Hot Take: 2021 WNBA Draft Preview with Andraya Carter

In this Hot Take, Amira Rose Davis is joined by ESPN and SEC Network basketball analyst Andraya Carter. They discuss their 2021 WNBA draft predictions and the bright future of the league.

This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.

Transcript

Amira: Hey flamethrowers, Amira here with a hot take. I am joined by Andraya Carter, ESPN and SEC network analyst, basketball analyst, former Vol, Lady Vols. You know, we have so much love for UT here at Burn It All Down, and super excited to catch up and talk about the end of the season of the NCAA tournament, which I can't believe is already over. It feels like it came and went so fast. And then as we turn our eyes to the draft tonight, the WNBA draft kicks off. And so I had to call you up and get your insight on what's going on in women's basketball. So, welcome to Burn It All Down.

Andraya: What, turn up the flames, or you know what? Burn it all down!

Amira: Yeah. Light a match. All of it! [laughs]

Andraya: There we go.

Amira: Yeah. So, you know, usually we burn the stuff we don't like in sports, like, you know, trash NCAA decisions to continue to deprive women of equitable access to sports, things like that. And then we highlight torchbearers who are leading the way of how we love sports to be, like yourself and a lot of other Black women absolutely killing it in the analyst game right now.

Andraya: I love that. Shout out to Monica McNutt.

Amira: Yes. Oh, she’s killing it.

Andraya: And Maria Taylor.

Amira: Absolutely. Absolutely. Lots of friends of the show – LaChina, Ari, like, you know, it's just a whole crew. I feel like there's a moment. And we could definitely talk about that as well. So, first and foremost, what a postseason tournament that was. I mean, what were your biggest surprises? Were you happy with the ending? What shocked you from the tournament? And what what were you happy to see?

Andraya: You know, I was so happy to see such competitive basketball. You know, like the games were…It was almost where, you know, everybody thinks of March Madness and even the March Madness tag is just for the men, right? It’s March Madness because anybody could win. And everybody says that about the men's tournament, but the thing about the women's is you've always kind of known who is going to make it to the final four, who's going to make it. And that was not the case this year, right? And that's that's the fun part. Like, if anything, there was a bigger push this year more than ever that, hey, the women need to be March Madness too. And we are March Madness, you know?

The upsets, Arizona…And just the game's going down to the wire, but not because it was two bad basketball teams. Like, games going down to the wire because there were two quality, talented, well-coached basketball teams going at it. I think that it was just so much fun. Arizona was obviously such a surprise to me. Really the Pac-12, shoutout to the Pac-12, because I'm obviously an SEC person and we always say the SEC is the most competitive league in the nation. But the Pac-12, was like, hey, here we are. And so just I thought it was such a fun tournament, great basketball just all around. I couldn't have been happier for a year, any year, but especially in a pandemic that these the women just showed up and showed out.

Amira: Absolutely. Now, I agree with you. Shoutout to the Pac-12. I have to say, I wasn't surprised by Arizona, but mostly because they were my sleeper pick last year. My former student, Amari Carter, was on the team ballin’ out. And it’s on tape, it's on the record for anybody who wants to go find it. I was like, watch out for Arizona! So even though they beat A&M and I was really sad for Lexi, I was super hyped to see that for Adia and, you know, for Aari. And I was just I was really happy about that. But I was surprised about the SEC’s general showing because I said all year that SEC basketball this past year felt just at such a high level, every game was competitive. All of these schools were really looking…Like, you talk about parity overall, but parity in the SEC this year, to me, like…I was watching these games, I mean, Kentucky and Arkansas and LSU and like all of these games were hard fought. There was bodies hitting the floor everywhere.

So I was, I think, actually a bit surprised that the SEC in the postseason didn't have that kind of end of the road that the Pac-12 ended up having. So I would say that definitely caught me a little bit off guard. But I agree with you, the madness was all on the women's side this year. A lot of those men's games of, you know, Jalen Suggs’ game theatrics notwithstanding, a lot of the games were just not super compelling. And yet on the women's side, like you said, down to the wire, last shot, last missed shot, last rebound, you know? Absolutely. And even just fighting about fouls and calls, and there just was a kind of energy crackling in the air around it.

Andraya: Oh, yes, and I loved the just involvement from pros, you know? Men and women in the women's tournament. And, you know, you did say the SEC…It was so heartbreaking because in my opinion sleeper teams from the SEC would have been the two teams that didn't get in, Ole Miss and LSU, because of their defense, right? So many of the teams that we saw end up winning or pulling off upsets were the ones that played defense. And so I think that I would have been so hyped because I think Ole Miss could have made a pretty deep run had they made it because of their scrappy defense. So as a whole, yeah, the SEC, we got to do better next year. We got to get further.

Amira: Yeah. And you know what, I would say, the things about basketball this year that really stuck out to me was really...It’s always a story about Black women for me. But like the SEC and the number of Black women coaches they have in the SEC and Black women analysts and just ballin’ out, like, for me I think there's such a bright future for where that specific league is going that I'm so hype to see it next year and to see some of these rivalries that people…Like you said, it's not even on the map, but like those defenses! First of all, why can't A&M beat LSU at LSU? These are the questions. [laughter] So I am so excited to see what happens next year. But as much as we can reflect, of course, we have the WNBA draft upon us. So, tonight, 7:00 p.m. eastern on ESPN, we have yet another WNBA draft and we have a bunch of people, you know, such a talented draft class coming into this. There's been a quick movement – the Wings traded their no. 7 pick to the Sparks right before the draft deadline to shake things up a little bit. But I think it's kind of everybody's expecting, obviously, Charli Collier to go first. Who else do you have your eye on in this draft class?

Andraya: Oh, man. You know, I think that Aari McDonald definitely made a strong case just with the way that she played – her dominance, the chip on her shoulder, just the fearlessness, the ability to the rim. You know, I was listening to Adia Barnes actually in an interview, and I completely agreed with her when she said that Aari might actually shoot a better percentage in the WNBA because she won't have to do everything. Right? So I see some people talking about, you know, McDonald's shooting percentage and field goal percentage, but she's not going to have to work as hard to get those shots right? So I think that there's so much potential there for her just because of the way that she was able to put a team on her back and play in such big moments. It's like, oh, she won't even have to do all that when she comes to our team, right? So, WNBA teams I definitely think could think that. I think DiJonai Carrington as well. Just a–

Amira: Whew!

Andraya: Yes, right? You know, just big as far as scoring and physical, like…When I think of Charli Collier, when I think DiJonai Carrington, I think of like grown women, you know?

Amira: Absolutely, and I would put Arella with them.

Andraya: Yes. 

Amira: You know, that is absolutely like my big three because not only are they grown women, they're such versatile grown women.

Andraya: Yes. Yep, exactly. And that's that's the thing. I think they go early because they're just they're strong. The way they move, they're powerful. You know, some people get to league and they've got to get that strength, they've got to get that kind of attitude. I feel like all three of those women have kind of that grown-ish factor about them, where it's just basketball and there's nothing else really that they have to learn. They've just got that it factor and they've just got to play the game. And I think that that'll be…Their games translate really well to being pros, in my opinion.

Amira: Yeah, absolutely. I agree with you, and the other person who I would kind of put up there, maybe just like one half step down is Chelsea Dungee. And I think that she has the potential to be that same kind of playmaker. I just think that, you know, her team structure, again, relied on her a lot. And and I think that she's somebody who we don't we haven't really even seen her potential. So I'm really excited to see where Chelsea falls as well.

Andraya: Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's so it's all just so…I don't want to say, like…It could be anything, right? Because you don't know what are teams looking for the most, right? And you also don't know the internal dynamics of a team. Teams sometimes are looking to bring in a player. You have to think about personalities, and we don't even know the ins and outs of the personalities of the team. So that's what makes the draft so interesting and mock drafts and things like that. For me, I'm like, oh, I feel like Chelsea Dungee could fit in Vegas because obviously you don't have Kayla McBride who was a really dynamic scorer, who was a wing. So I'm like, oh, Chelsea Dungee, dynamic scorer, can defend kind of the three and the four. But we also don't know what else the Aces might be looking for, right? But I think that there are just so many players that in this draft class that can be solid, solid pieces to a team that needs them, you know?

Amira: Absolutely. And I mean, I think that part of that is we also know the college players, but of course, there are some really great players coming in from overseas. I really think it's hard. And so then we're at a place that we get to every year, which is that there is so much talent and just not enough spots. I know that there's been this renewed conversation this year about that, especially we saw this last year with COVID, right, that because of COVID some early draft picks couldn’t even step foot on the court to try to vie for their spot. And that was kind of bottlenecked as well. So there's a discussion kind of underway of do we add more roster spots? Do we think of expansion? Is it both? Is it something else? Where you kind of at that point when you're looking at the W and you're looking at this enormous traction that they keep building, especially from that CBA all the way through their pioneering season last year and they just have kept that momentum. Absolutely. And now they're kind of building with the momentum of the tournament.

So it just feels like women's basketball is having a certain type of chapter, certain type of moment. I was talking to Sue Bird for this thing we did for SXSW and she said it feels different right now, the energy just feels different. And so I'm wondering for you who's been in and around the game of basketball as a player and as an analyst, when you're looking at the W now you're looking at the future women's basketball, what are some things that you're thinking about? How do we how do we better use all of this talent so that people aren't getting pushed out of the league when they can absolutely compete?

Andraya: Yeah, you know, it's so interesting because I feel like there definitely could be one or two more teams. Maybe you put one on the east, maybe you put one on the west. And because there are so many talented players, like, there are franchise players a few, and you want to have a few like on each team, right? Like in the NBA, there's like a big three on certain teams or big two. I think that in the WNBA there are a lot of teams with like franchise players that you could separate and create a whole new team with, and like build a team around players that are all in teams together right now. So I absolutely, definitely think that there could be more teams. You see people that have a ton of money that are looking to buy an NBA team, and I think that the vibe could change very quickly to instead of buying a current NBA team, maybe I'll create another WNBA team. You know what I mean?

Just because, like you said with Sue, was you the energy is so strong around these women and these athletes and what they're doing. They're just filling spaces that have never been filled out before. They're all over fashion. We've got women in gaming now. We've got so many women doing so many different things in the WNBA. It's in it's 25th season, and why not create one more team and generate more hype around these women? So I think that there's definitely momentum. I think that there could be conversations for sure. And obviously I don't know the logistics or ins and outs or dynamics of what it takes to create a team. But if the facilities are there and the spaces are there during the WNBA season, you know, who knows? So I definitely think that the league is going to grow and expand because the talent level, like, if you think about Sabrina Ionescu, right? When Page Bueckers comes into the league, Sabrina Ionescu is going to be a fifth year vet, right? She's not even going to be a rookie anymore. And then some of the vets, Skylar Diggins is probably still going to be playing at that time, right?

We have to create room for the amazing rookies that are coming in. Right. Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Aliyah Boston, right? Zia Cooke. When those players get into the WNBA, there are still going to be some veterans that are here right now that are still playing. So, we need room. We need more spaces. And it's going to be way even more fun and more competitive or more roster spots. I mean, the league, there are a lot of games, so having a few more spots on each team could also give some of the franchise players more rest time. There are obviously a lot of things that I think could either generate more hype if we had more teams or go create even better basketball, if we add more roster spots and can take a little pressure off the wear and tear of these women. So, a lot of options that I hope that whoever is in decision-making chairs, which I hope to be in one day, I hope it just keeps going with with this momentum.

Amira: Absolutely. And I would say the other thing I'm really excited for is just what happens when the game changes and you watch vets have to reinvent their game, because some of the things that I took away from from, you know, watching people like Cameron Brink – who is, by the way, my favorite player, because she plays like I used to play, which is super aggressive. I saw that push, yes, I don't care! [laughter] The thing about players like Cameron and like we talked about this, some of these other players in the draft, is that they literally are a new kind of prototype of a player who can out-rebound, who can play down low, who can shoot from behind the arc, who can shoot mid range, who can get down and back on D. It’s just going to be so interesting to watch how the league contends with players who have trained in kind of a new type of versatility, that are really kind of coming on.

And, you know, if we can get some equitable weight rooms [laughs] and things like that, seeing how strength training and conditioning and, you know, more investment in resources actually pours talent into the league, that also changes the face of the league, that requires vets we've seen across sports who've reinvented their game and come back better, stronger, more precise. You know, I just think the future is up and up from here. And one part of that, to bring it all the way back full circle, is it is so dope to also get this game brought to us by the voices and broken down by the voices of Black women. It seems like there's a cohort of y'all who kind of has coming and just popping up, whether it's on ESPN or Candace holding it down on TNT or just everywhere I look there is definitely like a cohort of them coming on strong, which is perfect to see. What is it like? What has your journey been like? What is it like to be an analyst right now in this moment with this kind of group? And where do you see on the sidelines the future being for Black women and ball?

Andraya: You know, I think I couldn't have asked for a better time or position to come into this field because, I mean, you said it. It's like a cohort. It really does feel like a family and a team. Like. if I call Carolyn Peck, she's either going to answer or she's going to text me and say, hold on or she's going to call me back. Same thing with LaChina. Same thing like Maria. She's one of the busiest women in the world and I texted her one day and I was like, listen, I really need to talk to you about something. And she got back to me, right? Or Monica McNutt. She'll send me people like, hey, you know, maybe something that she couldn't do because she's all over the place, literally doing every single thing in the world because she's amazing. But things that she can't do, she doesn't just, like, keep them in her back pocket. She'll send them to me. She'll be like, hey, do you want to do this? Because I'm already booked for something. There's just a togetherness.

LaChina Robinson I've called her in tears, I've called her to rejoice, everything. It is so amazing to see and feel genuinely that people around you and people that are in the same spaces as you want you to do well. It is the best. I just I have so many examples. I think about just being on set with Monica and we're breaking down like, okay, how are we going to do this half time? And I might have one game and she has another game, but she might be like, oh, Draya, I just noticed the stat, you should say that. So, you see how it’s like it's not her being like, hey, let me say this about your game. She’s like, hey, Dray, you should say this. And I'm like, oh, I didn't even notice that, right? And so there's just a teammate feel or I see her on something or, you know, LaChina, I'll tune on things just to listen to her or Ross or anyone just because you want to hear what they're saying and you want to support them. Even like the coaches, like, Dawn Staley has been like, “You're doing a great job” when she doesn't have to say that to me. She doesn’t have to say that to me ever in her life. Or Kyra Elzy, Nikki Fargas, I mean, all of us.

There is just a togetherness, and I'm so thankful, because you hear horror stories about women that are territorial of their space or women that don't want you in their space. And I feel like for all of us, it's like, no, we want as many of us in this space as possible. So, you need some notes on this team? Here you go. I had them last week. These were the stories I had on them. Use them all, right? Like, I feel so convicted that my mentors and my colleagues in this space are supportive. And we're a team. I can almost get emotional about it because that's what it feels like. And how lucky am I to just be pulled up by and pushed forward by so many amazing women that are just paving the way and just doing this thing? It's awesome. I couldn't be more thankful because they are every single woman, like, is just amazing. And they're just like pulling me along. And here I am just like kind of hanging on to them.

Amira: Nah, you’re pulling too, sis! [laughter] You’re right there.

Andraya: But, you know, I messaged Candace last night and I was just like, you look amazing and you sound even better, right? She’s in the middle of a show and she writes me back and was like, thank you, love you. You know, there's just a connection and there's just like a, hey, I'm pulling for you and I'm rooting for you. I feel that across the board. I think the future is really bright. I've had people reach out to me that might want to get into this space, and I'm very quick to share everything I can just like the women above me shared for me and shared with me. So, I think that for all of us, like Zora, who just called a Bucks game, or for me, like we're kind of the next wave I think. Even Chiney or anyone that's in the space that's a little bit younger, I think we're going to do the same exact thing that was done for us and pay it forward. So I just think it's going to keep going and the future is bright or the future is of color or however you want to say it. So, it's awesome.

Amira: I love it. Aflame – look at that fire reference! No, absolutely. And it's a testament, you know, every time I see it I love it, because there are such choices. Like you said, there's horror stories and it's like, what does it look like to pull along and push up and lift as you climb? And I just am so grateful that y’all are on the screen holding it down and writing columns and tweeting and all the things. So, you know, absolutely being torchbearers, passing that torch. I look forward to breaking it down – this will not be the last conversation that we have, for sure. I have been really appreciative of your voice throughout the NCAA season. Thank you so much for joining Burn It All Down to break down the draft as well. I wish you well. I hope that we have a fun draft night. I hope the coverage isn't janky. [Andraya laughs] So, things to watch for. We're always building. But like you said, the future is bright, it's aflame. And you and the Black women around you and that cohort give me a lot to root for and hope for moving forward. So Draya, thank you so much for coming on Burn It All Down.

Andraya: Thank you. Same to you. Keep being great. Love your work. And we're all in this together.