Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant has been a full supporter of women's basketball, now taking part in inculcating the sport into his young daughters. But his fervor for women's hoops goes much further than a conduit for glory, as he recently said he could envision a few select WNBA stars playing in the NBA.
“I think there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now, honestly,” Bryant told CNN. “There's a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it.”
The Lakers legend then went on to name three WNBA stars who he believes could do well in the NBA.
“Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Della Donne. There's a lot of great players out there so they could certainly keep up with them,” said Bryant.
Kobe Bryant is naming the creme of the crop here, between the three of the aforementioned players, there's a lot of accolades to consider, including eight championships and four WNBA MVPs. Taurasi, Moore, and Delle Donne aren't merely good players, they're the ones adorning the walls of little girls hoping to be them when they grow up.
Taurasi has been a dominant scoring force during his 15 years in the WNBA (all with the Phoenix Mercury). Her shooting touch is unrivaled, making her a candidate for a good sharpshooting guard at the NBA level. Moore is a four-time champion with great ability off the dribble, but her size, like Taurasi at 6-foot, could be a detriment, considering neither weighs above 180 pounds.
Delle Donne is coming off her first WNBA title, but her size at 6-foot-5 and sheer rebounding skill makes her perhaps the most likely to stick in the NBA. She's automatic from the foul line (career 93.8% free-throw shooter) and can play some tough defense with her length.
It's tough to see either of the three thriving in a game that is extremely physical and pace-demanding, but they can certainly hold their own, as they're equipped with better fundamentals and a shooting stroke that can make it rain in any venue.
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