Mystics select Ariel Atkins with first round pick in 2018 WNBA Draft

The Mystics selected Ariel Atkins of the Texas Longhorns with the seventh overall pick in the NBA Draft.

In the lead up to the draft, Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault said the team would look to add a wing player and that’s exactly what they did with Atkins. Last season, Atkins averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 42 percent from deep in the Longhorns’ high-powered offense, helping Texas advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Atkins fits a need for the Mystics, it’s still a bit of a surprising pick. Most mock drafts had Atkins being selected in the late first or early second round. Additionally, Victoria Vivians, the Mystics’ pick in several mock drafts, was still on the board, as well as Kia Nurse. That said, Atkins has great 3&D tools that should allow her to make an impact in Thibault’s system fairly quickly.