Sun Draft Astan Dabo with Ninth Overall Pick
April 16, 2012 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Connecticut Sun News Release
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 16, 2012) - With the ninth overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft on Monday, the Connecticut Sun made an investment in its future with Astan Dabo, a 6-foot-8 center from Mali.
The 19-year-old Dabo averaged 12.8 rebounds and 11.4 points in 20 games with Reims, France in Ligue Féminine 2 during the 2011-12 season. She had a season-high 28 points and 23 rebounds on March 3rd in an 80-63 win over SIG. As a member of Mali's national team, Dabo saw limited action at the 2010 World Championships before winning a bronze medal at the 2011 African Championships.
"We're just kind of betting down the road to see if somebody with size can come in and help our team," Sun head coach Mike Thibault said Monday. "Dabo is 6-foot-8. She is moving up to the French top division next year. Her national team commitments are minimal, which is the biggest stumbling block a lot of times for taking an overseas player. She is not going to come this summer. She will come in a year or two...We don't know how it is going to turn out, but it has a huge upside if it works. We're talking about posts in our league getting bigger and bigger, they're going to get bigger next year, so to take a chance on a 19-year-old player who is 6-8 and has gotten better each of the last three years was I thought a good gamble for us."
With the 21st overall pick, the Sun selected Chay Shegog from the University of North Carolina. Shegog, a 6-foot-5 center from Stafford, Va., was a second-team All-ACC selection as a senior after averaging career highs of 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds during the 2011-12 season.
"In the second round, we thought we would try to take the girl from Sweden, Farhiya Abdi," Thibault said. "She was not there. I thought at least in training camp, we wanted competition in the post. Chay Shegog is an athletic big post. She runs the floor. She will be great competition for our posts. And you never know. She comes in and plays well, we'll have to re-think our roster. But very rarely do you get in the second round a chance to get a kid with that athleticism and that size so that was our biggest thought going into it."
The Connecticut Sun will tip off its 10th season in the state with a back-to-back against the New York Liberty, traveling to face its Eastern Conference rival on May 19th at 4 p.m. before returning home to Mohegan Sun Arena for a rematch on May 20th at 5 p.m. Connecticut will be home for seven of its first nine games.
For more information on the Connecticut Sun, visit www.connecticutsun.com. Season tickets and a variety of mini-plans packages are also on sale now, and can be reserved by calling a Sun Ticket Representative at 1.877.SUN.TIXX (786-8499), via email at tickets@connecticutsun.com or by visiting http://tinyurl.com/suntickets2012.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from April 16, 2012
- Chicago Sky Selects Shey Peddy and Sydney Carter in 2012 WNBA Draft - Chicago Sky
- Phoenix Mercury Selects Samantha Prahalis in First Round of WNBA Draft - Phoenix Mercury
- Sun Draft Astan Dabo with Ninth Overall Pick - Connecticut Sun
- Lynx Complete 2012 WNBA Draft - Minnesota Lynx
- Atlanta Dream Selects Tiffany Hayes in WNBA Draft - Atlanta Dream
- Ogwumike, Stricklen, Peters Top Three Picks in 2012 WNBA Draft - WNBA
- New York Liberty Draft Kelley Cain and Katelan Redmon in 2012 WNBA Draft - New York Liberty
- Silver Stars Select Shenise Johnson with the No. 5 Pick in the 2012 Draft - San Antonio Stars
- Sparks Select Nnemkadi Ogwumike with First Pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft - Los Angeles Sparks
- Rebounders Goodlett and Hurt Chosen in WNBA Draft - Indiana Fever
- Washington Mystics Select Natalie Novosel & LaSondra Barrett - Washington Mystics
- Indiana Selects Goodlett with No. 11 Pick in WNBA Draft - Indiana Fever
- Lynx Select Devereaux Peters with the Third Overall Pick - Minnesota Lynx
- Sylvia Fowles Re-Signs with Chicago Sky - Chicago Sky
- Connecticut Sun Individual Tickets Now on Sale - Connecticut Sun
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