A new mock draft has Angel Reese suiting up with the Lynx.
The LSU All-American forward is projected to go No. 7 to Minnesota, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft, after Reese declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft with a photoshoot in Vogue on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-3 Reese — who led LSU to an NCAA championship last year and was named MVP of the 2023 NCAA Tournament — recorded 17 points and 20 rebounds in LSU’s season-ending loss to Caitlin Clark, the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, and the Iowa Hawkeyes in their Elite Eight matchup Monday.
That’s a casual night in college hoops for Reese, who averaged a double-double in last year’s NCAA Women’s Tournament.
But there have been questions about how the 21-year-old’s game will translate at the pro level, including if she can expand her offensive prowess.
Reese — the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year — is a great rebounder and defensive player, and expanding her outside shooting would make her a well-round asset for the Lynx.
Reese would also be able to develop alongside three-time All-Star forward Napheesa Collier, who helped lead Minnesota to the playoffs after an 0-6 start last season.
Collier led the Lynx in minutes (37) and points (31) in Minnesota’s season-ending loss to the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs in September.
The Lynx could be a legitimate threat in the postseason with the addition of Reese, whose proven strength in the paint made her a top rebounder in college basketball.
ESPN had Clark going No. 1 in the draft to the Indiana Fever, followed by Stanford forward Cameron Brink to the Los Angeles Sparks at No. 2; Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky at No. 3; South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso to the Sparks at No. 4; UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards to the Dallas Wings at No. 5; and Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon to the Mystics with the sixth pick.
UConn star guard Paige Bueckers will stay in college for her final year of eligibility, and USC rising freshman JuJu Watkins won’t be eligible to enter the draft until age 22, per WNBA rules.
Reese declared for the draft on Wednesday, choosing to forgo her final season at LSU, and explained why she’s ready to play at the pro level — even if it means starting at the bottom.
“I want to be a rookie again and build myself back up; I want to be knocked down and learn and grow at the next level,” Reese told Vogue.com in an interview announcing her career plans.
The 21-year-old Baltimore native — a top NIL earner who holds a $1.8 million NIL valuation, per On3 — went on to explain that she’s “okay” with the drastic differences between the WNBA and LSU.
LSU players fly private, while WNBA talent flies via commercial air.
“I’ll be working with grown women,” Reese said. “I’ll be working with women that have kids, women that have a family to feed. I’m going to have to work my butt off every single day and grind. And who wouldn’t want that? I don’t want anything in my life to be easy.”
The 2024 WNBA Draft will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music — where fans can attend the WNBA Draft for the first time — on April 15.