Maddy Siegrist takes on WNBA challenge with same dedication she displayed at Villanova

Siegrist was the third pick in the WNBA draft and has already begun working on making her transition to the pro level a successful one.

Former Villanova star Maddy Siegrist poses with her Dallas Wings jersey and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Lochlahn March

Published April 17, 2023, 4:42 p.m. ET

Maddy Siegrist feels a bit like a freshman again.

It’s been a week since she was selected third overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and “it’s been a whirlwind,” Siegrist said at her introductory press conference on Monday.

Her freshman year at Villanova was five years and 2,896 points ago, so it’s been a while since Siegrist has had to adjust to a new team and a new system. But since Siegrist’s name was called by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on April 10, she’s fallen back on her tried-and-true methods of preparation.

“I’m a big film junkie. So I like to watch film, that’s how I get comfortable,” Siegrist said. “I’m just trying to give myself a little bit of grace in that time, just knowing that there’s going to be a learning curve. … I’m coming here with the same mentality I went to Villanova with my freshman year, and just keep your head down and get to work.”

Siegrist joins a Wings organization that finished 18-18 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Connecticut Sun. The Wings’ leading scorer was Notre Dame product Arike Ogunbowale with 19.7 points per game. Over the offseason, Dallas also brought in shooting guard Diamond DeShields, a former WNBA champion with the Chicago Sky.

“Someone asked Maddy a question in the draft room. And someone said, ‘You have so many incredible scorers on the Dallas Wings team. How are you going to find your shots and how are they going to become available?’” Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell said. “And Maddy gave just a perfect answer, and then she meant it. She said, ‘Well, that means I’m going to have to rebound, then.’ And so I think that says a lot about Maddy and coming in with the mindset that she has, that she’s gonna be the best teammate possible.

“We’ll definitely put her in great offensive possessions to be where she will feel confident translating her game from the college level to professionally, and she’s going to have some incredible players around her to help grow.”

Siegrist is known for her offensive prowess — it’s hard not to be, after leading the NCAA in scoring with 29.2 points per game. But that’s not what was most impressive about her to Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb.

“Maddy was fifth in the country in usage percentage and fourth in the country in turnover percentage. It’s great to be in the top five of one of those. I can’t think of an example where you get a player who can rank in the top five in those two different categories, where you have so much volume on one side, and so much efficiency on the other,” Bibb said. “Those numbers for me were probably the most important in my evaluation of Maddy’s game.”

Besides Siegrist, the Wings’ 2023 draft class also includes three other first-round selections. Dallas acquired the rights to the Washington Mystics’ fourth overall pick, Stephanie Soares out of Iowa State, in exchange for a 2024 second-rounder and a 2025 first-rounder. The Wings also selected UConn guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal fifth overall, and Maryland guard Abby Meyers 11th overall.

Rounding out the rest of the Wings’ selections were Iowa State’s Ashley Joens at 19th overall and Illinois State’s Paige Robinson at 31st overall.

The six rookies will be vying for a roster spot out of training camp at the end of April. The Wings will play two preseason games, hosting the Chicago Sky on May 5, and visiting the Indiana Fever on May 13.

“I just want to be a sponge,” Siegrist said. “I want to learn as much as I can. Fortunately, a lot of veterans on this team, a great coaching staff, just trying to be a sponge, you know? Get the lay of the land a little bit and whenever my team needs me to do all that.”

Siegrist’s new coach has already compared her to “a shorter, younger, Elena Delle Donne,” drawing parallels between their style of play and work ethic. Delle Donne, a power forward for the Washington Mystics, is a six-time All-Star and two-time WNBA MVP who spent her collegiate career at Delaware. She is the only WNBA player to be a member of the 50-40-90 club, which requires a 50% field goal percentage, 40% three-point percentage, and 90% free-throw percentage over the course of a single season.

Siegrist came close to that marker in her last season with Villanova, posting a 51% field goal percentage, 36.1% three-point percentage, and an 85.8% free throw percentage her senior year.

Siegrist is honored by the comparisons, but won’t be focusing on trying to equal Delle Donne’s statistical records when her first WNBA season starts in May.

“Just being from Villanova, and Delle Donne playing at Delaware, and obviously seeing how successful she’s been in the WNBA, that’s just a player you strive [after] and you see what she’s done to be successful,” Siegrist said. “I’ve definitely tried over the later years of my career to not put statistical goals on myself. I think I’m my best self, best teammate, when I just go and do whatever is necessary. I think, if that comes and we’re 50-40-90, then everyone’s going to be really happy. But [I’m focusing on] small goals.”