There’s no place like Portland.
“I’m very excited. Of all the teams in the WNBA, I really, really wanted to go to Portland,” former Kansas University forward Lynn Pride said Tuesday after learning the Portland Fire had made her the seventh overall pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft.
Portland is one of four new franchises debuting this season in the 16-team league.
One of the other expansion squads, the Seattle Storm, tapped former Jayhawk Charisse Sampson as the 25th overall pick. Sampson will join former KU standout Angela Aycock who was drafted in the expansion draft in December on the Storm.
“I like new things, building new things. We’re going in with a new start and a fresh start,” said Pride, a three-time all-Big 12 selection. “A lot of people don’t anticipate a lot of great things happening right away. I can understand that, but we’ll do our best to win right away.”
Portland is led by former Wichita State coach Linda Hargrove, who attended three or four games in Allen Fieldhouse last season.
“I probably watched Lynn Pride more this year than any player in the draft,” Hargrove said. “We feel you can build a franchise around Lynn Pride.”
Portland likes Pride’s size and athletic ability.
“We feel Lynn has a tremendous athletic upside. She is a great defensive player with great size,” Hargrove said of the 6-foot-2 native of Arlington, Texas. “We feel Lynn can defend some of the top players in the WNBA.”
Pride, who attended the draft festivities with coach Marian Washington in the Big Apple, averaged 17.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals a game for the Jayhawks last season.
“As the players were picked before me, I was waiting and hoping it’d be Portland,” Pride said. “I was hoping and holding on to that spot. Gratefully it was open there for me and they selected me.”
Pride already has agreed to a two-year contract and will report to training camp on May 31.
“That’s really wild to think I’m doing what I love and getting paid,” Pride said.
“When I used to think of playing after college, it was always the thought of playing overseas,” Pride said. “The fact that a lot of women’s teams have been here before, but didn’t last had something to do with that. To have the opportunity to play at home and play for a team I wanted to play for, it’s a great opportunity.
“It will be great competition. I see the professional level as a lot more competitive. They are all great players.”
Washington thinks Pride will do well in Portland.
“I know Linda Hargrove very well. I like her style of play,” Washington said of the up-tempo style. “Lynn wanted to go there. I think it’s great it’s worked out like this for Lynn.”
Three guard/forwards were tabbed ahead of Pride: Texas’ Edwina Brown (to Detroit), Tulane’s Grace Daley and Louisiana Tech’s Betty Lennox (Minnesota). Cleveland made Belgium center Ann Wauters the No. 1 pick in the draft.
