FanPost

WBB: Gatling and Burke Drafted by WNBA Teams

From GoPack:

On Monday evening, senior center Markeisha Gatling of the No. 21 NC State women’s basketball team became the 14th student athlete in program history to be chosen in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft.

With the 10th pick in this year’s draft, the Chicago Sky selected NC State’s Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and Raleigh native. She becomes the third Wolfpacker to be selected in the first round of the college draft*, joining Chasity Melvin (11th overall in 1999) and Summer Erb (11th overall in 2000).

Again, from GoPack:

On Monday evening, senior forward Kody Burke of the No. 21 NC State women’s basketball team became the 15th student athlete in program history to be chosen in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft.

With the 32nd overall pick (third round) in this year’s draft, the Washington Mystics selected NC State’s three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and Northridge, Calif., native.

More on Gatling from ESPN's Draft Grades:

Chicago: B

The Sky made the playoffs for the first time last season, helped by rookie of the year Elena Delle Donne. There was nobody drafted by Chicago this season as exciting as Delle Donne was last year as the No. 2 pick. However, Chicago probably got the best player it could at the No. 10 spot with NC State post Markeisha Gatling. She is a late bloomer who is big and strong and can learn behind Olympic center Sylvia Fowles. The Sky also got Cal's Gennifer Brandon with the No. 22 pick. She has ability but also had some personal issues staying on the court with Cal. The Sky's third-round pick, Southern Miss point guard Jamierra Faulkner, was a big scorer who had 291 assists this past season. Whether the Sky truly helped themselves by adding consistent scoring, though, remains to be seen.

Gatling was drafted behind ACC players Kayla McBride (Notre Dame), Alyssa Thomas (Maryland), Natasha Howard (Florida State), and Natalie Achonwa (Notre Dame). Duke players Chelsea Gray and Tricia Liston followed Gatling. With regard to Achonwa, she tore her ACL in the final four semi-finals and will not play for Indiana until at least the summer of 2015.

As to Kody Burke, her move to power forward when Gatling took over the center position followed by her improvement in her three point shooting under Wes Moore's "four-out, one-in" offense gained the notice of pro-scouts leading to her being drafted in the third round.

Having two players selected in the WNBA draft is another boost for Wes Moore's program at State. State finished fourth in the ACC with a 11-5 conference record (25-8 overall), 16th in the final AP poll and 21st in the final Coach's poll. Wes Moore has plenty of fuel to use in recruiting for the 2015 class when adding the pending renovation of Reynolds Coliseum.