0
DeJa...Liz?
Posted by Alex W.C.
on
9:57 AM
On April 11th, 2011, the WNBA will be holding it’s annual draft, it’s 15th actually.
There really is no surprise this year in who will be picked first. Maya Moore is the best player in the country, and the Minnesota Lynx have the number one pick specifically for that reason. It simply is too inevitable.
Need a more concrete explanation?
SLAM online and HoopsWorld’s Stephen Litel recently did a draft Q&A for the Tulsa Shock (who own the number two pick in the draft) where he outlined exactly why Maya Moore is a lock for Minnesota at the number one pick.
Then there's that illusive number two pick. Names like Amber Harris, Kayla Pedersen, Jantel Lavender, Courtney Vandersloot and Jasmine Thomas stand out in my mind as those who will make the first round, but probably not at the number two spot.
Many are predicting that spot will to go to Liz Cambage, a 19 year old, 6’8” (although it’s been reported that she is actually 6’9”) Aussie (actually born in London) who's a standout baller at both ends of the court. It wasn’t until early March of this year that Cambage confirmed that she would indeed throw her hat in the ring, with regards to the WNBA draft. This was due to discussion between her and the Opals, the national team for Australia that she plays for, who wanted to keep her close to home to train for the 2012 Olympics.
DeJa vu anyone?
It was ten years ago that the WNBA drafted a certain sizeable 19 year old Aussie who many predicted would be become one of the best players in the league, if not the world. Three WNBA MVP awards, and two WNBA championships later, Lauren Jackson proved that she can live up to the expectations, and in some cases, surpass them.
The question now is, will Cambage repeat history? Besides height (Lauren at only 6’5” – did I just say only?) there are many parallels between Cambage and Jackson, mainly the ability to be a sizeable player who's a threat, both offensively and defensively.
But who is Liz Cambage? On a stat sheet, she is poised to be the next basketball star from Australia. Don’t believe me? Check out her stats for the Buleen Boomers, the team she plays for in Australia’s WNBL, whom she helped lead to their first ever WNBL championship.
As far as her off court personality, I’ll let you see for yourself. On the Austrailan T.V show The Circle & FOX news, Liz Cambage is quite the composed 19 year old, while still showing she can be a fun loving teenager. Nicely Balanced if you ask me.
(Thanks to Luuuc for posting several of Cambage’s TV spots on youtube)
This is one player that will get everyone talking, including two time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi.
"If she wants to come to Phoenix, we'll take her," said Taurasi.
I don’t think there’s anyone in the league who would say anything different.
Follow Liz Cambage on twitter at @ecambage
***UPDATE*** 3/26/11 Bouncing Boomer's high hopes via Melbourne newspaper, The Age.
There really is no surprise this year in who will be picked first. Maya Moore is the best player in the country, and the Minnesota Lynx have the number one pick specifically for that reason. It simply is too inevitable.
Need a more concrete explanation?
SLAM online and HoopsWorld’s Stephen Litel recently did a draft Q&A for the Tulsa Shock (who own the number two pick in the draft) where he outlined exactly why Maya Moore is a lock for Minnesota at the number one pick.
Then there's that illusive number two pick. Names like Amber Harris, Kayla Pedersen, Jantel Lavender, Courtney Vandersloot and Jasmine Thomas stand out in my mind as those who will make the first round, but probably not at the number two spot.
Many are predicting that spot will to go to Liz Cambage, a 19 year old, 6’8” (although it’s been reported that she is actually 6’9”) Aussie (actually born in London) who's a standout baller at both ends of the court. It wasn’t until early March of this year that Cambage confirmed that she would indeed throw her hat in the ring, with regards to the WNBA draft. This was due to discussion between her and the Opals, the national team for Australia that she plays for, who wanted to keep her close to home to train for the 2012 Olympics.
DeJa vu anyone?
It was ten years ago that the WNBA drafted a certain sizeable 19 year old Aussie who many predicted would be become one of the best players in the league, if not the world. Three WNBA MVP awards, and two WNBA championships later, Lauren Jackson proved that she can live up to the expectations, and in some cases, surpass them.
The question now is, will Cambage repeat history? Besides height (Lauren at only 6’5” – did I just say only?) there are many parallels between Cambage and Jackson, mainly the ability to be a sizeable player who's a threat, both offensively and defensively.
But who is Liz Cambage? On a stat sheet, she is poised to be the next basketball star from Australia. Don’t believe me? Check out her stats for the Buleen Boomers, the team she plays for in Australia’s WNBL, whom she helped lead to their first ever WNBL championship.
As far as her off court personality, I’ll let you see for yourself. On the Austrailan T.V show The Circle & FOX news, Liz Cambage is quite the composed 19 year old, while still showing she can be a fun loving teenager. Nicely Balanced if you ask me.
(Thanks to Luuuc for posting several of Cambage’s TV spots on youtube)
This is one player that will get everyone talking, including two time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi.
"If she wants to come to Phoenix, we'll take her," said Taurasi.
I don’t think there’s anyone in the league who would say anything different.
Follow Liz Cambage on twitter at @ecambage
***UPDATE*** 3/26/11 Bouncing Boomer's high hopes via Melbourne newspaper, The Age.
