Paris Kea Is Better Than Her Numbers

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Paris Kea: PG, 5’8, North Carolina

College Stats in 2018-19 (as of March 1, 2019): 

18 games, 33.8 MPG, 17.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 44.0 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 76.0 FT% 

Where she’ll go: 

Kea will be a second or third-round selection.

The Rundown:

A player like Kea is the reason that you don’t just look at stats when you’re writing player profiles. Kea’s numbers look a little concerning—most notably she is only shooting 28.3 percent from the field.

Watch the tape, though, and you’ll quickly see why Kea is almost certain to be drafted this year.

Kea is a hooper—she’s smart, she’s a good defender, she’s a creative finisher in the paint. She also has a nice stroke despite her lack of production from range this year. Kea does not have a fundamentally broken jumper, they just haven’t been falling. Kea also has excellent court vision and an awesome handle. She can get to the rim and finish or set up teammates.

So why the down numbers? There are a few things to consider. Kea’s stats were a lot better last year. As a junior she averaged 19.4 points per game and added 4.8 assists while shooting 40.5 percent from three. This year Kea’s role has changed, and she’s taken a step back on a much more talented UNC team this year. However, the dominant player of years past is still there—Kea put up 30 points and 10 assists against Notre Dame earlier this year and followed it up with 29 and 6 against Georgia Tech later in the week. When her team needs her, Kea steps up.

Her obvious ability is the reason she’s stayed on WNBA draft boards despite her drop off in production this year. However, she doesn’t come without questions. Can she get back her shooting touch? Will she be able to keep her turnovers in check? Kea goes for the flashy plays sometimes, and when she pulls them off it’s incredible, but those openings won’t be there as much in the WNBA.

At the very least, Kea will make a great addition to a training camp roster. She’ll challenge WNBA point guards with her quickness and ability to get steals and she’s a shifty dribbler. While the odds of making a WNBA roster are always long, especially for backcourt players, Kea could definitely make a splash.

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