Veteran Guard Cassandre Prosper Enters WNBA Draft

Breaking Down Prosper's Career at ND

No, Prosper wasn't nearly as good as Hannah Hidalgo, but she was the clear-cut second-best player for Notre Dame. The 6-foot-3 guard started all 36 games for the Irish and was second on the team behind Hidalgo in points and rebounds.

Prosper had some big games this year, especially in ACC play, and was recognized by the conference as the league's Most Improved Player.

Before this season, Prosper wasn't an every-game starter but progressively earned more and more playing time. Two years ago, Prosper played in all 34 games off the bench, and the year before that started three games.

The bottom line is Prosper played a pivotal role in Notre Dame's deep tournament run the last two years and won't be easy to replace.

Initial Reaction to Prosper Declaring for the Draft

Surprised, especially with how much college athletes can potentially make via NIL. I'm well aware WNBA salaries increased recently, especially rookie salaries, but I thought Prosper would play one more year of college ball, even if it wasn't at Notre Dame.

Despite ND making a deep NCAA Tournament run, I'm more surprised Prosper turned pro rather than transfer. Hidalgo is ND's clear-cut No. 1 option on offense and really dominates the ball, which limits Prosper's touches. If she chose to transfer instead, she could potentially have been a team's go-to option and increased her draft stock.

Where Prosper Could Go In the Draft

I'm not even convinced Prosper is going to get drafted, but if she is, I definitely don't expect her to go in the first round. Despite having some decent upside, she just doesn't have the stats that warrant a first-round draft choice.

But she has good size for a guard, can shoot it -- shot nearly 50% from the field (49.2%) and just over 30% from beyond the arc (30.5%) -- and can guard multiple positions.

But even if Prosper doesn't get drafted, I still expect her to land with a WNBA team during training camp and the preseason.

Fortunately for Prosper, though, she won't have to wait long till Draft Day, as the WNBA Draft is on April 13.