2020 WNBA Draft Analysis: Connecticut selects Charles and Landrum

Last night, the 2020 WNBA Draft took place virtually on ESPN and it was a sight to see. Yesterday night, there were a handful of teams that needed to execute the perfect strategy to revive their franchises.

2020 WNBA Draft Night

Coming into the draft night, the spotlight was on the New York Liberty who held six picks in the draft. On the flip side, the Connecticut Sun entered the WNBA Draft intending to add depth to their already balanced roster.

In 2019, the Sun ended the season with a heartbreaking Game Five loss in the WNBA Finals. The team finished the season in second place with a 23-11 record.

During the offseason, Connecticut said goodbye to Courtney Williams and Shekinna Stricklen. The Sun acquired DeWanna Bonner, Briann January and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis in the offseason.

With two picks in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Connecticut selected Maryland’s Kaila Charles 23rd overall and Baylor’s Juicy Landrum with the 35th overall pick.

Clearly, last night’s WNBA Draft was a quiet one for the Sun, however, it was a win for the franchise.

Here is a break down of each draft selection:

Draft Pick Number Twenty-Three

Selection: Kaila Charles- University of Maryland 

With the 23rd pick in the draft, the Sun selected Charles out of Maryland. The selection of Charles adds bench depth to an already balanced roster. The Sun now has a player who can get out on the break and finish at the rim through contact.

Charles is a slasher who can get to the rim at will. Sun head coach Curt Miller will help develop KC’s outside shooting and defense. Over time the Maryland product can become a stellar sixth woman or an eventual starter.

Charles can contribute to this franchise right away and will be a building block for this team for years to come. At the end of the shortened 2019-20 season, she averaged 14. 3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Considering the build of the current Connecticut roster the selection of Charles makes sense. Over time she will need to work on her defense and perimeter shooting. Drafting Charles gives the Sun a solid scorer who has the potential to grow and develop into an excellent starter over time.

Grade: A

Draft Pick Number Thirty-Five

Selection: Juicy Landrum- Baylor University

In addition to the 23rd pick, the Sun selected Juicy Landrum out of Baylor with the 35th pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. The selection of Landrum may come off as a surprise for some due to the acquisition of January. Coupled with January the team already has Jasmine Thomas at the point-guard slot.

Despite a crowded backcourt, Landrum has a shot of making the 12 women roster. Needless to say, it will be a tough task because of the experience already on the roster.

If Landrum makes the team she will have to earn playtime. She finished the 2019-2020 season averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. Landrum’s numbers may not jump out at you at first sight but her journey at Baylor will.

During her freshman season (2016-17) she didn’t start one game and only averaged 1.8 points a game while shooting 32 percent from three. But she worked her way into the starting lineup her sophomore season. Every season after her freshman year she improved her shooting percentage and scoring.

The Baylor product will space the floor for the Sun as she shot 42 percent from three her senior season. She is a primary ball-handler that can get others involved. It’s not a forgone conclusion that Landrum will make the final roster but she has a chance.

Grade: B-

Connecticut Sun: 2020 WNBA Draft Night Recap

In Friday night’s WNBA Draft, Connecticut picked up talent that will benefit their franchise in the present and foreseeable future. Charles and Landrum have the talent to make the final roster but will need to learn on the fly because the Sun are ready for another finals run.