In a surprising move during the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx made the unconventional decision to trade down from the No. 7 overall pick to the No. 8 spot with the Chicago Sky, passing up the chance to draft Angel Reese, a player who many analysts predicted could be a potential Rookie of the Year contender. Instead, the Lynx opted for Alissa Pili, a decision that, in hindsight, appears increasingly questionable as the season unfolds.
Through the first 25 games of the season, Angel Reese has outshone her peers and proven herself as a formidable force in the WNBA. She has significantly outperformed Alissa Pili in multiple key categories, including scoring (13.4 points per game compared to Pili’s 2.4), rebounding (12.0 to 1.3 per game), free-throw percentage (73.6% to 57.1%), and minutes played (31.7 to 6.4 per game). Reese’s impact on the court extends beyond these stats, as she also leads the league in rebounding and tops all rookies in steals per game (1.4), player efficiency rating (18.4), and win shares (2.6). She ranks second in points per game, third in free-throw percentage, fourth in assists per game (1.8), and fifth in field-goal percentage (.396) among all first-year players.
In stark contrast, Pili has struggled to find her footing. She has appeared in only 16 games, averaging less than seven minutes of play per night. The decision to trade down and select Pili over Reese is increasingly being scrutinized as a misstep that could have significant long-term ramifications for the Lynx.
According to Patrick Reusse of the Minnesota Star Tribune, the surprising decision was driven by the preferences of Cheryl Reeve, the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Lynx. Reusse suggests that Reeve may have been reluctant to draft Reese due to concerns about coaching her. “Could Reeve, also the team president, really afford to not draft talent because she didn’t want to coach someone?” Reusse wrote. “That is what occurred in the mid-April draft when she traded down to avoid taking Angel Reese with the seventh pick, leaving the Lynx to take a flier on Pili at No. 8.”
Reusse’s critique drew comparisons to an NBA team passing on a game-changing player like Dennis Rodman in favor of a lesser-known prospect, emphasizing the potential magnitude of the Lynx’s error. “Reeve passing on Reese was the equivalent of an NBA team passing on Dennis Rodman to take…who, Jarrett Culver?” he noted, highlighting the stark contrast in talent and potential impact.
The Lynx’s decision to pass on Angel Reese has sparked considerable debate among fans and analysts alike, with many questioning the strategy and foresight of the franchise’s leadership. As Reese continues to excel and build her case as a future star in the WNBA, the decision to pass on her is increasingly viewed as a significant oversight. The Lynx may find themselves regretting this choice for years to come, especially if Reese continues on her current trajectory and becomes the franchise-changing player many believed she could be.
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