WNBA draft: How do Maddy Siegrist’s college stats compare to other No. 3 picks?

A new chapter in Maddy Siegrist’s basketball story began Monday, when she was taken No. 3 overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft. She’s the second Villanova player to have been picked, and it’s the highest a City 6 women’s player has ever been drafted.

You’ve seen the numbers and the accolades; nation’s leading scorer, first-team All-American, Katrina McClain Award winner, two-time Big East player of the year, and more.

But how does she fit in with other recent No. 3 picks? We took a look at how her career stats compare with those of the five before her: Shakira Austin, Aari McDonald, Lauren Cox, Teaira McCowan, and Diamond DeShields.

Siegrist by far had the highest career scoring average of her peers, largely thanks to this past season, when she led the nation with 29.2 points per game and broke the Villanova and Big East scoring records. McDonald had the next-highest scoring average and was the only other recent No. 3 pick to average more than 20 points per game in a season — 24.1 as a redshirt sophomore in 2018-19 before putting up 20.6 points per game in each of her final two seasons at Arizona.

Like Siegrist, McDonald is considered one of the best players in her program’s history. McDonald, who holds her school’s record for scoring average, helped her Wildcats to a national championship game in 2021 (Stanford won, 54-53) and was the 2020 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner, which recognizes the nation’s best shooting guard. She thrived under pressure, averaging nearly 25 points during the Wildcats’ 2021 run, including a 33-point effort against Indiana in the Elite Eight.

Sound familiar? Siegrist averaged 32.3 points and eight rebounds in Villanova’s run to the Sweet 16 this season, marking the second time the Wildcats had reached that point in the NCAA Tournament.

» READ MORE: How God and basketball teamed up to create Maddy Siegrist’s historic career at Villanova

Siegrist and McDonald were the primary scorers on their teams, unlike Cox, whose Baylor squad won a national title (2019) under Kim Mulkey and were loaded with future WNBA players in Kalani Brown, DiDi Richards, Te’a Cooper, and NaLyssa Smith. Cox did, however, provide a presence at the rim. Cox, who was a three-time All-American and Naismith Player of the Year finalist, averaged 2.3 blocks in her four seasons with the Bears and posted 2.7 blocks per game in 2017-18 and 2019-20. In her two WNBA seasons, she averaged 0.5.

Siegrist also averaged nearly a double-double, and her 9.3 rebounds per game was only bested by McCowan, who averaged 13 points and 10.1 boards at Mississippi State.

Of the picks, three are centers — McCowan, Cox, and Austin — while McDonald, at 5-foot-6, is the only one under 6 feet tall.

It’s not surprising that there was a dip in WNBA averages after those eye-popping college numbers. However, four of the five No. 3 picks were still in the league as of last season, and the fifth, Cox, is with the Connecticut Sun on a training-camp deal this spring.

Lower numbers are likely, but there’s precedent for successful rookie campaigns. DeShields made an impact right away, earning All-Rookie honors and averaging 15.2 points in her first two seasons. She’s averaged 11.2 in her last three seasons, including a 13.1 mark last year. Austin also had a solid rookie year, earning All-Rookie honors while she averaged 8.7 points and 6.5 boards, including a 20-point, eight-rebound effort against Dallas in her fifth career game on May 17.

McCowan, meanwhile, has been relatively steady. The 6-7 center had a career year in 2021 with the Indiana Fever — setting the franchise rebounding record (308) — before averaging 11 points, seven rebounds, and 0.7 blocks last season.

Siegrist will have Wings teammates in McCowan, whose senior-year trophy case mirrors that of the former Villanova star, and DeShields, one of the WNBA’s more recognizable players and a 2019 All-Star.

It’s notoriously hard to break into the WNBA, with only 144 roster spots available league wide. But the Wings saw something in Siegrist and used their third overall pick on her. It’s a pick that’s brought some big names into the league, and we will see if Siegrist joins them as the Wings’ season begins May 20 against the Atlanta Dream (1 p.m., ABC).