Dispersal draft gives Sun chance to add some talent

The Connecticut Sun have mixed emotions about the Sacramento Monarchs folding last month.

On one hand, the WNBA lost one of its best franchises, and that means fewer jobs for players.

On the other hand, Connecticut will doubly benefit from Sacramento's demise.

The WNBA announced Tuesday that it didn't have enough time to transfer the Sacramento franchise to an ownership group in the California Bay Area, so it will hold a dispersal draft on Monday.

The Sun will have the third overall pick in that draft.

Sacramento also had the second overall pick in next year's college draft. Connecticut, which was third, will move up one spot.

"It is unfortunate that the league has lost such a valuable franchise in Sacramento," Sun general manager Chris Sienko said in a statement, "but the circumstances are understandable and certainly not unprecedented in this economic climate."

"I'm really sad to see them not play," Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. "I thought they were a great franchise for the league."

WNBA President Donna Orender said in a statement the league will try to add a team to the Bay Area in 2011.

Connecticut has less than a week to figure out what to do with the third pick in the dispersal draft.

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx draft first and second, respectively. Logically, Rebekkah Brunson (power forward) and Nicole Powell (small forward) will be the first two players taken.

The Sun would have to choose between the likes of veteran DeMya Walker (power forward) or young centers Laura Harper or Courtney Paris.

Kara Lawson, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba and Ticha Penicheiro are unrestricted free agents and ineligible for the draft.

Thibault said that the Sun will entertain offers for the pick and that one team has already called.

"It would have to be something pretty good," Thibault said. "We have a chance to make our team better. With the third pick in our hands, we're going to get a good player who can play in the league. I don't know who it's going to be. We need to do a little more homework. Plus (Sacramento's folding) puts a couple of their players on the market as free agents."

The dispersal draft comes at a good time for Connecticut. It had its first losing season last summer (16-18) since relocating to Mohegan in 2003, hurt by erratic play, injuries and bad fortune.

The Sun's success also caught up to them. While a young franchise such as the Atlanta Dream benefited from high draft picks and dispersal drafts the last two seasons, Connecticut drafted later and, as such, couldn't get the top college talent.

Thibault said there was nothing new to report about Sandrine Gruda. The French center blossomed in her second season last summer, but has national team commitments as the FIBA world championships will be held next fall. The worlds are considered by some countries to be more prestigious than Olympic basketball.

Gruda led France to a surprising EuroBasket championship last June.

One bit of good news for Connecticut is that Anete Jekabsone-Zogota has made it clear that she will play for the team this season. The Latvian guard struggled early in her first WNBA season, but slowly evolved into one of the Sun's best shooters and passers.