WNBA: No. 3 draft choose Maddy Siegrist dominated for Villanova Wildcats

Maddy Siegrist’s story is one among dominance in a barely disrespected Big East convention that isn’t fairly thought-about one of many Energy 5s. However take a look at all of the Energy 5 gamers she went forward of within the draft by getting chosen at No. 3 by the Dallas Wings. The Huge East had a powerful season in 2022-23 and Siegrist’s Villanova Wildcats making a run to the Candy Sixteen actually helped her trigger.

Let’s discuss her dominance. Siegrist averaged 18.8 factors as a freshman, 22.8 as a sophomore, 25.3 as a junior and 29.2 as a senior. Her 2,896 profession factors lead the Huge East all-time. She additionally almost averaged a double-double every season in school with 8.9 rebounds per sport as a freshman, 9.8 as a sophomore and 9.2 as a junior and senior.

Siegrist was equally dominant in highschool, averaging 32.7 factors and 13.1 rebounds per sport as a senior at Our Woman of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie, New York. She was named All-State twice and Poughkeepsie Journal Participant of the Yr twice. But, she wasn’t ranked within the ESPN Hoop Gurlz Prime 100 popping out of highschool in 2018.

She shortly proved these rankings fallacious. After sitting out the 2018-19 season with a damaged ankle, she scored 41 factors on Dec. 21, 2019 to mark a Villanova freshman file. She went on to win Huge East Rookie of the Week 10 instances, tying the all-time file. The Wildcats completed 18-13 (11-7 Huge East) in 2019-20, the thirty second and closing season of head coach Harry Perretta’s profession at Villanova.

The Cats would discover workforce success once more throughout Siegrist’s sophomore yr, going 17-7 (9-5 Huge East) below first-year head coach Denise Dillon. They might miss the NCAA Match, however reached the WNIT quarterfinals. Siegrist completed within the closing 5 within the race for the Katrina McClain Award, which is the award for the very best energy ahead within the nation. She additionally made it to 1,000 profession factors quicker than anybody in Villanova WBB historical past and topped the Huge East in each scoring and rebounding. Solely two different gamers had ever achieved the latter.

As a junior, Siegrist actually turned probably the greatest gamers within the nation. She gained her first of two Huge East Participant of the Yr awards and earned her first AP All-American nod as a Third Crew member. She was additionally second in all the nation in scoring. Led by her 25 factors, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks, Villanova defeated BYU 61-57 within the first spherical of the NCAA Match.

As a senior, Siegrist was a First Crew AP All-American and led the nation in scoring. Villanova, a No. 11 seed in 2021-22, earned a No. 4 seed within the Huge Dance for its second-highest seeding ever (No. 2 in 2003). The Wildcats didn’t endure a letdown both, defeating Cleveland State within the first spherical and a harmful Cinderella in FGCU within the second spherical. Siegrist scored 35 and 31 factors, respectively, in these video games and added 31 within the Wildcats’ Candy Sixteen loss to Miami for an unbelievable match run.

To know the way a lot Villanova means to Siegrist, you possibly can look and see her dedication announcement nonetheless pinned to the highest of her Twitter page. And he or she has been lively on Twitter lately, so it’s not like she simply forgot to alter the pin.

Siegrist climbed up mock drafts within the weeks main as much as the draft till she was all the way in which at No. 3. Now she has an actual likelihood to be an affect participant within the WNBA.