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Lynx Select Rennia Davis with the 9th Pick

Cheryl Reeve gets another steal with their lone draft pick.

By Leo Sun

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 16 Women’s Texas A&M at Tennessee Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Player Profile:

Age: 22.21

Height: 6’2”

Senior year statistics: 17.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.1 TOV

Shoot splits: 0.480 FG%, 0.260 3P%, 0.853 FT%

Advanced: 0.99 PPP (92nd percentile), 0.150 FTr (43rd), 0.208 3Pr (38th), 0.140 TRB% (87th), 7.0 WS (99th), 118.9 ORTG (98th), 85.9 DRTG (83rd)

Quick analysis:

I was absolutely astounded to see Rennia Davis fall to the Lynx at the 9th pick. Although I had her 7th on my big board, many mocks and experts had listed her as a top 5 talent and it’s easy to see why. Standing at an impressive 6’2”, Davis is do-it-all forward who was a winner season in, and season out. Her athleticism pops and with her wiry frame, she wreaks havoc on defense while getting into the paint at will thanks to her high motor. She has grown into a leader for a very competitive Tennessee Lady Volunteers team.

The biggest question mark for Rennia is her perimeter shooting. The 26% three point percentage her senior year is concerning, but if you look deeper at her previous numbers, there’s reason for optimism! Leading up to her final collegiate season, she was shooting a combined 32.9% from range on over 3 attempts per game. She is also a career 81.6% free throw shooter so it’s realistic to believe that her jumper could be rediscovered.

Will she be a rotation player from day 1? I think it’s absolutely possible, depending on how fast she responds to Coach Reeve in training camp. Reeve had mentioned wanting to look to the future with the 9th pick so Davis likely won’t be force fed minutes from day 1 like Crystal Dangerfield and Napheesa Collier was, but her size and defensive utility will certainly be useful. Her most natural fit on this team will at one of the forward positions, slotted behind Collier, Bridget Carleton, Damiris Dantas, and Natalie Achonwa.

As WNBA.com points out per Synergy:

She scored 1.367 points per possession on cuts to the basket, shooting an outstanding 68.5% on 60 possessions. She scored 1.216 points per possession on putbacks, converting at 63.6% on 37 opportunities. And she scored 1.183 points per possession on 71 transition possessions, with an effective field goal percentage of 60.4%.

Additional stories:

The Athletic’s piece on Rennia Davis’ journey

WNBA.com’s 5 Things to Know about Rennia Davis

SBNation’s Swish Appeal Rennia Davis Profile

Highlights:

Potential depth chart:

PG: Crystal Dangerfield / Rachel Banham

SG: Aerial Powers / Lexie Brown

SF: Kayla McBride / Bridget Carleton

PF: Napheesa Collier / Damiris Dantas / Rennia Davis

C: Sylvia Fowles / Natalie Achonwa / Jessica Shepherd

Coach Reeve & Rennia Davis presser notes: