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Despite being considered a late third-round pick for the 2018 WNBA Draft, former Ohio State guard Linnae Harper went undrafted on Thursday night. After playing her first two seasons of collegiate basketball at the University of Kentucky, Harper became an invaluable part of the Buckeyes’ success during her junior and senior seasons.
Having already been named to the SEC All-Defensive team, in her first season in Columbus, Harper was selected as the Big Ten’s Sixth Player of the year as a junior, and was a B1G All-Defensive Team and Second-Team All-Conference selection as a senior.
Why Linnae Harper should have been drafted
In her final season in Columbus, Harper averaged 14.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game (both of which were career highs), while shooting 46.7 percent from the field. The 5’8 Chicago native finished fourth in the Big Ten during her senior season with 13 double-doubles.
To put in perspective just how well-rounded of a player Harper is, in the 2017-18 campaign, she was one of only three players in the country to average more than 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, two assists, and two steals per game.
Clearly, someone will be getting a player that can contribute to their team in a number of impactful ways — but first, Harper will need an opportunity to extend her basketball career.