In addition, the Stingrays regained a first round draft choice in a trade with Seattle for Niesa Johnson. Long Beach is almost guaranteed to pick McCulley, who will be the best of the remaining collegians and who was also seen talking with the Long Beach brain trust at the combine. The StingRays pick next to last in the second round and not at all in the third, but they just need to pick up a couple backup guards, which will probably come from the unprotected player pool. Lauretta Freeman, Venus Lacy, Saudia Roundtree, Michelle Marciniak, Joy Holmes, Carla McGhee, Vicki Hall. Cindi Harvey will be leading one of the ABL's two expansion teams and should use her fourth pick in the opening round to get a point guard.
Problem is, there is no legitimate first rounder out there.
They could pick Debra Williams or Katrina Price or go with one of the top seven listed above and trade for a guard. Bevilaqua and Howard, notables at the combine, are later round picks that could help. Again, a trade could be in order. The Xplosion have a new coach, Linda Hargrove, after Sheryl Estes resigned. With many more guards than inside players on the protected list, Hargrove needs to get some help for Phillips inside.