Commentary: A full-court press for Paige Bueckers should be Storm’s priority in this year’s WNBA Draft

One week from tomorrow, the Seattle Storm have a chance to make history at the WNBA Draft by making an unprecedented move. I brought it up earlier this week, but I’m convinced they need to make a run at drafting Paige Bueckers with the top overall pick. 

Thanks to their trade of Jewell Loyd, the Storm hold the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft and hold two first-round picks in next year’s draft. Just last week, the player the Storm was expected to take at No. 2, Olivia Miles from Notre Dame, announced she’d be forgoing the draft to stay in college one more year. Rather than risk saying it myself, here’s what Percy Allen of the Seattle Times said on "Washington Sports Wrap" Thursday night:

"They’ve got the Number Two pick, which should really be something, but, is this really a one-player draft? It’s really starting to look like it’s a one player draft," Allen said.

 That one player is Paige Bueckers. A game-changer. A bonafide franchise player – and one that moves the needle, especially for casual fans. 

And if I’m the Storm, I’d approach Dallas, who holds the top overall pick, and I’m offering them the Farm to get her – this year’s 2nd overall pick, both of next year’s first-round picks, and even a player if that’s what it takes. 

Twenty one years ago, Eli Manning refused to play for the Chargers because of concerns about that organization and the way they handled quarterbacks. So after drafting Manning at Number One overall, the Chargers immediately traded him to the Giants for Philip Rivers and three draft picks. A similar scenario took place with John Elway in 1983 when he refused to play for the Baltimore Colts, who traded the top overall pick to Denver. 

Bueckers was asked about reports that she might not end up playing for Dallas, her response was this: "I don’t know. The reports are the reports. People write stories, and it’s whatever….Whatever the future may hold, it’s only in God’s hands."

That’s certainly not a "No." Oh, and guess who showed up to support her former UConn teammate and good friend Nika Muhl in Seattle last July? Bueckers. They even refer to each other as "Twins." Combine that with one of the best ownership groups in the WNBA in Seattle, and there’s an argument to be made. 

Listen, right now, Seattle is begging for a bonafide superstar. Julio Rodriguez is as close as we’ve got, and his star only rises with a team success that’s been somewhat fleeting the last couple years. There’s not an athlete in town that’s a national superstar – no Marshawn Lynch, no Ken Griffey Junior, no Sue Bird.

Speaking of which, the Storm have only won a championship when at least one, if not two top overall draft pick from UConn is on its roster, and they’ve got another one staring themselves in the face this year. 

One player was a generational talent that changed this organization forever. It stands to reason that making every attempt to get the next one should be on the Storm’s agenda for the next eight days.