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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Dallas Wings selected <keyword id="13596931" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="veronica-burton" source="Orion">Veronica Burton</keyword> with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 <keyword id="13568780" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba-draft" source="Orion">WNBA Draft</keyword>.</li><li>The Northwestern PG expressed excitement about playing alongside Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey.</li></ul><p>Veronica Burton is amped to be joining her new team.</p><p>The Dallas Wings picked up the <keyword id="13605332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="northwestern-wildcats" source="Orion">Northwestern Wildcats</keyword> superstar with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> Draft Monday night. And mere moments after learning that she'd be joining the likes of Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey in Texas, Burton expressed eagerness to familiarize herself with her new teammates' styles of play in true <keyword id="12215141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="point-guard" source="Orion">point guard</keyword> fashion.</p><div type="image" title="Veronica Burton (left) and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert pose at the 2022 WNBA Draft." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90807687" hostid="261"></div><p>"It makes my job easier. When you've got scorers like that — Marina Mabrey, Arike [Ogunbowale], all those other amazing women and players — it makes the point guard look better and better," Burton said in a press conference at the draft. "So I'm definitely excited. I'm excited to play with them. I'm excited to play against them and compete with them in practice and everything.</p><p>"I'm about to go study all their games tonight even more and just learn where they want the ball, too," she added. "Where they want it is where I'll give it to them."</p><p>Ogunbowale joked on Twitter, "I like her already," after seeing her new teammate's comment. Mabrey was a fan of the point guard's mindset, too:</p><p>A 5-foot-9 point guard, Burton averaged a team-high 17.8 points and 6.4 assists per contest — and added 5.5 rebounds per game to boot — en route to third-team All-America honors in her senior season with the Wildcats. She led all Power 5 conference players with a 3.12 assist-turnover ratio, showcasing her "extremely high basketball IQ" ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson raved about ahead of Monday's draft.</p><p>Even with her stellar output on the offensive end, Burton is arguably best known for her lockdown defense. She led the nation with four steals per game this year and assumed an apt nickname — the "Backcourt Burglar" — as a result.</p><div type="image" title="Veronica Burton." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90807688" hostid="261"></div><p>Burton was even one of four finalists — and the only guard — nominated for the 2022 Naismith Trophy Women's Defensive Player of the Year award.</p><p>"It is a huge honor to be named as a finalist for that award," <a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-draft-nalyssa-smith-veronica-burton-lexie-hull-going-pro-2022-4">she told Insider</a> ahead of the draft. "I have always taken a lot of pride on the defensive end because I understand how important that side of the ball is in order to win games."</p><p>That defensive prowess will undoubtedly prove useful to Dallas head coach Vickie Johnson, whose squad ranked in the bottom third of the league in opponent field-goal percentage, opponent three-pointers made, and opponent assists while owning one of the worst <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=1">defensive ratings in the WNBA</a> last season.</p><div type="image" title="Veronica Burton." height="1406" width="2500" msid="90807690" hostid="261"></div><p>But Burton's up to the challenge. She knows that the defense she brings to the table "is a separator for me," and she said as much Monday night.</p><p>"Coach Johnson had talked about wanting another defender that can really stop ball-handlers, keep people out of the paint," Burton said. "So if that's what she needs, that's what I'm going to give her. I'm excited to fill that role, and whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to try and do it."</p>

A top WNBA draft pick vowed to 'study' her new teammates' games so she knows 'where they want the ball'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2022 <keyword id="13568780" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba-draft" source="Orion">WNBA Draft</keyword> will see hoops dreams realized Monday starting at 7 p.m. ET.</li><li>Top prospects <keyword id="13391711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nalyssa-smith" source="Orion">NaLyssa Smith</keyword>, <keyword id="13596931" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="veronica-burton" source="Orion">Veronica Burton</keyword>, and <keyword id="13596932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lexie-hull" source="Orion">Lexie Hull</keyword> spoke to Insider ahead of the draft.</li></ul><p><keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> Draft day is upon us, and a handful of college stars are preparing to realize their lifelong dreams of becoming professional basketball players.</p><p>Three of the best-known prospects — <keyword id="12055088" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="baylor-bears" source="Orion">Baylor Bears</keyword> forward NaLyssa Smith, Northwestern Wildcats point guard Veronica Burton, and Stanford Cardinal shooting guard Lexie Hull — spoke to Insider about their mindsets leading up to the big day and what it would mean to hear their names called at the draft.</p><div type="image" title="NaLyssa Smith." height="1333" width="2000" msid="90786346" hostid="261"></div><p>Smith, who is projected to be among the top three picks in this year's draft, expressed confidence about her professional basketball prospects. And while she said it would be "a blessing regardless" to hear her name called Monday night, she's set her eyes on the top of the board.</p><p>"<a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-draft-2022-nalyssa-smith-deserves-number-one-pick-2022-4">I deserve to be the number one pick</a>," Smith said.</p><p>The 2019 NCAA champion and two-time All-America selection cited "all the time and energy I've put into the game of basketball" as part of her reasoning for going first overall while speaking to Insider about <a href="https://www.insider.com/womens-college-basketball-stars-reflect-ncaa-weight-room-scandal-2022-3">her NIL partnership with Wingstop</a>. And that hard work and dedication shows up in her statistics and highlight reels; the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over her four years at Baylor, becoming one of just eight Bears players to record 2,000+ career points and the seventh to do so while also accumulating 1,000 career rebounds.</p><div type="image" title="NaLyssa Smith." height="1407" width="2500" msid="90786347" hostid="261"></div><p>This year, Smith averaged a team-high 22.1 points and 11.5 boards en route to a Baylor single-season record 25 double-doubles. Her 403 rebounds on the year were the most from a Bears player in more than 40 years, and the Texas native hinted that her style of play — and sheer dominance in the post — was inspired by two of the greatest bigs to ever play in the WNBA.</p><p>"I was always a Sparks fan growing up because of Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie," Smith said.</p><p>Burton, meanwhile, spent four years dominating the other end of the court for Northwestern. One of the best defensive guards in this year's draft, the 5-foot-9 point guard led the nation with four steals per game this season en route to becoming a third-team All-America selection.</p><div type="image" title="Veronica Burton." height="1406" width="2500" msid="90786348" hostid="261"></div><p>After averaging a team-high 17.8 points and 6.4 assists per contest with 5.5 rebounds per game to boot in her senior season, Burton watched in disappointment as her Wildcats fell on the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble. She told Insider that the snub will help fuel her as she moves on to the pros.</p><p>"It was definitely pretty tough to not hear our name on Selection Sunday," Burton said of Northwestern. "But it for sure fueled me for whatever is to come next for me, and from seeing the disappointment on my teammates' faces I know they'll use it as motivation for the future as well."</p><p>A stint in the WNBA is likely on the horizon, as Burton is projected to be among the first 15 players picked in Monday night's draft. Experts at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/wnba/2022/4/7/22986574/wnba-2022-mock-draft-rhyne-howard-nalyssa-smith-shakira-austin-nyara-sabally-destanni-henderson">SB Nation</a>, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/2022-wnba-mock-draft-2-0-dream-take-rhyne-howard-no-1-after-blockbuster-trade-destanni-henderson-to-aces/">CBS</a>, and <a href="https://winsidr.com/2022/04/wnba-mock-draft-3-0/">Winsidr</a> all expect the Wildcats star to be taken in the first round, according to their most recent mock drafts, while <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10032303-2022-wnba-mock-draft-full-2-round-predictions-no-1-pick-trade-breakdown">Bleacher Report's Jackie Powell</a> has Burton going the highest at sixth overall.</p><div type="image" title="Veronica Burton." height="1406" width="2500" msid="90786349" hostid="261"></div><p>But the Newton, Massachusetts, native isn't all that concerned with how quickly her name is called. She's just interested in landing somewhere she has a chance to make "an impact" and snag one of the highly coveted roster spots.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"It would mean a lot to hear my name called come Draft night," Burton told Insider. "Being able to experience a night where all your hard work is celebrated is extremely special.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"I really am not focused on what round or what number I get called," she added. "Any opportunity is all I could ask for."</p><div type="image" title="Lexie Hull." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90786350" hostid="261"></div><p style="font-weight: 400;">After four standout years playing for Tara VanDerveer's Stanford squad, Hull has a similar outlook on Monday night's draft. The prolific shooting guard has already made her case to the powers that be in the pros: Her career stat line of 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game — plus two regular-season Pac-12 titles, three conference tournament trophies, and an NCAA championship — speaks for itself.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">But the draft is just a reflection of what she's already accomplished. Hull knows that the tough part comes after the picks come in. </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"It would mean the world to me able to walk on the stage at the draft, but I am hungry for any pick because I know that regardless of where I'm taken, there is a lot more important work to do," Hull told Insider. "I am excited for an opportunity to try out for any WNBA team and have the chance to play with the best players in the world."</p><div type="image" title="Lexie Hull." height="1399" width="2103" msid="90786351" hostid="261"></div><p style="font-weight: 400;">"I am excited for the draft, but I know that the draft is the first step of many to making a team and not necessarily the most important," she added.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Smith, Burton, and Hull will be among a pool of 108 players hoping to hear their names called as one of the 36 picks at the 2022 WNBA Draft. But as the Cardinal star insinuated, the journey from draft pick to a roster spot is arguably even more arduous; even some lottery picks have failed to make the cut in years past.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Still, getting drafted is a huge step on the path to the pros. Fans can tune in Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN to watch it all unfold at the 2022 WNBA Draft.</p>

3 WNBA draft prospects express what it would mean to hear their names called to go pro

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Veronica Merritt, a mom of 12 known as ThisMadMama on <keyword id="11894125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>, has become a first-time grandma at 37.</li><li>Her granddaughter was born two months after Merritt delivered her 12th child.</li></ul><p>When Victoria Merritt brought her 2-day-old  daughter, Maddilyn Rosalie, home from the hospital, accompanied by Maddilyn's grandma — the controversial TikTok star Veronica Merritt — 11 aunts and uncles welcomed the newborn.</p><p>The newborn's youngest uncle, Modi, is two months older than her. Her mother's other siblings are between ages 2 and 17.</p><p>"They keep saying how cute she is," Victoria Merritt, 22, told Insider. She said they wanted to take turns holding the tiny infant, who weighed just under six pounds at birth.</p><p>Veronica Merritt — who has more than 204,000 followers as ThisMadMama on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thismadmama?lang=en">TikTok</a> — said she was thrilled to be a grandmother at 37 years old. She said she was "more than happy" to help take care of the child, who has brought the total number of people in the household to 14.</p><p>"She reminds me of a baby bird in a nest because she's so sweet and fragile," Veronica Merritt said.</p><p>After being in labor for 12 hours, Victoria Merritt gave birth to Maddilyn on June 18. Veronica Merritt said she wasn't allowed to attend the birth because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the infant's father and Victoria Merritt's boyfriend — Leon, 21 — was there throughout.</p><h2>Baby Maddilyn has a total 11 aunts and uncles</h2><p>Veronica Merritt posted a TikTok video <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thismadmama/video/7113922806345108782?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;lang=en">introducing</a> her granddaughter and told Insider that her oldest daughter was "absolutely glowing" and a "good mommy." </p><p>Besides Veronica Merritt, Victoria Merritt, and Maddilyn, the clan consists of Andrew, 17; Adam, 16; Mara, 14; Dash, 13; Darla, 11; Marvelous, 9; Martalya, 7; Amelia, 5; Delilah, 4; Donovan, 2; and 9-week-old Modi. </p><p>Veronica Merritt had her first child when she was 14 years old, and she said she's been pregnant for a cumulative nine years — almost a quarter of her life.</p><p>She <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-mom-twelve-children-large-family-multiple-pregnancies-2022-4">previously</a> told Insider that her desire for a large family was a compulsion. But, despite originally planning to have 16 children, she said she'd decided that Modi would be her last child. "I've given myself permission to stop," she said.</p><p>Others have frequently attacked the mom of 12 for her choices. In her prior interview with Insider, she recalled how one critic on TikTok said her children came from "11 different fathers."</p><p>"People can think what they like, but my kids have only two dads," Veronica Merritt said. Her first marriage ended in 2005, and she's now separated from her second husband, Marty, who is the father of all but two of her children.</p><h2>Veronica Merritt believes that Modi and Maddilyn will grow up more like cousins than as uncle and niece</h2><p>Veronica Merritt said the six TikTok videos she posted about the delivery this week got more than 150,000 likes. She said that Victoria Merritt, who has chosen not to show Maddilyn's face on <keyword id="11895013" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media" source="Orion">social media</keyword> for privacy reasons, received thousands of messages from well-wishers.</p><p>One commentator, referring to the fact that Maddilyn and Modi are so close in age, left this message for Veronica Merritt: "Congrats, Grandma! Her and Modi are going to have so much fun growing up together."</p><p>The 37-year-old told Insider that Modi and Maddilyn were "going to grow up feeling like they're cousins, siblings, or even twins."</p><div type="image" title="Victoria Merritt, the oldest child of TikTok's mom-of-12, Veronica Merritt, poses with her two-month-old sibling, Modi, left and her own one-week old newborn, Maddilyn, while some of Maddilyn's other aunts and uncles goof around behind them." height="2597" width="3463" msid="92501174" hostid="261"></div><p>Soon after Modi's birth in April, Veronica Merritt told Insider that she'd been criticized by detractors who were outraged by the government assistance she received in the form of stimulus checks and food stamps.</p><p>But she said any earnings she made from a regular job would be swallowed up by the cost of babysitting, although she sometimes makes money as a freelance artist working from home. Veronica Merritt also said the family was saving taxpayer money because she'd homeschooled her children for more than eight years.</p><p>Still, one person wrote on her TikTok when Maddilyn was 2 days old, "Another food stamp and wick baby to feed."</p><p>Veronica Merritt said she plans to take on some paid art projects — but only after her 2-year-old, Donovan, known as "Donnie," is clear of a rare form of <a href="https://www.insider.com/my-son-was-diagnosed-with-brain-cancer-2021-12">cancer</a>. "I'm scared, but I'm proud of the way that Donnie is dealing with it all," Veronica Merritt said.</p><p>The mom of 12 is known for sometimes color-coding her children by dressing them in various shades of the rainbow. For example, Modi wears yellow clothes, Adam wears green, and Dash wears orange. "The colors reflect their individual personalities," she told Insider in April, adding, "But they also keep me grounded."</p><p>The grandmother said a number of fans on TikTok asked whether <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thismadmama/video/7113386967110274346?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;lang=en&amp;q=%40thismadmama&amp;t=1656347151389">Victoria Merritt</a> had adopted a similar system for Maddilyn. "It's completely up to her," Veronica Merritt said. She said the new mom preferred fashions derived from anime, goth, and indie rock.</p><p>Indeed, Victoria Merritt — who said she was a big fan of dark-themed Tim Burton films — has shied away from the pastel hues that people traditionally choose for babies. She said she'd already started dressing Maddilyn in bold tones of red, green, black, deep blue, and purple.</p><p>"She came out looking like a fairy and those are the colors I associate with," Victoria Merritt said.</p>

A TikTok mom of 12 became a grandma at age 37. The newborn is just 2 months younger than her uncle.

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A top WNBA draft pick vowed to 'study' her new teammates' games so she knows 'where they want the ball'

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3 WNBA draft prospects express what it would mean to hear their names called to go pro

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A TikTok mom of 12 became a grandma at age 37. The newborn is just 2 months younger than her uncle.

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