RebKell's Junkie Boards

[mercfan3]

Okay, so I'm convinced (Partially because I'm biased, partially because I really do think this.) That Ashley Battle is going to make a very good pro. I've watched her play at Uconn for four years (actually play) and she has great moments. She's fast, great on defense, and her offense has improved A LOT. There are times on this Uconn team, where Battle looks like she is clearly the best player on the team. (With Charde, Turner, Strother, and even Moore, that probably shouldn't happen.) Anyway, so these teams, I feel wouldbe the best fit for Ashley.

Storm- the storm could use a lot of speed, and great defense. I feel like this might be the best fit for Battle.

Mystics- I guess this is just me being selfish, but I'd love to see Battle and Beard play together. The Mystics need a new guard. And with Battle and Beard on the same team, it'd be interessting to see how many points opposing team's guards get........

Connecticut- Once again, the sun could use some speed. And they could use a better defensive stopper.

Mercury-...okay okay, so it probably wouldn't be a good fit. The Merc has enough 2 guards. But this is selfish again, one of my all time favorite College players, on my favorite WNBA team.


So I guess, who else do you think will make a good pro, but isn't an obvious draft pick? And I guess I'd like to hear some other people's opinion on Battle in the pros..

[pilight]

I'm selling Battle as a serious prospect. That she sometimes looks like the best player on UConn this year goes a long way towards explaining why this is the worst Huskie team in more than a decade.

_________________
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I ain't got a home

[Keegan]

I think she'll be another of those "athletic but with limited skills" types that seem to be on the end of most WNBA benches.

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[CamrnCrz1974]

Battle is Stacey Thomas...great defender, awkward and inconsistent shooting. I'm with Pilight...sell.

[Slovydal]

When UConn was @ ASU, Ashley had more hustle than the whole rest of the team. She almost had a triple double - if you count turnovers!

[BBallFanCT729]

At least you aren't promoting Jessica Moore as a first-round draft pick. Ashley could be useful somewhere...I'm not sure though.

[accommodatingly]

[wadethered]

This is interesting because I'm wondering what you guys thought about ASU's Emily Westerberg, who had 18 points against UConn. Do any of you remember anything about her? She's from my state, so I've been following her closely, but she's only a sophomore.

[CamrnCrz1974]

I have seen Emily (and Aubree Johnson) play many times in person. Emily is a very solid, fundamentally sound player who does everything well...but does nothing outstanding for purposes of a WNBA career.

[readyAIMfire53]

Considering that only a few second rounders even make a lineup in a good year...and this year is pretty weak...and Ashley Battle may not be picked in even the second round...that pretty much sums up Battle's chances in the WNBA. Yes, she can defend college players. But she can barely score against college players. She's not even on anybody's fourth team honorable mention All*American teams.

Next.

~rAf

_________________
Follow your passion and your life will be true down to your core.

~rAf

[mercfan3]

[Keegan]

[pilight]

Look at it this way, Debbie Black and Becky Hammon were much better players in college than Ashley Battle is. Hammon was an All-American!

_________________
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[dtsnms]

Read "spazzy" to mean out of control. Personally, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if someone took her on as an end of the bench player with the hopes of harnassing some of the energy.

[fang]

Even by WNBA standards Battle is incredibly athletic, and can guard just about anyone. On the offensive side of things she has managed to use her athleticism to take really wild shots, rather than use it to get easy shots. When she plays under control she can score consistently. She just doesn't play under control very often.

If the standard she is to be defined by is to score consistently in the teens, well, there wouldn't be many players in the league if that standard were universally applied. I'll bet she can score at least as consistently as Iciss Tillis, for example - who was drafted in a much deeper year, and Battle will play defense far better than Iciss ever will.

I believe both she and Jessica Moore would be solid bench players. The CBA certainly would encourage teams to go for new blood on the bench, due to the savings; and as the number of FA players increases, the economics would only get more skewed.

[pilight]

[fang]

I was suggesting that Tillis went higher in the draft than Battle will probably go, and Battle will probably be at least as good a scorer in the pros as Tillis.

The whole thread is about pro prospects, not what people did in college.

[CamrnCrz1974]

[dtsnms]

[mercfan3]

Battle also plays well in big games. Her best games are against top programs and when her team needs her. This, to me shows she's fully capapble of playing against WNBA players. ...Yes Tillis is 6'5, and I like Iciss, but Battle's energy, defense, and speed might bring more to a team than a tall player. I think that she'd be a great spark off the bench for a lot of teams. And IMO, if she can play good defense on Beard, and than she can play great defense on just about any other guard in the league...

IMO, she will get drafted. How high will depend on how far Uconn goes in the tournament, and how well she plays in the tournament.

[pilight]

[CamrnCrz1974]

[dtsnms]

Battle played only limited time on Beard. If you recall the collapse at the HCC, when Alana turned it on was carrying the team back in the second half, when UConn was trying to run things out (unsuccessfully) against that press. AB was not on the floor.

Y'all know not to compare apples and oranges. AB is a quality defensive, high energy player. Her offense is inconsistent at best, and she is not tall. She will either be a late choice or a free agent invite, and if someone feels they can corral that energy, she'll make a team.

Let's not make this into the great debate of 2005, it's really pretty simple IMO.

[ThreeBall25]

I agree dts, last year in Hartford Battle didn't even start, so how is her defense relevant to Beard's point total? I'm pretty sure she did start at Cameron, though. Bad comparison, IMO.

[CamrnCrz1974]