Dallas Wings score big by securing Charli Collier, Awak Kuier in 2021 WNBA draft

The WNBA’s Dallas Wings were in position not only to add elite-level talent to their roster, but also make league history on Thursday night. The Wings selected University of Texas post player Charli Collier with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 WNBA draft, then nabbed another post player with the No. 2 pick, 6-foot-5 Awak Kuier from Finland.

It was the first time in the league’s 25 years that the same team made the first two picks in the draft, and the Wings took advantage by piling on the front-court talent.

“Needless to say, we are thrilled with the results of the draft for our organization,” Wings president and general manager Greg Bibb said, according to ESPN. “We took another big step forward tonight with the progress of our team. Obviously with drafting Charli and Awak, we got the two best players in the draft.”

Bibb knew he was going to go big or go home in terms of drafting two of the tallest players available. The 6-5 Collier averaged 19 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from 3-point range for Texas. She helped the Longhorns reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament this year.

“I think it’s been no secret coming out of last year — I’ve said it publicly many times at the end of last year and since — that we need to focus on getting bigger and tougher in the paint and around the rim,” Bibb said, according to Forbes. “That’s the one area last year where I thought we really suffered, and it was a focus of ours throughout this offseason.”

The selection of the 19-year-old Kuier, who averaged 14.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in Finland, according to CBS, adds more depth in the paint — an area where Dallas struggled last season. The team allowed 40.5 points per game in the paint, the second-most in the WNBA, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Dallas took Arkansas guard Chelsea Dungee, a strong outside shooter, with the fifth overall pick. The Wings at No. 13 — the first pick of the second round — selected Louisville guard Dana Evans, whose speed makes her a threat in transition. Bibb referred to the two-time ACC Player of the Year as “the steal of the draft,” the Morning News reported.

“We were hoping something special would happen and tonight for us that was Dana Evans being available at No. 13,” Bibb said, according to 24/7 Sports. “We are really excited to be able to get a player of her caliber at No. 13 and add her to a draft class that I think is stellar.”

Collier is a native Texan who hails from Mont Belvieu.

“My heart is racing right now because I worked so hard for this,” Collier told ESPN. “This is a game that I love, I deserve to be here, and I’m built for it. This is my moment.”

Collier and Kuier received a warm welcome to the city by another Dallas superstar: Mavericks wunderkind Luka Doncic, who gave them a Twitter shoutout.