Versatility a Cowling asset
Even a day ahead of Thursday’s WNBA Draft, there were still a variety of opinions about when — or even if — Cal’s Mikayla Cowling will be selected during the three 12-player rounds.
But few disagree that Cowling will work her way onto a roster and into a team’s rotation by the time the season begins next month.
“I think she has a good shot,” ESPN women’s basketball analyst LaChina Robinson said. “Her size is great. She’s got a big, strong body. She’s been an outstanding defender during her time at Cal. … She was moved around the floor at Cal, which showed her versatility and her ability to adapt.”
Granted, Cowling didn’t put up the 22.6 points and 11.8 rebounds that A’ja Wilson produced to win every major award at South Carolina and become the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick, but Cowling did a little of that and a lot of everything else.
Cowling averaged 9.8 points on 44.3 percent shooting, to go with 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and countless amounts of versatility during her four years in Berkeley.
“I think versatility is becoming a huge part of basketball, and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to embody that the past few years,” Cowling said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about my game, but I don’t want to be too set on being drafted or not. I’m confident in my abilities, and I’m confident my career will take the right direction.”
Just seven games into her collegiate career, which concluded as one of only four Cal players ever to record 1,000 points and 400 assists, Cowling won the starting point-guard job. Before she was done in Berkeley, she had played significant minutes at all five positions and helped the Bears win 81 games.
At 6-foot-2, and with long arms, elite agility and whip smarts, Cowling defended every opponent’s best players — regardless of position. On the other end, she scored when she had to, ran the offense when that was needed and managed to control games without demanding shots.
Indiana Fever general manager and head coach Pokey Chatman said basketball trends often start in the NBA and trickle through the men’s college game before landing in the WNBA. If the WNBA wants a competent three-and-D player who has shown the ability to thrive at any position, it shouldn’t look past Cowling.
“That’s the kind of player who doesn’t necessarily get all the glory or ‘SportsCenter’ highlights, but the kind of player who is highlighted in the locker room,” Chatman said.
Cowling started 111 consecutive games for Cal before being forced to sit out a January game at Arizona with a concussion. She entered this season’s NCAA Tournament having logged 4,383 career minutes, the ninthmost by any active player in Division I, because head coach Lindsay Gottlieb simply couldn’t afford to sit her do-everything wing.
Stanford’s Kaylee Johnson and Brittany McPhee also are listed among the top-50 WNBA prospects, but Cowling might have the brightest future among the Bay Area three because of what she does on defense.
Or, as Las Vegas Aces president of basketball operations and head coach Bill Laimbeer simplified it: “Half of the game is played on the defensive end, so you’re always looking for players who defend.”
Whether she gets picked while the draft’s first round is airing on ESPN2, after the telecast shifts to ESPNU for the final two rounds or goes undrafted, Cowling will find out in the company of her family.
“They’ve always been there for me, and I want them to know how grateful I am,” she said. “Whether it comes through the draft, training camp or overseas, I’m excited that opportunities are out there.”