Eziyoda Magbegor Could Be The WNBA’s Most Interesting Project

This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Lynx

Eziyoda Magbegor: 6’4, F/C, Australia

Australian WNBL stats in 2018-19 (as of Feb. 28, 2019): 

8.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.7 APG, 5 total steals, 16 total blocks, 56.0 FG%, 0.0 3P%, 56.0 FT% 

Where she’ll go:

Magbegor will likely be a late-first to early second-round pick.

The Rundown:

When teams look at a player like Eziyoda “Ezi” Magbegor, they aren’t looking at what she is now, but rather what she could become.

Magbegor is a bit of an enigma—a 19-year-old, 6’4 forward from Australia who currently plays professionally in Australia for the Melbourne Boomers and performed well for a very good Australian National Team backing up Liz Cambage in the 2018 FIBA World Cup.

There’s a lot to like about Magbegor, despite her being a very raw prospect. She is extremely long, fast and agile for her size. She’s a good finisher and looks like she will become an elite athlete when she gets stronger. In many ways, her game looks similar to the Lynx’s own Sylvia Fowles. She loves establishing post position and finishing around the rim, she can run the floor with the best of them.

The most exciting thing about Magbegor is probably how good of a defender she already is at age 19. She has great shot-blocking instincts and holds her ground in the interior even when matched up with bigger players. She could develop into one of the best interior defenders in the league.

It’s important to remember how young Magbegor is. When college players come into the WNBA they typically do so after four years, when they are around 22 years old. However, when overseas players who chose not to play in college are drafted, they can join WNBA teams at the age of 19. It’s appealing for many teams to be able to have a player in house for three years while they’re still younger than many players just entering the league. A chance to develop and shape a player with the undeniable talent of Magbegor will be a huge draw for many teams and could lead to Magbegor being picked in the first round.

It’s hard to say exactly where Magbegor will be taken. She’s probably not the best pick for teams looking for help right away, which leads me to believe that she’ll go later. Then again, if she falls into the second round, a team that has already drafted a more instantly-playable rookie could see a real opportunity to bring in someone who could make an impact for years to come.

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