As the presumptive #1 overall pick, Charli Collier might not have had the same nerves as others on draft night. She told the media that she got “butterflies” once WNBA Commissioner announced the Dallas Wings were on the clock. However, no one doubted she would be worried for long.
Once the pick was announced, there were no surprises; the Dallas Wings took Collier with the first pick, becoming the third true junior selected #1 overall. She comes off a successful junior season where she averaged 19 PPG on 51% shooting from the field. She and the Texas Longhorns made it to the Elite Eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament before falling to South Carolina.
“This right here is just a testament to all my hard work, all that I have worked for. It’s just amazing as a basketball player, in general, to just see what you have been working for, for so long, come true,” said Collier.
In college, Collier showed a diverse skill set that made her appealing to WNBA scouts. Her size matched with her athleticism, made her a tough cover for Big 12 post players.
Wings Pick Up Four Young Players
Moving forward, the Wings also had the 2nd overall pick in this year’s draft. They took another forward, international star Awak Kuier, giving them two young post players for the future. Kuier becomes the first Finnish basketball player to be drafted into the WNBA. The 6-foot 5-inch 19-year-old forward averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds playing professionally in Italy.
Lastly, the Wings wrapped up their three first-round picks by selecting Chelsea Dungee from Arkansas. The Wings grabbed a high-caliber scorer to round out their first-round draft class. Dungee averaged 22.3 PPG in her senior season for the Razorbacks. The Wings also selected ACC Player of the Year Dana Evans with the first pick of the second round. Dallas is set up with four young pieces for their future after missing the postseason last season.
Full Recap
Here is the full recap of the 2021 WNBA Draft Selections
First Round
- Dallas Wings: Charli Collier — Texas
- Dallas Wings: Awak Kuier — Finland
- Atlanta Dream: Aari McDonald — Arizona
- Indiana Fever: Kysre Gondrezick — West Virginia
- Dallas Wings: Chelsea Dungee — Arkansas
- New York Liberty: Michaela Onyenwere — UCLA
- Los Angeles Sparks (via Dallas Wings): Jasmine Walker — Alabama
- Chicago Sky: Shyla Heal — Australia
- Minnesota Lynx: Rennia Davis — Tennessee
- Los Angeles Sparks: Stephanie Watts — North Carolina
- Seattle Storm: Aaliyah Wilson — Texas A&M
- Las Vegas Aces: Iliana Rupert — France
Second Round
13. Dallas Wings: Dana Evans — Louisville
14. Las Vegas Aces: Destiny Slocum — Arkansas
15. Atlanta Dream: Raquel Carrera — Spain
16. Chicago Sky: Natasha Mack — Oklahoma State
17. New York Liberty: Didi Richards — Baylor
18. Seattle Storm: Kiana Williams — Stanford
19. Indiana Fever: Unique Thompson — Auburn
20. Connecticut Sun: DiJonai Carrington — Baylor
21. Connecticut Sun: Micaela Kelly — Central Michigan
22. Los Angeles Sparks: Arella Guirantes — Rutgers
23. Seattle Storm: N’dea Jones — Texas A&M
24. Indiana Fever: Trinity Baptiste — Arizona
Third Round
25. New York Liberty: Valerie Higgins — Pacific
26. Indiana Fever: Chelsey Perry — UT Martin
27. Atlanta Dream: Lindsey Pulliam — Northwestern
28. Los Angeles Sparks: Ivana Raca — Wake Forest
29: New York Liberty: Marine Fauthoux — France
30: Connecticut Sun: Aleah Goodman — Oregon State
31: Indiana Fever: Florencia Chagas — Argentina
32: Phoenix Mercury: Ciera Johnson — Texas A&M
33: Indiana Fever: Maya Caldwell — Georgia
34: Los Angeles Sparks: Aina Ayuso — Oregon/Spain
35: Seattle Storm: Natalie Kucowski — Lafayette
36: Las Vegas Aces: Kionna Jeter — Towson
