Mikiah Herbert Harrigan rises in WNBA Draft while UM’s Beatrice Mompremier falls

For better … and for worse, the mock drafts got it wrong on 6-2 forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and 6-4 center Beatrice Mompremier.

Harrigan, a former star at Flanagan High who went on to become a collegiate standout at South Carolina, was the sixth overall pick in Friday’s WNBA Draft, going to the Minnesota Lynx in a stunner. None of the many mock drafts found online had Harrigan as a first-rounder.

“So much for mock drafts,” Harrigan said when reached on the phone by The Herald on Friday night. “My coaches [at South Carolina] told me not to worry about mock drafts. They don’t mean anything.

“It’s crazy. I was expecting to go in the first round. But I wasn’t expecting to go that high.”

In Minnesota, Harrigan — known for her toughness and shot-blocking — will become a teammate of one of her key mentors, 6-6 center Sylvia Fowles, a Miami native who has put together a stellar career since she was the second overall pick in the 2008 draft.

“I played for her travel team, the Miami Suns,” Harrigan said of Fowles, a six-time All-Star and the WNBA’s 2017 MVP. “I’ve had her phone number since high school. She helped me pick my college.”

Meanwhile, Mompremier, who starred at Miami High before playing collegiately at Baylor and Miami, had been listed as a first-rounder — somewhere between picks eight and 10 — in nearly every mock draft.

Wrong again.

Mompremier lasted until the second round, pick No. 20, to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Although Mompremier said she was “excited” during a conference call just minutes after her selection, her high school coach, Sam Baumgarten, told a different story.

“She’s distraught,” Baumgarten said. “She gets caught up in the first round/second round thing. “But I think she’s a steal for the Sparks.”

Second-rounders don’t often make WNBA rosters, which only go 12 deep. But the Sparks didn’t have a first-round pick this year, making Mompremier their initial selection and perhaps giving her a better-than-average chance.

Mompremier, who is long and athletic, averaged 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds this past season for Miami.

But her draft stock likely fell for two reasons. First, she missed 13 games due to a foot injury. And although she returned late in the season, perhaps there was lingering concern as to her being injury prone.

Secondly, in the era of centers who shoot three-pointers, Mompremier is more of a traditional post. She tried just three from deep as a junior, making one, and she went 4-for-13 on three-pointers this past season.

“Injuries happen,” Mompremier said, addressing the first of those concerns. “I wouldn’t blame my injury on going this late in the draft.”

In Los Angeles, Mompremier will be coached by ex-guard Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers.

The Sparks have numerous current or former WNBA All-Stars, including 6-4 legend Candace Parker as well as 6-3 forward Chiney Ogwumike; 6-2 forward Nneka Ogwumike; 6-0 wing Seimone Augustus; 5-11 guard Chelsea Gray; 5-7 guard Kristi Toliver; and 5-7 guard Riquna Williams, a former Hurricanes standout.

Five other veterans — including 6-4 center Maria Vadeeva and Sydney Wiese and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, who combined to make 49 starts last season — dot the roster, underlining the challenge that will face Mompremier.

As for Harrigan, her draft status virtually guarantees she will make the league as a rookie.

Harrigan helped South Carolina win a national title as a freshman, contributing as a reserve. This past season, she was the Gamecocks’ leading scorer (13.1 average), and South Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the nation when the campaign was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Harrigan was also named the SEC tournament MVP just before the season was shut down. She started all 33 games of her senior year for the 32-1 Gamecocks, finishing her four-year collegiate career with 210 blocks, second-best in school history.

She also had stellar shooting percentages — 83.5 on free throws, 50.6 on field goals and 43.5 on three-pointers — as South Carolina finished its season on a 26-game win streak, including a 13-1 record against Top 25 teams.