Can Jacy Sheldon Take Dallas Wings to the Next Level? Explore Satou Sabally and Co’s Chances of the WNBA Championship

This year’s WNBA draftees are filled with the skills, passion, and aggressiveness that set them apart from anyone before or after them. Dallas has added something similar to their roster with the inclusion of Jacy Sheldon. The defensive ball handler is usually named right after Caitlin Clark when it comes to the best guards. This became evident when she was picked ahead of big names like Angel Reese and Aaliyah Edwards in the first round of the drafts. But, is all that enough for this new Wing to help the team soar to new heights?

Let us take a deep dive into how this talented Buckeye has been performing so far and how she can be the possible talisman for her WNBA team.

How will Jacy Sheldon change Dallas’ fate?

The 5th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft from the Buckeyes roster just might be the secret ingredient that Dallas has been missing. And with her, comes the talents that helped her bring Ohio State to the second seed of the March Madness bracket this year. She was also instrumental in the regular season win for her previous team. As a Buckeye, she has been a significant player on both ends of the court. However, her defensive prowess sets her apart from the rest, especially at the perimeter. Without a surprise, she can also make some good shots from there.

Nevertheless, the Wings are looking for someone who can play alongside Arike Ogunbowale. She can be double trouble for any opponent and along with the perimeter guarding can also handle the backcourt efficiently. More importantly, she can achieve all this without disrupting any spacing for Dallas. Apart from her defense-forward mindset, Sheldon can also score for the Wings. Her 17.8 ppg on 50.5-37.3-85.8 splits as a senior point out her offensive grip. If she can keep up with the same numbers as a rookie too, she is already grabbing better scores than three starters of the Wings.

Not to forget, she has a good accuracy beyond the arc with 37.3% success as a senior. She is also a profound shooter from the outside. In terms of passing, the 5 ft 10 in guard may not be as good as most of her top-5 draft peers. She only delivered 3.8 assists in her last year at Ohio State.

Nevertheless, her showing up during the most crucial moments and setting the momentum for the Wings will be enough help that they can ask from a rookie. Moreover, she will have a long time to adjust to the WNBA environment. But to answer the swirling question, Jacy Sheldon along with her Dallas teammates can surely improve the chances to bring another WNBA champion title.

With a good-looking future ahead for this prospect in Dallas, what does her recent performance for Ohio State look like?

The No. 4 as a Buckeye leader

Kevin McGuff definitely passed a diamond to Latricia Trammell. Apart from being a team leader in multiple aspects, Sheldon was also the face of the team for five years. Her ankle injury during her senior year forced the Dublin native to return for another year to improve her stats. Despite being projected as the first-round pick in 2023, she continued playing as a Buckeye. And the hard work definitely came in handy.

As a fifth-year senior, Jacy Sheldon swept away many awards. These were the Second-team All-American (AP), Second-team All-American (USBWA), First-team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. The updated resume only moved her up the ladder for this year’s WNBA draft. Not to forget, under her leadership, Ohio State was able to secure the Big Ten regular season title this time around.

As a result, her inclusion certainly strengthens the core of Dallas. But she is not the only one who will make them a formidable squad.

Who else are the new faces alongside Sheldon?

The Wings were very clear in their choices. But, this has been the case with them over the years. Players like Satou Sabally and Charli Collier have proved to be fantastic rookies for them. A similar thing is expected from their 3 draft picks which includes French guard Carla Leite. The 20-year-old accompanied Sheldon in the first round and became the 9th overall pick. In addition to this, Dallas will also rely on the services of former Penn State No.0 Ashley Owusu. She was chosen in the third round and claimed the 33rd spot in the drafts.

The lineup surely looks strong for the Wings. With so much talent in the locker room, it would be foolish for any team to take Dallas lightly this season. We will have to wait and see what they can offer when they take on Caitlin Clark and the Fever on May 4th.

What are your thoughts on Dallas picking Jacy Sheldon as their top choice?