And while the historically-deep draft class had several players who would be ready immediately, the Sun opted to select a 19-year-old prospect who won’t join the roster this season. That prospect is 5’ 11 guard Leïla Lacan.
Lacan, who’s spent the past two years with the French professional club Angers, averaged 13.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.9 steals this season. She’ll be preparing for, and playing in, the Olympics this summer, and her timeline for joining the team is unclear. Connecticut Sun General Manager Darius Taylor clarified that her high upside made her the Sun’s number one draft target. They didn’t want to forego the chance to add her to the roster.
“We felt like she was the second best guard in the draft,” Connecticut Sun General Manager Darius Taylor said. “Just what she can do, her ability to play both positions, to score three levels, and just defend – she’s a two-way player. We were really excited to have the opportunity to draft her.”
Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
The decision to draft Lacan with the ninth pick means the team will forgo having a first-round player assist this year’s roster. But Taylor said the Sun’s status as one of the oldest teams in the league helped make that decision easier.
“When you look at our roster, we have a very veteran-laden team. We have a lot of players that have a lot of experience in the W,” Taylor said. “Anyone coming in this year would probably not play or have a hard time getting to play in our team. To be able to draft a player who could really help our team in the future made more sense for us.”
Sun head coach Stephanie White acknowledged that whenever a team brings in players from overseas, there’s an understanding that they may miss certain stretches of their career due to international obligations. But Lacan made that risk worth it, White said.
“We felt like she was the most pro ready, that she had skill sets that we may not have had, or lost,” White said. She pointed to her ability to get downhill, draw fouls, and affect the game defensively. “All of those things, as well as being a high IQ player, were really important. And we felt like, you know, she fit us in Connecticut, and she fit our personnel.”
Taylor said his wife, a college coach at Texas A&M, brought Lacan to his attention. Stephanie White noted Sun center Brionna Jones had also flagged her game for the organization.
“She’s already playing against the pros,” Taylor said. “She’ll be ready for the WNBA when she comes over.”
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
Subscribe to The Next!
Suns fill a slew of needs with 19th, 22nd, and 34th picks
In addition to Lacan, the Sun added rim protection with Taiyanna Jackson. They also added versatility with Helena Pueyo and sharpshooting with Abby Hsu.
The Sun picked Taiyanna Jackson 19th. The 6 ‘6 center averaged 12.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game in her graduate campaign with the University of Kansas. Taylor pointed to her defensive prowess in college as a key motivation for adding her to the roster.
With the 22nd pick, the Sun selected Helena Pueyo, a 6 ‘0 Spanish guard out of the University of Arizona. In her fifth season as a Wildcat, Pueyo averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. White told reporters on Monday night that the team looked beyond raw stats in making the decision to add her to the roster, particularly given her limited usage rate.
“She’s a player who makes winning plays,” White said. “Her assist to turnover ratio is great, her assist percentage is great, and with a low usage rate. From our perspective, looking from someone who, in our system, can be a ball moved on the offensive end of the floor and who can make plays on the defensive end of the floor.”
Taylor said he saw Pueyo as one of the steals of the draft: “She’s somebody that I think is ready for this level.”
Finally, with the 34th pick, the Sun selected 5 ’11 guard Abbey Hsu. Hsu became the first player ever drafted out of Columbia University. In her senior campaign, Hsu averaged 20.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. She led Columbia to a regular season championship and to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. She graduates as the program’s all-time leader in points (2,126), field goals made (751), three-point field goals made (375) and games played (123).
“She’s a really good shooter,” Taylor said of Hsu, adding that the Sun have long been following her storied career. “She’s also a very good rebounder. We know that she has a high ceiling and potential to grow into even a better player. She won’t just be a shooter.”
Finally, besides for their on-court excellence, Taylor said that the team wanted to ensure all of their draft picks enhanced the team’s culture.
“We’re a team that cares a lot about culture, and we want people that are good people first,” Taylor said. “When we interviewed each one of those players, we felt really good about their competitiveness, their professionalism, their work ethic, and them fitting into our culture. I think we got that in all four players.”
The Next and The Equalizer are teaming up
The Next is partnering with The Equalizer to bring more women’s sports stories to your inbox. Subscribe to The Next now and receive 50% off your subscription to The Equalizer for 24/7 coverage of women’s soccer.
Subscribe to The Next
