What fans can expect from Maddy Siegrist’s rookie season with the WNBA’s Dallas Wings

Siegrist, the No. 3 overall selection, joins a Dallas squad that features stars like Arike Ogunbowale and Diamond DeShields.

Former Villanova star Maddy Siegrist, posing with her Dallas Wings jersey and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after the draft, is heading into her first season of professional women's hoops.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Meghann Morhardt

Published April 27, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

The WNBA will be an adjustment for former Villanova standout Maddy Siegrist.

After a record-setting senior season at Villanova, Siegrist saw her draft stock grow significantly, resulting in a No. 3 overall selection by the Dallas Wings in the 2023 WNBA draft.

Siegrist took more than 20 shots per game last season as she led the country in scoring with 29.2 points per game. As a rookie, Siegrist typically will not be the first, or even second or third, scoring option. That is not to say that she will not have her opportunities.

Siegrist was one of four players the Wings took in the first round, and signs indicate she will be the focal point of their draft class. Dallas president and CEO Greg Bibb has been nothing but complimentary of Siegrist, and both he and head coach Latricia Trammell believe that she has what it takes to eventually become a leader for their franchise.

But what will Siegrist’s rookie season look like as she joins a Dallas roster with stars such as Arike Ogunbowale and Diamond DeShields?

Learning curve

When training camp begins on Sunday, Siegrist will be fighting for a roster spot with six other rookies. As the No. 3 pick, Siegrist is expected to make the 12-player roster, but there will still be a significant learning curve as she transitions to the professional level.

Siegrist was the best player on the floor in most games for the last two seasons, but that will not be the case during her rookie season. Her role likely will be as a reserve who can provide a spark.

“Coming in, I just want to be a sponge,” Siegrist said during her introductory news conference last week. “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. Get the lay of the land a little bit, and whatever my team needs me to do, I’ll do.”

Trammell recognizes the scoring prowess that Siegrist can add to Dallas’ system, especially at small forward, a position at which the Wings have struggled in the past.

“I know Maddy’s work ethic,” Trammell said. “I know what she’s capable of, obviously, and so does everyone across the country. But I’m really excited with the system that we already have in place.

“We’ll definitely put her in the right positions. And that’s probably about every position on the court, if you ask me and Greg at this time.”

While Siegrist should expect a significant decrease in minutes and production, there still is a strong case for the 6-foot-2 forward to see the floor.

Take Shakira Austin as an example. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick averaged 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds as a rookie last season for the Mystics. Austin, who averaged 13.3 points in her college career at Maryland and Mississippi, was not nearly as prolific a scorer as Siegrist, but she still found her way on a team led by star veteran Elena Delle Donne, a Wilmington native.

Trammell and Bibb are aware of what Siegrist can bring to the court after watching her excel countless times at Villanova. And while the adjustment to the pros is difficult for everyone, the self-proclaimed “film junkie” with a highly touted work ethic is expected to handle the learning curve as well as anyone would.

Filling the needs

Coming out of a rebuild, Dallas entered the draft looking for certain on-court attributes in the prospects it drafted: shooting, size, and versatility.

Throughout the scouting and interview process, Siegrist checked every box for Bibb and the rest of the front office.

Siegrist, while not necessarily a spot-up shooter, is efficient from distance, something she has improved significantly since her freshman year. As a senior, Siegrist shot 36.1% from three-point range on 144 attempts. While this made up less than 20% of her shots, it was an important part of her game that opened up other shots and driving opportunities for her and her teammates.

As far as size, Siegrist, at 6-2, often was bigger than her opponents in college. Continuing to play the small forward position in the WNBA will offer her the same advantage. The Wings’ other forwards are either 6-2 or 6-4, allowing Siegrist to fit in comfortably.

The versatility of Siegrist’s game might be her biggest asset. She often is listed as a forward but is an efficient scorer at all three levels. She has strong footwork to enhance her back-to-the-basket game, and she also can confidently take her defender off the dribble for a midrange jumper or a strong finish at the rim.

“I think we can do multiple different things on the offensive end with Maddy,” Trammell said. “She’s capable of scoring at all three levels. ... Maddy reminds us of a shorter, younger Elena Delle Donne. I think she has that high ceiling and that work ethic, that mentality.”

The comparison to Delle Donne, who has set the standard at small forward, reveals the expectations that Trammell and her staff have for Siegrist’s future.

While it may come in the form of 10 minutes off the bench, Dallas is expecting Siegrist’s impact to be felt this season.

“Whatever amount of time I’m given, I’m going to make the most of it and just just try to be the best I can be for my teammates,” Siegrist said.

Added Trammell: “This young lady has exceeded everyone’s expectations. I cannot wait to see what she’s going to do here in our Dallas Wings organization.”