Rhyne Howard goes No. 1 in WNBA Draft; Lynx select Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven

Because of the trade executed before Sunday's deadline, the Lynx were not major players Monday night during the WNBA draft in New York.

That fell to other teams.

Like Atlanta, which traded up to the No. 1 spot to make Kentucky's 6-2 guard Rhyne Howard the top overall pick. Or Indiana, with Lin Dunn back as general manager, being the first team in the league's draft history to own four first-round picks — Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 10. Dunn, who coached Indiana to the 2012 WNBA title, was looking to use that capital to rebuild a flagging franchise.

The Fever's haul included three post players: Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith went second overall. Then Indiana got Louisville forward Emily Engstler at No. 4. At No. 6, in something of a surprise, the Fever took Stanford guard Lexie Hull. At No. 10, Indiana took Baylor center Queen Egbo. Dunn said she wanted to add size to the Fever roster and add someone who could shoot from the outside. On paper, she appears to have done so.

The Lynx? On Sunday, coach and GM Cheryl Reeve traded the team's top two picks — No. 8 overall in the first round and the first pick (13th) of the second round — to Las Vegas for the Aces' first- and second-round picks in next year's draft. That meant Minnesota had to wait until the 22nd pick to choose a player. And that's where the Lynx took North Carolina State forward Kayla Jones, who helped the top-seeded Wolfpack to the NCAA regional finals last month. With the 28th overall pick — the fourth in the third round — the Lynx took center Hannah Sjerven, the former Rogers High School star who helped lead South Dakota to the Sweet 16.

Both will be here when training camp starts next week, beginning their battle for a spot on a tight Lynx roster.

"The road is tough," Reeve said. "But I think both of these players will be confident playing their games in our training camp."

For the same reason Reeve traded away her top picks, it will be difficult for either Jones or Sjerven to make the team. But the two will get a good look and, according to Reeve, could position themselves for a return should injuries or other situations arise as the season progresses.

Jones is a player Reeve has seen a lot; she and her staff scout the ACC Conference extensively. Jones is a power forward with a unique skill set. She has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, is adept at distributing the ball, and can shoot the three.

Sjerven? The fact that she's a native Minnesotan didn't factor into Reeve's decision. It is, though, as she said, 'icing on the cake."

"Here's a player that analytically does well," Reeve said. "She's a big who can shoot the three."

Reeve said the Lynx probably would have taken Sjerven even without South Dakota's NCAA run. But seeing her play against high-level opposition helped.

"I liked the opportunity her team had to experience the high-level run in the NCAA tournament," Reeve said.

Other first-round selections: