2010 WNBA Draft: Early Rounds Recap

Tina Charles will stay a hometown hero, going to the Connecticut Sun with the first pick of the 2010 WNBA draft. Joining her in the first round were:

2. Minnesota: Monica Wright (Virginia)
3. Minnesota: Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska) *traded to Sun
4. Chicago: Epiphanny Prince (Rutgers)
5. San Antonio: Jayne Appel (Stanford)
6. Washington: Jacinta Monroe (Florida State)
7. Connecticut: Danielle McCray (Kansas)
8. Los Angeles: Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State)
9. Atlanta: Chanel Mokango (Mississippi State)
10. Seattle: Alison Lacey (Iowa State)
11. Indiana: Jene Morris (San Diego State)
12. Los Angeles: Bianca Thomas (Ole Miss)

NCAA tourney luminaries Abi Olajuwon and Nyeshia Stevenson, both of Oklahoma, fell to the third round and are headed to Chicago and Phoenix, respectively.  But you have to feel good for Appel, whose national title dreams ended in tears and injury earlier this week. A top-five pick has to be pretty soothing right about now.

The full draft board is available here; for more WNBA coverage visit SBN's Swish Appeal.