SECAUCUS, N.J. — It's been an unforgettable
48 hours for Tina Charles.
Less than two days after helping UConn win its
second straight national championship, she was selected first by the
Connecticut Sun in the WNBA draft on Thursday.
"It's unbelievable, my heart is still pounding
out of my chest," Charles said. "I'm more interested what impact I'll
have on the team more than just being the No. 1 pick."
Charles averaged more than 18 points and nine
rebounds while leading UConn to an NCAA Division I-record 78 straight
victories over the past two seasons.
The Sun traded with the Minnesota Lynx to get
The Associated Press player of the year, who joins Sue Bird (2002) and
Diana Taurasi (2004) as the only UConn players taken with the top
overall pick. The three former Huskies as well as Candace Parker (2007)
are the only four players to win a national championship and be taken
first in the draft the same year.
The Sun also acquired Charles' former teammate,
Renee Montgomery, from the Lynx for Monica Wright, the second pick in
the draft, and former University of Minnesota star Lindsay Whalen.
"I know that we'll have good chemistry right
off the bat," Charles said, when asked about being reunited with
Montgomery.
The Lynx drafted Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin with
the third pick, then dealt her to the Sun minutes later for
Connecticut's first- and second-round picks next year.
"I was very excited about Minnesota, but
Connecticut has a great fan base," Griffin said. "I have talked to the
Connecticut coaches and I'm excited to play with Tina Charles. She's
such a great player."
Chicago drafted former Rutgers guard Epiphanny
Prince with the fourth pick. She was unable to attend the draft because
she was playing in Turkey for Botas-Spor, though her mom and dad were
on hand. Prince left Rutgers after her junior year to pursue a playing
career overseas.
Jayne Appel, who guided Stanford to three
straight Final Fours and the national title game this season, was taken
fifth by San Antonio. She's recovering from a sprained ankle and stress
fracture on an outer bone of her right foot, and was wearing a
protective boot.
"I'll need a couple of weeks rest but plan on
being fully healed soon," Appel said.
Washington drafted Florida State's Jacinta
Monroe with the sixth pick. Kansas forward Danielle McCray was taken by
Connecticut with the seventh pick, even though she tore her ACL late in
the season and won't be able to play until August.
Oklahoma State star Andrea Riley went eighth
to Los Angeles. Rounding out the first round, it was: Mississippi
State's Chanel Mokango to Atlanta at No. 9; Iowa State's Alison Lacey to
Seattle at No. 10; San Diego State's Jene Morris to Indiana at No. 11;
and Mississippi's Bianca Thomas to Los Angeles at No. 12.
New York, which had the original rights to the
top choice before trading it last year, took Kalana Greene in the
second round.
Tulsa made Oklahoma's Amanda Thompson its
first draft choice with the 19th pick. The Shock, who used to be in
Detroit before relocating this year, had traded their first-round pick
for Amber Holt and Chante Black.
"Our fans were talking about how much they'll
miss me," Thompson said. "It will be a great opportunity to still play
in front of them."
WNBA teams open training camp April 25.
Exhibition games begin April 30 and the league's 14th season will start
May 15.