While there probably isn't much reason to explain why Nneka Ogwumike deserves the ROY as the WNBA prepares to resume play during the Olympic break, the discussion about candidates for the All-Rookie Team is a bit more interesting.
If minutes matter in determining WNBA Rookie of the Year award - in terms of putting up the gaudiest statistics - there could be a more interesting rookie race than people expect.
As most everyone else believes, there are pretty much four top tier prospects - and one in a class of her own - and then everyone else. Within that "everyone else" is a combination of overrated prospects from high profile programs and underrated players that might have the ability to make a roster, which makes projecting the first round a bit more difficult this year.
For NCAA power forwards, a player's offensive rebounding rate becomes a particularly valuable way to figure out which players were just pushing around college kids in the paint and who actually has that combination of athleticism and skill that makes for a strong pro prospect.
The 2012 WNBA Draft is coming up on Monday, April 16 (2 p.m. EDT on ESPN2/3; second and third rounds on ESPNU/NBA TV) and today the league has announced its 15 green room invitees, listed below with links to our prior analysis of them.
There is no question that Baylor Lady Bears center Brittney Griner was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2012 NCAA women's Final Four. Although a closer look at her statistics certainly illustrates that, it was the things that are harder to quantify - or at least attribute to one individual - that truly illustrate Griner's dominance.
While Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Devereaux Peters is one of the nation's top rebounders, players like Kayla McBride have been the ones to step up on the boards against UConn.
Cal Impresses, But Season Ends At Hands Of Notre Dame. Clarendon's 17 points not enough, but future looks bright in Berkeley.
Round Of 32: Previewing Notre Dame And Skylar Diggins. What will it take for Cal to pull the upset?
In the era of 11-player rosters in the WNBA, versatility would seemingly be of even greater value to general managers trying to maximize their roster spots when surveying the field of WNBA Draft prospects.
