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In from Down Under Seattle takes Jackson No. 1 in WNBA draft
Updated: Friday April 20, 2001 1:26 PM
SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Storm took Australian center Lauren Jackson with the first pick in the WNBA draft Friday. Jackson, 19, brought Australia to the gold medal game against the United States in the 2000 Olympics. Though Australia lost, the 6-foot-5 Jackson scored 20 points and demonstrated she could compete with the top players in the United States. Last season, Jackson, of Albury in New South Wales, played for the Canberra Capitals of Australia's Women's National Basketball League. She averaged 21.6 points, 14.2 rebounds and 4.3 blocks and was named one of the league's two most valuable players. She led the league in rebounds and blocks the last two seasons. "Lauren Jackson is not only the top player in this year's draft, she is one of the elite players in the world," Storm coach and general manager Lin Dunn said. "We are extremely excited to bring a player of Lauren's character to this team and into the Seattle community." The Storm had the first pick because they finished in the cellar last season. The WNBA season starts May 28. With the second pick, Charlotte took Kelly Miller, a 5-10 guard out of Georgia. Indiana picked Tamika Catchings, a 6-1 forward from Tennessee, with the third. The NCAA's top scorer, Jackie Stiles of Southwest Missouri State, was chosen by Portland with the fourth pick, and Miami took Ruth Riley, a 6-5 center who helped Notre Dame win the NCAA championship this year, with the fifth pick.
With the first pick of the second round, the 17th pick overall,
the Storm took Semeka Randall, a 5-10 guard from Tennessee.
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