No Aari, Chennedy official and more

Some big moves have shaken up our projections, here in April, also known as DRAFT MONTH.

So as you all sit at home, just as we do, know the WNBA front office phones are busy, the computers have fired up the Synergy accounts, and everyone is busily preparing for this final rush forward.

We learned that Aari McDonald, the elite two-way Arizona guard, will return to school. According to a league source, McDonald had fans among the top seven teams picking, which complicated her decision, but Arizona will happily take her back, become a top-ten preseason team next year, while McDonald takes a shot at things like national player of the year honors.

The same is true for Rutgers guard Arella Guirantes, not to mention Destiny Slocum. The former is returning to the Scarlet Knights, while the latter is a grad transfer who will play in college elsewhere next season. Multiple WNBA talent evaluators told High Post Hoops that each would have been late-first picks, which means the end of the first round just got a little thinner.

Also, after a delay beyond what some expected, Chennedy Carter made it official that she’s entering the draft. Whatever questions teams have about her are more than outweighed by a ceiling that is somewhere between Skylar Diggins-Smith and Cappie Pondexter.

We spoke to more than a dozen WNBA talent evaluators to get the pulse of the league. You want to hear what they’re thinking.

TO THE BIG BOARD!