Irish Dominate WNBA All-Rookie Team
Unlike NBA rookies, who get an entire offseason to prepare for their professional debuts, WNBA draftees are thrust into training camp almost immediately. The 2019 WNBA Draft occurred April 15, eight days after the NCAA women’s national championship game. Training camp began on May 5 and preseason games started May 9.
Such little time for rest seems like it could put a damper on former Notre Dame players, who lost an 82-81 nail-biter to Baylor in the title game. Instead, three of the five All-Rookie slots went to former Irish players Arike Ogunbowale, Jackie Young and Brianna Turner.
Ogunbowale and Young received the maximum number of votes to make the team (11), while Turner received seven.
In her first season with the Dallas Wings, Ogunbowale finished third in scoring in the WNBA with 19.1 points per game and had 20 points in 13 of her last 14 games of the season. She led all rookies in three-pointers made (57), and was second in assists per game (3.2) and steals per game (1.06).
Taken as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces, Young averaged 6.6 points, 4.5 assists (ninth in the WNBA and a rookie high) and 3.3 rebounds per game.
For the Phoenix Mercury, Turner ranked third among rookies in rebounding with 4.1 boards per contest and set a franchise rookie record by grabbing 14 boards in a single game.
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