The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Ariel Atkins selected by Washington Mystics in first round of WNBA Draft
04.12.2018 | Women's Basketball
Atkins is the third-highest WNBA Draft pick in Texas women's basketball history.
Senior Texas guard Ariel Atkins was selected by the Washington Mystics with the seventh pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, which took place on Thursday in Manhattan, N.Y.
Atkins, who watched the draft in her hometown of Duncanville, Texas, with family and friends, was the 10th player in program history to be selected in the WNBA Draft and the fifth first-round pick in UT history. At No. 7 overall, she was the third-highest drafted player in program history, behind Edwina Brown (2000, No. 3) and Tiffany Jackson (2007, No. 5). The Longhorns have had a WNBA first-round draft pick in two of the last three seasons (Imani McGee-Stafford, 2016, No. 10).
"Our goal was to find a wing player that could be a scorer and a defender," Washington Mystics Head Coach and General Manager Mike Thibault said. "I think that her basketball I.Q. and energy level is off the charts and I think that she proved over the course of her time at Texas that she is a very dynamic and efficient player."
Atkins was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference player and a four-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 teams. She played in 121 career games with 100 starts, scoring in double figures on 81 occasions. Her career free-throw percentage of 83.1 ranks fourth all-time in UT history, her career free-throw percentage of 83.1 ranks sixth all-time in UT history and her career scoring total of 1,497 points is 20th in program history.
Atkins started all 35 games for the Longhorns this past season, leading her team with 14.9 points per game and 2.5 steals per game. She scored in double figures 29 times, including eight 20-plus-point performances. Atkins was the only player in the Big 12 Conference to rank among the league's top-20 in the eight statistical categories of points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, assist-to-turnover ratio, field-goal percentage, three-point field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage. She ranked second in the Big 12 in steals per game (2.5) and three-point field goal percentage (.420).
"I'm just extremely excited about the opportunity that lies ahead for her," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "I just feel so proud for somebody who has put so much work in and has paid so much attention to her work-ethic and wanting to be better every day. To see her get rewarded with this and, in particular so high - I think that was probably a little unexpected by everybody, but not by all of us who know Ariel."
| Year | Player | Round | Overall Pick | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Edna Campbell | 1st | 10 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2000 | Edwina Brown | 1st | 3 | Detroit Shock $ |
| 2004 | Stacy Stephens | 3rd | 37 | Houston Comets # |
| 2005 | Jamie Carey | 3rd | 31 | Phoenix Mercury * |
| 2005 | Heather Schreiber | 3rd | 39 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2007 | Tiffany Jackson | 1st | 5 | New York Liberty |
| 2010 | Brittainey Raven | 3rd | 33 | Atlanta Dream |
| 2015 | Nneka Enemkpali | 3rd | 26 | Seattle Storm |
| 2016 | Imani McGee-Stafford | 1st | 10 | Chicago Sky |
| 2018 | Ariel Atkins | 1st | 7 | Washington Mystics |
$ - 1st collegian taken in 2000 WNBA Draft
# - later traded to Detroit Shock
* - later signed with Connecticut Sun
POST-DRAFT QUOTES
ARIEL ATKINS
On what it meant for her to be drafted on Thursday evening …
"It means the world to me, especially to be able to share it with my family was an extremely special moment. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity and for Coach [Mike] Thibault and his staff to take a chance on me."
On how she heard the news about being selected by the Washington Mystics …
"I was sitting in front of the TV and had the [Texas] team on FaceTime right in front of the TV. I had my grandmother, aunt, uncles, cousins, and of course my brother and sister, mom and dad. They called the Dallas pick [at No. 6] and I was watching it because you just never know. We didn't go to Dallas and my mom was a little sad. It wasn't like I was expecting to go there, but it's Dallas. The seventh pick comes on and before she [WNBA President Lisa Borders] even gets to it, I hear my name about to come out of her mouth. She doesn't even get my last name out and I can't hear anything. My house was erupting - and it was very intimate - only about 10-12 people. It was exciting to share that with them. They literally have been there from the very beginning. My aunt showed me a picture today - she takes lots of pictures - from my very first basketball game. It was a Polaroid. It was interesting to see that and see where God has taken me over the years of playing basketball. It's been an amazing ride and I'm now so thankful to be a pro athlete - a pro women's basketball player."
On the fit with the Washington Mystics …
"I'm really excited, just about the way they talk about the team. They move the ball, are fast-paced and score in a lot of different ways. With the players that they have now, they're versatile in the guard position and have a strong front court. It will be fun to get in the game, get out and run, and learn."
On what it means to be the third-highest drafted player in school history …
"It's one of those things where you have your name mentioned with these amazing players and great athletes but, more so, amazing people. Tiffany Jackson and Edwina Brown - to have my name mentioned aside those two players and great women is something I can't put into words. They're amazing people. In a sense, to follow in the footsteps in helping this program be what it is and help it grow and be a good asset to the program, is something I can't put words to."
TEXAS HEAD COACH KAREN ASTON
On Ariel Atkins being selected with the seventh pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics …
"I'm just extremely excited about the opportunity that lies ahead for her. I just feel so proud for somebody who has put so much work in and has paid so much attention to her work-ethic and wanting to be better every day. To see her get rewarded with this and, in particular so high - I think that was probably a little unexpected by everybody, but not by all of us who know Ariel."
On what it says about Atkins to be the third-highest draft pick in program history …
"I think it says a lot about how she has grown. I think we all know what Ariel has meant to our program, regardless of what she would have been drafted. It says a lot about who she is, what her goals are, and what kind of work-ethic that she put forward to make this a reality. I remember when I recruited her, this was her intention. I wouldn't even call it a goal; it was her intention. It doesn't surprise me at all that it's happened and it sure doesn't surprise me that she went so high."
On the fit of Ariel Atkins with the Washington Mystics …
"That's a great fit for Ariel because [Mike Thibault] is a detail-oriented coach. I definitely know that he likes players who can score the ball in multiple ways, which Ariel can do. [Texas assistant coach] Jamie [Carey] could probably give some insight in the fact that he coached her [with the Connecticut Sun]. She is overseas right now, but when I talked to her, she said that this is a perfect fit for Ariel. I am really excited for her because I think she is the type of player that wants to learn. Her intention is to go there and not only play well and be a part of the team, but also to soak up every bit of knowledge that she can get from the players and the coaches."
On the opportunities that await Brooke McCarty, who was not drafted on Thursday night …
"She will have opportunities. I definitely understand that people look at her size and say that they can probably get someone bigger. I think that Brooke is the type of player that really needs someone to evaluate her in a sense of what she can do to help a team win - the intangibles that Brooke brings to the table. I think that from what I've seen in drafts in the past few years, sometimes it's better for your agent to get you in training camp and you have an opportunity to get somewhere where there's a realistic chance of making the team. I think that's part of what people don't understand - there's a limited amount of spots available and when you have someone that lets you come to camp, there might be a specific need a team has to provide her an opportunity for what I would call a tryout. And sometimes that's better than being drafted. I'm so proud of Brooke. She'll have many, many opportunities ahead of her. I'm sure she's disappointed, but opportunities will be left and right for Brooke."
