2012 WNBA draft

Draft board:

2012 WNBA DRAFT - ROUND 1

1 Los Angeles -- Nnemkadi Ogwumike
2 Seattle -- Shekinna Stricklen
3 Minnesota -- Devereaux Peters
4 Tulsa -- Glory Johnson
5 San Antonio -- Shenise Johnson
6 Phoenix -- Samantha Prahalis
7 New York -- Kelley Cain
8 Washington -- Natalie Novosel
9 Connecticut -- Astan Dabo
10 Washington -- LaSondra Barrett
11 Indiana -- Sasha Goodlett
12 Minnesota -- Damiris Dantas

2012 WNBA DRAFT - ROUND 2

1 Los Angeles -- Farhiya Abdi
2 Atlanta -- Tiffany Hayes
3 Los Angeles -- Khadijah Rushdan
4 Los Angeles -- Tyra White
5 Tulsa -- Riquna Williams
6 Minnesota -- Julie Wojta
7 Minnesota -- Kayla Standish
8 Minnesota -- Nika Baric
9 Connecticut -- Chay Shegog
10 Seattle -- Keisha Hampton
11 Chicago -- Shey Peddy
12 Phoenix -- C'eira Ricketts

2012 WNBA DRAFT - ROUND 3

1 Tulsa -- Vicki Baugh
2 Washington -- Anjale Barrett
3 Chicago -- Sydney Carter
4 Los Angeles -- April Sykes
5 Tulsa -- Lynetta Kizer
6 Phoenix -- Christine Flores
7 Minnesota -- Jacki Gemelos
8 Atlanta -- Isabelle Yacoubou
9 Phoenix -- Amanda Johnson
10 Indiana -- Courtney Hurt
11 Washington -- Briana Gilbreath
12 New York -- Katelan Redmon

ESPN followed #1 draft pick Nnemkadi Ogwumike for a couple days, and now we've got the Nneka chronicles.

Nneka talked to hoopfeed's David Siegel after the draft.

Draft chat.

Photo gallery.

Player quotes.

Nneka is excited to join the LA Sparks, but gives all the credit to Stanford. A few interesting tidbits on the Cardinal superstar here.

The top five picks are interviewed.

Rebecca Lobo, Carolyn Peck and Pam Ward analyze the draft.

Storm Coach Brian Agler has a vision for their #2 pick, Shekinna Stricklen. He has been tweeting about it, too......

The selection of four Tennessee Vols is a reflection of Coach Pat Summitt.

Some feel Samantha Prahalis' style fits her new team, the Mercury.

Nice story on Shenise Johnson.

My takes:

- Surprises were the order of the day. To begin with, some thought Tiffany Hayes, Riquna Williams, Julie Wojta and Lynetta Kizer would go higher. But 1. fans keep only American players in mind and not international players. WNBA coaches did their research this year. Now fans will get to learn who Astan Dabo, Damiris Dantas, Farhiya Abdi, Nika Baric and Isabelle Yacoubou are - myself included.
2. Draft lists are made according to who is the best player. Teams draft based on their needs. If their pick rolls around and they need someone else besides the next top pick who's available, they will fill that need. It's nothing personal.
- Jacki Gemelos was perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, being drafted by the Lynx in the third round. Admittedly, it made my day. It's not that I don't believe in the warrior athlete, who's been through five ACL reconstructive surgeries - I didn't necessarily know that a WNBA team would. But Gemelos' former coach, USC's Michael Cooper, did. When I was interviewing for this story in early January, Cooper told me, with confidence, that "Jacki will be drafted." That's the same kind of faith Gemelos has. I hope the Lynx will keep her.
- Speaking of ACL warriors, congratulations to Vicki Baugh. I pray the Shock keep her, too. I wish everyone in the third round lots of love and luck. That is a list of very deserving players.
- The Shock made out like bandits in this draft. An A+, to be sure. If new Coach Gary Kloppenburg is this intelligent all the time, they should be a good team.
- Minnesota is in ridiculous shape. They are stacked, loaded, full-staffed. They could give away some to the needy. Who will challenge them this year?
- The Sparks are also loaded. But as we've seen the last few years, just because they have the personnel doesn't mean they'll have the chemistry. All eyes will be on new Coach Carol Ross to put it all together. First, though, they're going to have to cut some people. But who?
- San Antonio got the ideal pick in Shenise Johnson. Phoenix also did well getting Samantha Prahalis, since Penny Taylor is out.

Training camp needs to start yesterday.

The regular season begins May 18.