Canada’s Carleton creating some buzz ahead of next week’s WNBA draft

Canada’s Bridget Carleton is getting plenty of attention ahead of next week’s WNBA draft.

Analysts Kara Lawson and LaChina Robinson spoke highly of the 21-year-old from Chatham, Ont., on Tuesday’s ESPN pre-draft media conference call.

“I was impressed this year with her total court game, with her consistency, her ability to produce consistently night in, night out,” said Lawson, a former WNBA player and member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in 2008. “She has solid size. She can shoot the ball. Where she projects, I’m not sure about that. I’m not really sure about where anybody projects, to be honest. I think it’s pretty fluid.

“But I think she’s somebody that is going to get drafted and I think she’s somebody that can make the league, for sure.”

Stacey Dales is Canada’s highest WNBA draft pick, going third overall to the Washington Mystics in 2002. Kia Nurse was selected 10th last year by the New York Liberty.

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Carleton was recently named to the second team of the Associated Press’ All-America honours on Monday, capping a brilliant Iowa State career.

The six-foot-one shooting guard was the cornerstone of an Iowa State Cyclones squad that finished second in the Big 12. She capped her college career as the school’s second-leading scorer (2,142 points) and is ranked in the top five in blocked shots (third), field goals made (third), steals (third), and three-pointers (fifth). She also became the first Iowa State player to earn Big 12 Player of the Year honours.

Iowa State was knocked out of March Madness in a second-round loss to Missouri State.

“The fact that (Carleton) can do a variety of things helps,” Robinson said on Tuesday’s call. “She can shoot the three. She can come off screens and really knock it down. She’s a good passer, decision maker, attacks the rim versus bigger defenders. She can handle a little bit, plays on balance. I think she’s got a lot of things working for her.

“She’s another one that just I love her toughness and determination . . . I definitely think she has a great chance of being an impact player in the WNBA, again, when you look at what people are bringing off the bench.”

One mock draft had Carleton going 12th to Seattle. 

The WNBA draft is April 10 in New York.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press