Report: Dream trade with Mystics for No. 1 overall draft pick
The Atlanta Dream have made a move on the No. 1 overall pick in next weeks’ draft.
The Dream struck a deal with the Washington Mystics to obtain the top overall pick on Wednesday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel.
In exchange, the Mystics will get the Dream’s No. 3 overall pick and the No. 14 pick in the second round. The Mystics will also have the right to swap with the Los Angeles Sparks’ 2023 first-round pick — which the Dream obtained after a February trade.
Breaking @WNBA news: @AtlantaDream trade to get No. 1 pick from @WashMystics today. Mystics now have No. 3 and No. 14. WNBA Draft is Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Time to adjust those mock drafts again.😊
— Mechelle Voepel (@MechelleV) April 6, 2022
Washington won the draft lottery in December, which marked just the second time in franchise history that the team had the top pick.
The No. 1 pick has now been traded for the second straight year, following the New York Liberty’s move to send the pick to the Seattle Storm before it landed with the Dallas Wings. Texas center Charlie Collier then went No. 1.
The Indiana Fever currently hold the Nos. 2 and 4 overall picks, and the Liberty have the No. 5 pick.
Who will the Dream use the top pick on?
Clearly, the Dream see someone in the draft worth moving up two spots for.
Atlanta finished just 8-24 last season and missed the playoffs, which marked the fourth time in the past five years the Dream haven’t made the postseason. The team was sold last February, however, and is now run by new coach Tanisha Wright and general manager Dan Padover.
There are two players who are widely projected to go top two in the draft on Monday night. Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith could be a great fit in Atlanta. Smith averaged 22.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game for the Bears last season, though the Bears were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament after a huge upset by South Dakota.
Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard is the other top prospect. Howard averaged 20.5 points for the Wildcats last season while shooting 38.3% from the 3-point line while draining 284 shots from behind the arc in her career.
Who the Dream end up taking remains to be seen. Clearly, though, the team knows what it wants to do.
