Former Lady Vol Rennia Davis selected ninth in WNBA Draft
The Minnesota Lynx took advantage of Rennia Davis sliding in the draft and selected her with the ninth pick.
APRIL 15 - Rennia Davis celebrates her selection in the 2021 WNBA Draft with her family and friends. (Photo courtesy of Lady Vol Basketball Twitter @LadyVol_Hoops)
On April 15, former Tennessee Lady Vol standout Rennia Davis was drafted ninth by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2021 WNBA Draft.
She is the 43rd Tennessee women’s basketball player and the first under head coach Kellie Harper to be selected in a WNBA Draft. She is the 18th Lady Vol to be selected in the first round and this is the highest a Tennessee player has been selected since Diamond DeShields went third to the Chicago Sky in 2018.
Davis has left her mark on Tennessee during her time in Knoxville, ending fourth all-time in triple-doubles at the university only behind the legendary players Chamique Holdsclaw, Mercedes Russell and Candace Parker. She is also ninth in scoring (1,815), ninth in points per game (15.4), 10th in rebounds (947) and sixth in rebounds per game (8.03) in her career at Tennessee.
The Lynx only had one pick in this year’s draft but many experts say they knocked it out of the park by choosing Davis. Going into the draft, Davis was predicted to go as high as three in some mock drafts but after a surprising first round, she dropped to nine.
Minnesota has a complete roster with no glaring holes to fill. They have a defensive-minded culture where Davis should fit right in as she can guard most positions on the floor. The forward is also a phenomenal rebounder and inside scorer making her very desirable at the next level.
One thing she will have to work on, however, is her three-point shot. She shot just 26% from three on the season but her impressive 85% shooting from the line may be more indicative of her true shooting potential. She is also a weak playmaker but that is less of a necessity in her position.
On April 19, Davis was officially signed to the team. The Lynx kick off their 2021 season against the Phoenix Mercury on May 14 where Davis will make her professional debut.
Edited by Maddie Torres
Featured image courtesy of Lady Vol Basketball Twitter (@LadyVol_Hoops)
Ryan Sylvia is the Sports Editor at TNJN. He is a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville majoring in journalism and electronic media. Although he spent most of his life being raised outside of Philadelphia, he was born in Knoxville, and he is happy to be back home. Ryan has had a love for sports from an early age, and he found his love for writing in high school while taking journalism classes. He hopes to find a job involving both his passions as a sports journalist after graduation. To reach Ryan, email him at rsylvia@vols.utk.edu
