Lynx roll the dice in WNBA draft, hope for a delayed jackpot

Making the first public maneuver in the Maya Moore Sweepstakes, the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday selected Nebraska forward Kelsey Griffin with the third overall pick in the WNBA draft.

Shortly after, they traded Griffin to Connecticut for the Sun’s first- and second-round draft picks in 2011.

Moore, who led the University of Connecticut to the national championship Tuesday night, is a junior and is considered the best player in women’s college basketball. She is a slam dunk to be the top pick in the 2011 WNBA draft.

The Lynx are banking on the Sun not making the playoffs this season and are hoping Connecticut will do well in the lottery process. Minnesota then could be in position to draft Moore, a dazzling 6-foot forward who averaged 24 points and 8.3 rebounds a game in helping the Huskies extend their winning streak to 78 games with their second consecutive national championship.

Griffin was the Lynx’s second pick of the day. One pick earlier they selected Virginia’s Monica Wright, a 5-foot-11 shooting guard who averaged 24 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists as a senior. She was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and the ACC defensive player of the year.

Nevertheless, the talk of the draft was the Lynx’s trade one pick later. Only time will tell if the transaction was a stroke of genius.

“No question, we are looking at the future with this trade, and who knows how it will turn out,” Lynx first-year coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We think it is worth the risk. We are working with the philosophy that you can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. We have all the confidence in the world that this will work out.”

Lynx executive vice president Roger Griffith said the deal with Connecticut was completed about 30 minutes before the draft. Had the deal not been struck, he said, the Lynx would have taken Stanford center Jayne Appel at No. 3. She went to San Antonio at No. 5.

The Lynx media relations staff even had postcards of Appel printed with her stats and biographical information for distribution had she been selected.

Lynx public relations coordinator Aaron Seehusen said the team had an “A (Appel) and W (Wright)” marketing campaign ready to launch to local media that would feature root beer and ice cream.

“We feel great about what is going on with our team and feeling that way is what made us go for it and trade that No. 3 pick,” Griffith said. “Our first-round draft picks this year were going to be role players anyway, not players that were going to be counted on heavily. It is so worth the risk. How do we not make this deal? It could pay off big time for us. We also don’t see where it hurts us.”

Because of WNBA guidelines, Griffith and Reeve are forbidden to declare that Moore is the player they are targeting because she is still in college.

“I think everyone knows who we are after,” said Griffith, who typically keeps his plans to himself.

“It’s no secret who we are going after,” Reeve said. “Going after that player was the motive behind this trade. The reality of the situation is that whoever we took at No. 3 was going to be the No. 10 player on our team. We took a chance at strengthening our draft position for next year, and we feel pretty good about that.”

Wright gives the Lynx versatility at guard.

Although the Lynx could have used a backup to Lindsay Whalen at point guard, Griffith and Reeve said Wright will back up starting shooting guard Candice Wiggins, who would back up Whalen when needed. In a pinch, Wright could play the point.

“I think of myself as a chameleon,” said Wright. “Wherever you need me, I will be whatever player the team needs me to be.

“I am excited to play with this high caliber of players. I hope I can take my game to their level.”

Said Reeve: “When she comes in, she is the kind of player that will be instantly involved.”

With the Lynx’s other draft selection, they took Drexel’s Gabriella Marginean with the No. 26 pick. The 6-1 forward averaged 20.6 points a game during her four-year career at the Philadelphia school. Reeve was pleased with that pick because she is a Philadelphia native.

Marginean will be a long shot to make the team.

Lynx training camp opens April 25.