Shock Deals Azzi to Move Up in Today’s Draft

UCLA’s Maylana Martin could get her reward today for becoming the Bruins’ second-leading career scorer.

She could get a $52,500 summer job.

That’s what the first four selections in today’s WNBA draft at Secaucus, N.J., will earn, and based on comments by some coaches, Martin may be in that category. The teams with the first four picks, in draft order, are: Cleveland, Washington, Detroit and Orlando.

The appearance of Detroit in the top four is the biggest surprise.

The Shock made a major trade Monday afternoon, dealing Jennifer Azzi, its 1999 first-round pick and a 1996 Olympian, plus its No. 12 pick to Utah for the Starzz’s Nos. 3 and 8 picks in today’s draft.

Azzi, 31, who was the No. 5 pick of the 1999 draft, had earlier said she would not play for the $44,000 the league offered her for the 2000 season.

But she decided to re-sign Monday. Shortly after, she was dealt to the Starzz. “This is something that we’ve been working on for some time now,” Starzz Coach Fred Williams told the Associated Press.

Detroit had been looking to make a change after its backcourt was nearly wiped out when the Shock exposed Sandy Brondello (now with Miami) in the expansion draft and expected to lose Azzi too after she previously had suggested she might play in Europe.

In today’s draft the Sparks (20-12 last summer, trailing only Houston’s 26-6) will have the 15th pick. They will be looking for a big inside player to complement Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton, but harbor no hope of the 6-foot-3 Martin being available.

Instead, Coach Michael Cooper hopes 6-4 Stanford product Naomi Mulitauaopele will be. She was a solid rebounder and defender who missed last season because of family problems.

Guards he hopes might remain available deep into Round 2 are Iowa State’s Stacy Frese and Nebraska’s Nicole Kubik.

After last week’s WNBA combine in Chicago, Portland Coach Lin Dunn ranked Martin as the likely first collegian to be picked. Sacramento assistant coach Maura McHugh called Martin’s combine performance “fabulous.”

Handicapping the draft is complicated, because Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain, premier ABL players and Olympians, have never signed with the WNBA.

The league was trying to sign both late Monday. Without signed contracts, they’re not eligible for the draft.

If Edwards--generally believed to be the best player not in the WNBA--does sign, it’s believed that teams already have trade packages to offer Cleveland (7-25) for that first pick.

The Sparks also need help at guard and are expected to use their second-round pick, the 31st of the draft, for a guard. Los Angeles is pretty much committed to going with Ukari Figgs at point and also has Mwadi Mabika, Tamecka Dixon and Allison Feaster in the backcourt.

At their tryout camp on Saturday and Sunday, the Sparks are bringing in ex-USC guard Kristin Clark and UCLA’s Erica Gomez.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

First-Round Draft Order

*--*

Selection Team 1999 Record 1. Cleveland 7-25 2. Washington 12-20 3. Detroit from Utah 15-17 4. Orlando 15-17 5. Minnesota from Phoenix 15-17 6. Minnesota 15-17 7. Portland NA 8. Detroit from Utah from Miami 15-17 9. Seattle NA 10. Minnesota from Miami 15-17 11. Charlotte 15-17 12. Utah from Detroit 15-17 13. New York 18-14 14. Sacramento 19-13 15. SPARKS 20-12 16. Houston 26-6

*--*

Sparks’ other selections

31st overall (Second round)

47th overall (Third round)

63rd overall (Fourth round)