There are some new faces headed for Connecticut following the 2021 WNBA Draft.
The Sun selected three guards during Thursday’s virtual event: DiJonai Carrington (No. 20), Micaela Kelly (No. 21) and Aleah Goodman (No. 30). And they could play a big role in the team’s upcoming campaign.
Connecticut is looking to fill the gap left behind by Alyssa Thomas, who likely will miss the 2021 campaign after undergoing Achilles surgery in January. The three women selected by the Sun in this year’s draft possess lots of positive qualities that could help fill that void in the interim, though that will a tough task for just about any rookie.
Still, these girls will have a chance to make an impact on the Sun this season as roles shift once again.
Here is a quick analysis of each of the Sun’s picks:
DiJonai Carrington (Baylor – G)
Strengths
Defense, defense, defense. This 23-year-old has plenty of that to give, as evidenced by her stat sheet. Carrington was a force off the bench for Baylor this season, averaging 14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals in 27 games. Roughly 3.1 of her 4.9 boards typically are picked up off the defensive glass, too.
Weaknesses
Carrington is not the most prolific scorer from beyond the arc, hitting just 39 of her 139 3-point attempts (28.5%) this season. She can find herself in foul trouble quickly, too, if she is not careful.
Micaela Kelly (Central Michigan – G)
Strengths
Kelly is the top scorer of the Sun’s three draft picks. She 23.9 points on 48.8% shooting from the field and averaged 35.7% from 3-point range this season. The outgoing senior is a strong defensive rebounder, too, collecting 95 of her 131 boards (72.5%) off Central Michigan’s glass.
Weaknesses
It is hard to find something not to like about this girl. Defense is one of Kelly’s weaker points, though she still is pretty solid on the backcourt. She does not block too much, though she tends to make up for that with her steals and defensive boards.
Aleah Goodman (Oregon State – G)
Strengths
This girl is a force to be reckoned with on offense, averaging 16.2 points on 47.9% shooting in 20 games. She has a pretty nasty 3-pointer, too. She completed 48 of her 98 attempts (49%) during the 2020-21 season and is one of Oregon State’s top 3-point shooters of late.
Weaknesses
Goodman is not the strongest offensive rebounder, with just four of her 64 boards coming off the opponent’s glass. She is a mixed bag on defense, though. Despite solid defensive rebounding numbers, Goodman does not collect steals or blocks as frequently or consistently as other guards might.
The Sun tip off their regular season Friday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
