2024
WNBA REDRAFT

Oddly enough, Rickea is now on the Sky, who picked someone else in this spot. This one is difficult because she has missed most of the year while the next two players are beginning breakout campaigns. Jackson looked ready to join them with how the Sky started the season. She was emerging as a real All-Star candidate and bona fide star before the injury derailed that momentum. When you watch Jackson, the star power is obvious. Smaller players cannot guard her, and her motor and raw talent jump off the screen. She is a walking mismatch who had also started refining the inconsistencies in her game. She reminds me a little of Jaylen Brown, a wing with two-guard skills and great athletic ability. In my view, she had already overtaken some WNBA stars with similar skill sets. I think she is better than Arike and was closing in on Copper, but her push to become the Sky’s savior has taken a detour. Her absence has been one of the season’s real losses because she is one of the ones.

I remember seeing Taylor in the first few games of this year and thinking, I’m pretty sure she’s better than Diggins-Smith. She is a polished guard who relies on skill rather than athleticism. It is a great story, and I think she will keep improving. As difficult as the Sky have been to watch, Taylor’s skill and pop are obvious. She is a valuable offensive piece. I’m glad they finally gave her the keys because watching Skylar and Cardoso dominate possessions while Taylor waited in the corner was painful. She is the best scorer on the Sky outside of Rickea. I don’t know why it took so long to move her into the starting five because she outplayed Diggins-Smith in the most reliable metric we have: the eye test. Taylor is a viable option, and whatever went wrong in her evaluation, she is one reason the Sky have avoided the very bottom of the league. Her breakout is enough to give Sky fans something real to hold onto.

I have a love-hate relationship with Cardoso. The potential is right in front of you, yet the longer you watch, the more she leaves you wanting. Three minutes can make her look like a top player in the league. Thirty can make you question everything. She will make a great roll, then fumble the pass; grab a huge offensive rebound, then rush the finish. I use the JaVale McGee comparison carefully because it can sound insulting, but I don’t mean it that way. She has an incredibly high ceiling, yet poor decisions and mistakes have defined too much of her career. I’m keeping my stock, and I suggest you do the same. She was a Gamecock and an elite college player, so the basketball foundation is there. I just don’t know how much she has improved over the past few years. She often looks like the same player she was as a rookie. That is the central frustration and the reason she may become underrated over time. She still makes rookie mistakes, but as more talent joins the team, the level around her may elevate her play. There is another leap available, though it may depend on the team and coach. She has rarely had ideal spacing or enough scoring around her, which has forced an unnecessary workload. She goes eighth here, but I suspect she will be higher in future redrafts.

I have a Sheldon bias. I will admit that off the bat. However, it’s kind of a similar thing with Cardoso where I’m just always wanting a little bit more. When her playing time gets cut, she proves why she belongs; then, with increased opportunity, she kind of underperforms. I think she can be a starter or at least a contributor on a winning team. She is the ideal 2 guard you want if you already have your star. I’ll also add that she complements Taylor well. That backcourt could have a future together, so I’d advise that we hold our Sheldon stock. She was a coveted college player who ended up going to a tough situation. If anyone can recall, the Wings before Paige, and even that first year with Paige, were so painful. It was like a tug of war between Arike trying to make it known it was her team, and the rest of the young pieces trying to develop. I truly am glad she made it out of there and can’t wait to see if she also has another leap within her.