Anigwe was an interesting pick for Connecticut, as they already had a logjam in the frontcourt, but it appears "best available player" won out, as the Sun don't have any obvious holes.
Anigwe will compete for playing time with
Jonquel Jones: Jones is a very athletic 6-6 post who, as I recall, had injury issues last year, but still averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.5 mpg. She is 25, and just entering the prime of her career. The advantage for Anigwe here is that she and Jones are similar players -- long, rangy and not physical when compared to WNBA centers. Note, however, that Jones is a career 43.9% from three-point distance so for Anigwe to fit in, she needs to become a consistent three-point threat.
Chiney Ogwumike: Ogwumike has been dogged by injuries, but she is an elite player. She's listed at 6-4, but I don't think she's quite that tall. Last year, she averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 25.5 minutes (WNBA plays 40 minutes games) on 60% shooting. If healthy, she is a legit WNBA starter and borderline all-star. She turns 27 this year.
Alyssa Thomas: Thomas cannot shoot, but she is a wonderful player. The fact that she's not a good shooter means she has to play the four (she's a legit 6-2, it appears, a little small for this position), but she's still very effective (10.3 and 8.1). They do play her at the three but at their best, she's in the frontcourt with Jones or Ogwumike. If she could shoot at all, she'd be an Olympian.
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Ideally, Thomas has learned to shoot and can play the three, so Anigwe is the backup for Jones and Ogwumike this year, but she must beat out ...
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Morgan Tuck: Tuck is a classic tweener, listed at 6-2 but closer to 6-0, who swings between the three and four. She's a good shooter and a UConn grad (which counts for the Sun), and will be 25 this year. She can't really guard small forwards, and is small for the four, but she's a very smart player and appears to have overcome a knee injury that hampered her early in her career.
Brionna Jones: Probably 6-2, very strong inside, but not as good as Anigwe. To give you an idea of how tough the league is, Jones was picked eighth overall in 2017 and if Anigwe makes the team, will be cut this year.
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Also in the mix is
Bria Holmes: Holmes was hurt last year, but is a very good small forward. If she plays the three, then Thomas has to play the four, and Anigwe's chances for minutes go down accordingly. Though Holmes' statistics are not impressive, she made a quantum leap in the second half of the 2017 season and showed herself to be have WNBA starter potential.
In short, don't expect Anigwe to have an immediate impact on the WNBA -- in fact, she needs to play well in training camp or she could wind up not making the roster.
Anigwe will compete for playing time with
Jonquel Jones: Jones is a very athletic 6-6 post who, as I recall, had injury issues last year, but still averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.5 mpg. She is 25, and just entering the prime of her career. The advantage for Anigwe here is that she and Jones are similar players -- long, rangy and not physical when compared to WNBA centers. Note, however, that Jones is a career 43.9% from three-point distance so for Anigwe to fit in, she needs to become a consistent three-point threat.
Chiney Ogwumike: Ogwumike has been dogged by injuries, but she is an elite player. She's listed at 6-4, but I don't think she's quite that tall. Last year, she averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 25.5 minutes (WNBA plays 40 minutes games) on 60% shooting. If healthy, she is a legit WNBA starter and borderline all-star. She turns 27 this year.
Alyssa Thomas: Thomas cannot shoot, but she is a wonderful player. The fact that she's not a good shooter means she has to play the four (she's a legit 6-2, it appears, a little small for this position), but she's still very effective (10.3 and 8.1). They do play her at the three but at their best, she's in the frontcourt with Jones or Ogwumike. If she could shoot at all, she'd be an Olympian.
----
Ideally, Thomas has learned to shoot and can play the three, so Anigwe is the backup for Jones and Ogwumike this year, but she must beat out ...
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Morgan Tuck: Tuck is a classic tweener, listed at 6-2 but closer to 6-0, who swings between the three and four. She's a good shooter and a UConn grad (which counts for the Sun), and will be 25 this year. She can't really guard small forwards, and is small for the four, but she's a very smart player and appears to have overcome a knee injury that hampered her early in her career.
Brionna Jones: Probably 6-2, very strong inside, but not as good as Anigwe. To give you an idea of how tough the league is, Jones was picked eighth overall in 2017 and if Anigwe makes the team, will be cut this year.
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Also in the mix is
Bria Holmes: Holmes was hurt last year, but is a very good small forward. If she plays the three, then Thomas has to play the four, and Anigwe's chances for minutes go down accordingly. Though Holmes' statistics are not impressive, she made a quantum leap in the second half of the 2017 season and showed herself to be have WNBA starter potential.
In short, don't expect Anigwe to have an immediate impact on the WNBA -- in fact, she needs to play well in training camp or she could wind up not making the roster.
