Sun take Tina Charles, Danielle McCray in WNBA Draft's first round

Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun drafted UConn's Tina Charles and Danielle McCray of Kansas in the first round of Thursday's WNBA Draft.

Charles, a 6-foot-4 center, was the first player selected in the draft. She averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as she helped the Huskies repeat at national champions.

McCray, a 5-11 guard-forward, will miss this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a Feb. 4 practice.

McCray averaged a team-high 19.8 points in 20 games along with 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals. She is Kansas' all-time scoring leader (1,934 points).

Connecticut made a draft day trade, too. It sent its 2011 first round pick and the 2001 second round pick it had received from the Tulsa Shock to the Minnesota Lynx for the rights to Nebraska forward Kelsey Griffin. Griffin was taken third in the draft.

Griffin, 6-2, averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds her senior season. She, along with Charles, was a consensus first-team All-American pick.

LSU guard Allison Hightower was the Sun's second round selection (15th overall). She shot 44.8-percent from the floor her senior year and averaged 18.5 points.

Johannah Leedham, a 5-11 guard-forward from Franklin Pierce, was Connecticut's third round pick (27th). Hailing from Ellesmere Port, England, Leedham averaged a Division II-high 26.9 points her senior year. She also scored a Division II-record 3,050 career points, the fifth highest at any level of NCAA women's basketball.

UConn guard Kalana Greene was taken by the New York Liberty with the first pick of the second round (13th). She averaged 12 points as a senior.

n.griffen@theday.com