A college superstar offered a heartfelt response when asked for her thoughts on dropping in the WNBA draft
- The Atlanta Dream selected Naz Hillmon in the second round of the 2022 WNBA Draft.
- The Michigan Wolverines superstar was widely expected to be picked among the top of the draft class.
Naz Hillmon was a two-time first-team All-America selection and a four-year superstar for the Michigan Wolverines.
But when it came time for the 6-foot-2 forward to move on to the pros, her incredible collegiate success didn't translate to the early draft pick many expected.
The Atlanta Dream selected Hillmon with the third pick of the second round of the 2022 WNBA Draft. Though she was still one of the lucky 36 to hear her name called during Monday night's festivities, Michigan's only player — man or woman — to ever accumulate 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds was widely expected to be picked among the top of the draft class.
But when asked during her post-draft press conference if she was disappointed about dropping down the draft boards, Hillmon managed to keep everything in perspective. She offered a heartfelt tribute to the 72 eligible athletes who weren't offered a chance to join a WNBA franchise at all.
"I think that being disappointed in this moment is neglectful to the people who weren't picked up at all," Hillmon said as tears welled in her eyes. "This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. So just being picked up by a team, for somebody to believe in me, first round, third round, I'm excited to be where I'm at."
Fans were wowed by the star's poised, considerate response.
Even still, the Wolverines' all-time leader in rebounds, double-doubles, and made free throws allowed that her later-than-expected selection will serve as fuel as she moves on to the pros.
"Everything is motivation," Hillmon said. "I could have been picked No. 1 and I still would have been motivated to get better, to perfect my craft. I wouldn't say disappointed, but always ready to work."
Check out the clip of Hillmon's thoughtful response below: