“My dad paused the TV because he didn’t want to miss anything,” Malott said with a laugh. “Everyone was emotional. They were super excited. They were really happy for me.
“I’m a little overwhelmed. I’m just really thankful to have an opportunity to play against the best of the best in the WNBA. I’m shocked.”
Teammate Andrea Hoover also was drafted Thursday, going in the third round at No. 31 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Hoover and Malott will become the first former Flyers to play in the 19-year-old league, which opens its season June 5. They led UD to four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a romp to the Elite Eight this season.
Malott, a 6-foot-4 forward from Madison High School and a former McDonald’s All-American, averaged 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds and shot a nifty 41.3 percent from 3-point land.
She had 28 points and 13 rebounds in carrying the Flyers to a win over Kentucky for their first Sweet 16 berth. She then was named to the all-regional team after UD beat Louisville and gave eventual champion UConn a scare.
Rebecca Lobo, doing commentary on the draft for ESPN, said on air: “Ally Malott really showed what she could do during the NCAA Tournament, but this is a player (Mystics coach) Mike Thibault has had his eye on all year long. She is a true stretch 4. She shot 41 percent from the 3-point line. She’s terrific in the pick-and-pop situation, which is used extensively in the WNBA.”
Malott credits her “tight-knit community” in Middletown for supplying a sure foundation to launch her career and also UD for preparing her to make the next step.
“People told me not to go to Dayton because it was a smaller, mid-major school, but I liked the way I did things,” she said. “It just proves you don’t have to go to the biggest-name school to make a name for yourself. Everyone who has been with me along the way helped me get where I am today. I’m really thankful for the journey so far.”
Hoover, a 5-9 guard from Bellbrook, also didn’t have high hopes when the three-round draft commenced.
“I thought, ‘If I get picked, it’s great. If I don’t, it’s OK, too,’ “ she said. “When I got picked, it just felt so humbling that I get to try out for a team in the WNBA, where all the best players play. It’s a great honor.”
The Spring Valley Academy graduate led the Flyers in scoring (17.4) and assists (3.2) and was first in the Atlantic 10 in 3-point shooting (45.6 percent) and free-throw accuracy (89.3). She’s the first Flyer to be named A-10 player of the year.
She’ll be coached in Los Angeles by former Wittenberg star Brian Agler.
“Truthfully, I didn’t ever think this would happen when I first came to UD,” Hoover said. “I really exceeded my expectations.”
Two players took the unprecedented step of leaving school with eligibility remaining to jump to the WNBA, and they were the first two picks in the draft. Notre Dame’s Jewell Lloyd went No. 1 to the Seattle Storm and Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui second to the Tulsa Shock.
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