Former LSU center Sylvia Fowles and former Tennessee forward Candace Parker will battle yet again this afternoon – this time to become the coveted No. 1 WNBA Draft pick. Parker is expected to be the No. 1 pick in today’s WNBA draft, which will be shown live at noon on ESPN2. Fowles is expected to be taken second. But an interesting storyline could play out because of the draft order. The No. 1 pick belongs to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx pick second and third, respectively. There has been talk that Sky officials are working hard to get Parker, a Chicago-area native. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that the Sky would give up the No. 2 pick and WNBA All-Star forward Candice Dupree to nab Parker. “I think [the Sky] would try [to get Parker], but I don’t know that for sure,” said LSU coach Van Chancellor, former coach of the WNBA Houston Comets. “I hear there’s going to be a blockbuster trade, but they won’t tell me.” Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper said in an April 2 WNBA conference call that his team is looking for an “impact” player to become the face of the organization. “[Parker’s] definitely high up on the list for us, but Sylvia Fowles is playing tremendous basketball,” he said. “We’re not going to take the best player. We’re going to take the best player for our organization.” ESPN analyst Doris Burke said she’s excited to see how Fowles evolves in the WNBA, where she will likely not be double-teamed like she was in college. “She already has the size, the strength and the speed,” Burke said Saturday in Tampa. “But now we can see more of her counter moves.” Chancellor said the WNBA defensive scheme is much different from the college level, and those differences will allow Fowles to showcase her one-on-one skills. “They don’t play near as much zone, and they won’t be doubling down on a player like Sylvia,” he said. If Fowles goes to either the Sparks or the Lynx, she will reunite with some former Lady Tigers. Former point guard Temeka Johnson plays for the Sparks, while two-time Wade Trophy winner Seimone Augustus plays for the Lynx. Since the WNBA Draft takes place in Palm Harbor, Fla., Fowles and former LSU guard Quianna Chaney remained in the Tampa Bay area after Sunday’s 47-46 semifinal loss to Tennessee. The three-round draft consists of 43 total picks. Chancellor said he expects Chaney to go near the end of the first round. He also expects former LSU guard Erica White to be picked up in the middle of the second round. Chaney, who struggled with 1-of-6 shooting from behind the arc against Tennessee, said she’s looking forward to moving to the professional level. Chaney averaged 14.4 points on the season and ranks second in career 3-pointers made at LSU. “Not many people have the opportunity to play in the next level,” she said. “I really don’t care what team I play for.” Chaney said she’s not worried if her poor shooting performance in the NCAA tournament will hurt her draft status.
“I struggled with the shooting, but I really picked it up in a couple of areas like defense and rebounding,” she said.
—- Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]