South Florida natives Bea Mompremier, “Kiki” Herbert Harrigan selected in WNBA Draft
It was not exactly the way Beatrice Mompremier had envisioned her WNBA Draft night, but the University of Miami forward was delighted, nonetheless, when she was selected in the second round – No. 20 overall – by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Instead of getting dressed up and attending the ceremony in a New York City ballroom, she watched on TV from Miami as league commissioner Cathy Englebert announced the selections from her home in New Jersey.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the WNBA to hold its 2020 draft virtually, the first league to do so. The NFL is also planning to hold its draft via various remote sites next week.
Mompremier had her hair and makeup done for the big occasion, and watched the draft show with her mother, four brothers, cousins and a few friends. Her family is from Haiti, so they celebrated with a traditional Haitian meal.
“When I got the call, I was very excited, I was really emotional just to hear my name,” she said on a Zoom conference call. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment. L.A. is similar to Miami, the weather is nice.”
Mompremier, 6-4, spent two seasons at Baylor after leaving Miami High before transferring to UM for her junior and senior seasons. After sitting out a season due to transfer rules, she had a memorable junior year with 25 double-doubles. She averaged 16.7 points and 12.2 rebounds in 29.6 minutes, and helped the Hurricanes go 25-9 and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
She was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year before her senior season, but was limited to 17 games due to a foot injury that caused her to miss 13 games from early January to mid-February. She returned to the court on Feb. 23, played the final three regular-season games and Miami’s opening round loss to Clemson in the ACC tournament.
In those games, Mompremier averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 22.8 minutes.
Mompremier said she is extra motivated after the injury to prove what she can do. “I know my year didn’t go as planned, but injuries happen. Since the [coronavirus hiatus], I’ve been working hard, trying to get better and show what I can do at the next level.”
Kiki Herbert Harrigan picked first round
She was one of two South Florida players chosen. Pembroke Pines native and Flanagan High graduate Mikiah “Kiki” Herbert Harrigan of the University of South Carolina was taken in the first round — No. 6 overall — by the Minnesota Lynx.
“I love her game, I love her fire, the way she competes,” ESPN commentator Rebecca Lobo said of Herbert Harrigan. “I think she’s a player who if we had had an NCAA Tournament, we talked about this a little bit earlier, I think she’s a player who could have seen her stock rise because it seems like in big moments she elevates herself and she just has a competitiveness and a will to win that is elite.”
The New York Liberty had the No. 1 overall pick, and selected Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu, the NCAA Player of the Year. She is the first player in college history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds.
Ionescu grew up in Walnut Creek, Calif., was close to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, and spoke at their memorial service earlier this year. As part of Friday night’s draft, the WNBA honored Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, who died in a helicopter accident with Bryant on Jan. 26 on their way to play an AAU basketball tournament.
Ionescu’s Oregon teammate Satou Sabally was the No. 2 overall pick by the Dallas Wings. Lauren Cox (Baylor) was picked No. 3 by the Indiana Fever, Chennedy Carter (Texas A&M) was No. 4 by the Atlanta Dream, and Princeton’s three-time Ivy League Player of the Year Bella Alarie (daughter of former Duke and NBA player Mark Alarie) went to Dallas at No. 5.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 9:19 PM.