If you could have predicted Brandi Davis would be playing professional basketball on one of the WNBA’s largest stages, I’d like your odds in Las Vegas.
Personally, following the end of the women’s basketball season in March, I thought Davis would end up somewhere in Europe.
Apparently many of the WNBA teams did too. None selected the 6-foot fan favorite in the three-round WNBA Draft. The Los Angeles Sparks took a chance and signed Davis because they saw a guard who could help their team, one that has been marred by injuries and all-star guard Chamique Holdsclaw’s absence.
Davis showed flashes of potential at Oregon with her long-distance shooting and quickness.
Negatives appeared too: streaky shooting and average defensive skills.
The first half of the season Davis found herself buried on Oregon’s bench prior to taking a larger role in Pacific-10 Conference play.
When Oregon played at Arizona, a Fox Sports commentator said Davis was WNBA material. I thought he was delusional.
Then again, I never saw the 28, 19 (twice) and 16-point performances of her junior year. It seems Oregon fans only saw glimpses of her true talent. Few signs came her senior year when she led the team in scoring just three times.
If Davis realizes her potential in a Sparks uniform it’s a great story, but it will always leave me wondering what more she could have done in Eugene. She can be taught to be an effective defender and already shoots the long ball without hesitation, Sparks coach Joe Bryant said.
By making the Sparks, it says Los Angeles believes she can be more than a role player, which she was relegated to in Eugene.
Her teammates speak of her talent. Chelsea Wagner praised her, as did Cicely Oaks.
“We all screamed at the TV when we saw her for the first time,” Oaks said. “You’re happy for her because we all knew she could do it.”
The WNBA, enjoying its 10-year anniversary, possesses the top players in the world. The style of play is different than what Davis grew accustomed to at Oregon. It is faster. It’s an up-and-down league.
Overall, talent is talent. Given the chance to shine, Davis is taking advantage. Following a 14-15 season, the Ducks could have benefited from Davis performing to her full potential. The Sparks will instead reap the benefits of Davis, who has played regularly, sometimes in the place of first-round pick Lisa Willis.
The numbers are not there yet (4.6 points per game, .250 shooting percentage). But, as optimistic as Bryant sounds, it’s reassuring to know she has a second chance to prove what type of basketball player she can be.
Some players do take longer to develop than others. It’s just too bad it didn’t happen here.
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