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Brianna Turner: 6’3, F, Notre Dame

College Stats in 2018-19 (as of Feb. 28, 2019):

29 games, 26.5 MPG, 13.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.7 BPG, 62.4 FG%, 0.0 3P%, 64.5 FT%

Where she’ll go:

Turner will probably be a second-round selection.

The Rundown:  

As a basketball player, you need a skill you can hang your hat on. For Turner, that skill is blocking shots. Turner’s bread and butter is her ability to affect shots around the rim and that’s the reason she’s almost certain to be picked in this year’s draft. The question will be if she can do enough on offense to lock down a role on a team.

Turner is athletic, fast and a good finisher, but she probably won’t be able to get her own shot consistently in the WNBA. That might be just fine—she’s an above-average rebounder, especially on the offensive end and she’s fast enough to run the floor and get transition opportunities. A rim-running, shot-blocking forward certainly has a place in this league—while there’s certainly value in having many skills, doing a few things very well is another path, especially if Turner is paired with teammates who put her in good positions.

It’s a little difficult to assess Turner’s WNBA prospects—especially as an offensive player—because she plays on a Notre Dame squad that includes two other players (Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard) who will be drafted this year and another (Jackie Young) who is a top prospect for next year’s draft or likely will be taken with a high pick if she declares this year. Turner is talented, but she’s not the centerpiece on her own team and she may not even be the best frontcourt player (the Shepard/Turner debate is one you’ll hear again). Then again, that might be a good thing for Turner. There are very few rookies if any that will become the best or even second-best player on their team when they are drafted and there are no fits for Turner where she immediately becomes a star. Turner’s ability to be productive and efficient in a supporting role might end up being the biggest thing she has going for her.

The best-case scenario for Turner would be to fall to a good team that can afford to give her time to develop behind someone skilled but still be able to find minutes for her. Turner will probably fall into the second round, so every team should have a chance at drafting her. She has the skills to become a good player at the next level but fit and development will be critical. Turner is used to stiff competition both in games and in practice—she won’t be intimidated by WNBA competition. Her defensive chops are undeniable, and she does enough on offense to stay on the floor provided teams are willing to punt on three-point shooting at her position. There will be teams picking in the second round who would be very excited to have her.

Check out the rest of our prospect profiles, plus more Lynx-related draft coverage at lynxbasketball.com’s Draft Central.