The moment has arrived for Kishana Washington.
Pickering, Ont., arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday to begin a new chapter in her basketball career. Washington, who recently finished their NCAA career at Drexel University, signed a training camp deal with WNBA member Minnesota Lynx on April 14.
Now she’s ready to savor her first pro game on Sunday when camp begins.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Washington told The Canadian Press. “I mean (Thursday), I was packing my stuff, getting ready to go. And it didn’t really feel like it yet.
But then I got here and it was like, ‘Wow, you’re actually a pro. Like, officially. Then just seeing the facility and going in and seeing my name on the locker, it just kind of hit me.”
Washington finished its fifth and final season at Drexel as the third leading scorer in the country, averaging 27.7 points per game. She was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year as well as earning first-team honors by all of the CAA for her efforts.
The five-foot-seven guard finished her career with 2,363 points as the leading Canadian scorer in NCAA history, the second all-time leading scorer by Drexel and the fourth all-time leading scorer in the CAA.
Despite the lack of a draft, the speed at which the Lynx called up after the April 10 draft—about 15 minutes—didn’t make it any different than what was actually called up during the draft.
“I didn’t hear my name on the night of the enlistment,” Washington said, “but they called me right away.” “So I had the same feeling, … I’m blessed to get this call.”
Washington’s standout effort for the Drexel Dragons piqued Minnesota’s interest early in the process.
“Keishana obviously jumped off the pages for us early on as we kind of started drafting[in]early April,” said Claire Doilius, Lynx general manager. An elite scorer. She has a really unique way of being able to score on all levels.
“We did some reconnaissance with some people who (Chairman of Basketball Operations and Head Coach) Cheryl (Reeve) know in the Philly area and I’ve heard great things about how hard they work and how tough the competition is.
“When you have that kind of thirst to do whatever it takes to make your team win, those are the people we really love to have in camp, and she obviously ticks all those boxes.”
While her scoring prowess has led to a lot of talk about her, Washington is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team.
She said, “Do the things I’m good at and show the employees I can do it.” “A top scorer but I can also facilitate and do whatever they need from me.
“This is a different level of play, so the expectations are going to be different, and the roles are going to be different. So I really take in everything they say and learn as much as I can to do it.”
Duwelius wants the new rookie Lynx guard to stick to her mind.
“I think if she just comes in and has the same work ethic that she had, and (Villanova coach) Dennis Dillon praises so highly in her time at Drexel — she really compliments Keishana’s work ethic and her high IQ — and just comes in and tries to make the other guys around her better,.. . That will be key for her,” she said.
While the excitement of being on the pro level is one thing, it’s another thing to watch: the possibility of playing at home on May 13. The Lynx will take on the Chicago Sky in pre-season action at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the first WNBA game of its kind in Canada.
“I was picked for a team that was going to Canada,” Washington said. “I feel like that is a blessing in disguise in itself.
“I feel like if I get the chance to go home, that would be great. My family already has tickets to that game, which they bought as soon as it was announced that Canada would host. So it would be great to play against them on a professional level.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 29, 2023.
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