Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve noted prior to this week’s WNBA draft that there is no guarantee of immediate success for the majority of prospects. Most young players have a lot they must first endure before truly breaking through.
“But I think if they’re coachable and they don’t think that they’re really special when they come into the WNBA, if they understand that this is not an easy league and if they’re humble, then they have a chance,” Reeve said.
Enter Diamond Miller, the former Maryland guard Minnesota selected No. 2 overall in Monday’s WNBA draft. Miller was the consensus No. 2 overall prospect in the draft, behind only South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston. The guard had an excellent season for the Terrapins, capped by a strong NCAA tournament run.
She has every reason to be highly confident in herself and her abilities as she enters the league. Yet that was not the aura she carried into Thursday’s introductory news conference in Minneapolis. There were no major declarations made about the player she is or what she’ll accomplish. That’s not to say Miller isn’t confident, but she certainly doesn’t come off as presumptive.
Miller was asked at one point Thursday how “pro ready” she considers herself to be.
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“That’s a really good question, and we’re going to find that out very soon,” she said. “I definitely believe in my abilities. I feel like I’m very capable, but it’s definitely going to be fun to get a first feel, get my feet in the water. So having a couple of workouts and stuff like that will really help.”
Training camp is just two weeks away. It’s there that Miller will get to work with and learn from the likes of Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and a number of other proven veterans who know what it takes to succeed in the WNBA.
“I think that’s really cool, being a part of a franchise that has great vets. They’re going to teach us, and we’re going to need it,” Miller said of herself and her fellow draftees. “Growing pains is a part of the journey of the transition from college to a professional, so I’m really happy that I had people that have been through it and understand the growing pains and can help us through it.”
Reeve noted before the draft that Collier possessed that humility to know what she didn’t know coming into the WNBA. The forward was “like a sponge” from the get-go — listening and taking direction — and gathered enough information to go from No. 6 overall pick to Rookie of the Year.
“That’ll give Diamond Miller and others a great chance to maximize their talent and find success,” Reeve said.
That talent is evident. Miller was a rare blue chipper in this year’s class. It was after her freshman year of college that the guard decided she was going to go “all in” on her basketball career and chase the professional dream. She worked extremely hard during the summer of 2020 with this week — and this upcoming WNBA season — in mind.
“And from there on I just continued on that path. Nobody knows whether you’re actually going to get drafted or not, but I knew I was going to try to give myself the best chance,” Miller said. “So the fact that I was able to make my dreams into a reality is something that’s surreal for me.”
This possibility became more real to Miller when she took the floor for Maryland and realized “I think I can compete with these girls.” A similar thought may reveal itself in the coming months, but don’t expect Miller to assume as much.
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“Going into something new, you never know what’s going to happen, but I know I’m going to put my best foot forward,’ she said. “So I’m very happy to have a chance to play professional basketball.”
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