believes the Wings have built a core and are looking to complement those players with their three draft picks.
“I think she is flat-out one of the best players in the draft,” Bibb said on Thursday’s call. “But I also think she has a skill set that translates well for a number of teams in the WNBA, including us.”
The Wings have strong guard play in Arike Ogunbowale, Diamond DeShields, and Crystal Dangerfield, but Siegrist’s scoring at the forward position would fill a need.
“They’ve tried some different things [at the power forward position],” Voepel said. “They do have some potentially good players there, but they’ve also dealt with injuries at that position, so I think they see her as a potential really good fit for what they’ve been looking for.”
Washington Mystics
With a roster headlined by one of the best swing forwards to play the game in Wilmington native Elena Delle Donne, the Mystics already have a style of play that complements Siegrist.
Siegrist likely wouldn’t step into a significant role as a rookie with a lineup including Delle Donne and other talented forwards in Shakira Austin and Myisha Hines-Allen. But she would have the chance to learn from them.
“[Siegrist] is the kind of person and the kind of basketball player that she’ll handle gracefully if she’s not starting right away,” Voepel said. “She understands the game on a big-picture level. There’s so many things about making that transition to the league that are about maturity and learning, and those are really, really big qualities that she has.”
Siegrist can play multiple positions, which could make her even more appealing for a team looking to bounce back from a last-place finish in 2022. If she makes an impact, it will be as a spark off the bench for Washington. But with Delle Donne in her ninth season, there is potential for Siegrist to develop with the Mystics and have an impact down the line.
“I can’t really see any team that Maddy wouldn’t be a good fit for,” Voepel said. “I think people are going to be excited to see her in the WNBA.”
