Rennia Davis Adds Versatility To Deep Lynx Roster

With an already deep 2021 Minnesota Lynx roster, Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve’s decision to select Rennia Davis from the University of Tennessee with the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s WNBA Draft brings added versatility to a side primed to compete for a championship in 2021.

At 6-2 and able to fit in at multiple positions, Davis complements Minnesota’s depth both on the wing and in the post.

“That’s what I like a lot, her length,” Reeve told media after the draft. “She’s legit 6-2, lengthy. I think she prides herself [on defense]. Tennessee, I thought, was a very good defensive team. They were all so big and long, hard to play against.

“I think that versatility in matchups, that’s what we’re all looking for.”

Davis finished her collegiate career with averages of 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds to lead the Lady Vols in 2020-21. Davis leaves Rocky Top as one of four players in program history to rank top 10 in points and rebounds, as well as points and rebounds per game, joining Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, and Tamika Catchings.

Reeve hopes that, like her fellow Lady Vols, Davis can carve out a successful WNBA career with the Lynx. But in the immediate future, the Jacksonville, Fla. native will be learning the pro game from a veteran-laden squad led by the likes of Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier.

“The veterans that we have, players understand our team, our culture, the way we like to do things,” Reeve explained. “For a young player, it’s one of the best things that can happen. Because [Davis] is going to go through ups and downs, and she’s gonna have vets right there to be able navigate things a little more quickly versus when you don’t have that.”

Having been the top dog through her high school and college days, Davis looks forward to being able to learn from Minnesota’s championship culture.

“I’ve never been in a position throughout my basketball career where I’ve been able to soak it all in and be around a group of vets that were willing to teach me and willing to help me learn,” she told media via Zoom. “I’ve always been kinda thrown in the fire, so this will be a totally different situation for me. I’m just gonna sit back and observe, just soak it all in.”

Davis will get her first taste of the WNBA when Lynx training camp opens in late April. Minnesota tips off the 2021 campaign on May 14 versus the Phoenix Mercury at Target Center.