Notre Dame’s Charel Allen will catch up on schoolwork today while keeping an eye on what’s going on in Tampa, Fla.
Allen has a chance to be drafted into the WNBA today despite not being one of 20 prospects invited to Tampa for the 2008 draft.
“I expect the worst,” Allen said last week. “If I get drafted, that’s great. That’s my mind-set. I always think for the worst.
“Then you won’t be upset if you don’t get drafted. I just think, like, OK, I’m not going to get drafted. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. If it does, great, I’ll be so excited.”
Part of Allen’s feelings stem from the strength of her graduating class. Tennessee’s Candace Parker, LSU’s Sylvia Fowles and Stanford’s Candice Wiggins lead potentially the most talented class to enter the WNBA.
Allen is also accomplished. She is a two-time all-Big East first-team selection. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds her senior year and led Notre Dame to the Sweet 16 after a career-best 35 points in the second round against Oklahoma.
The question with Allen is whether she will be able to handle the more physical WNBA game.
“She has to prove to them she can take a physical beating, and I think she can,” Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. “She doesn’t look like she can, but she’s a lot tougher than she looks.”
It’s a toughness bred on the playgrounds of Monessen, Pa., and one that carried her through the Big East.
“Being that I was able to compete with the best players helped a lot,” Allen said.
Three different mock drafts on WNBADraft.net had Allen being selected. One projection had Allen as a first-round pick at No. 14 to New York. Another had her at No. 21 to San Antonio and a third picked her at No. 22 to Seattle.

journalgazette.net


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