Thursday, March 18, 2010

Storm Sign Devanei Hampton

On a quiet St. Paddy's day the Storm signed Ashley Walker's former front court mate, Devanei Hampton. Hampton ranked 8th overall on my Center's for her senior season behind WNBA players Courtney Paris, Ashley Walker, Chante Black and Kia Vaughn. She is a strong rebounder who played a lot of minutes for Cal last year. Earlier in her career she was considered a fantastic prospect with rumors of a less than stellar work ethic. Unfortunately injuries really slowed down her progress and Walker was clearly the best player on that Cal team.

In my opinion she is a great training camp invitation but is unlikely to be a serious contender for a roster spot unless the Storm find themselves short in the post. She is bigger, stronger and more offensively skilled than Ashley Robinson but lacks the defense, athleticism and length that has kept A-Rob on the Storm roster the past few years. If Janel Burse returns she is still the superior player and both Little and Walker are stronger as well. If she is able to play at a higher level than she did last season she could prove a viable option over Robinson.
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2 comments:

  1. Ellen Seidler2:32 AM

    Dev had a great work ethic and was named PAC 10 player of the year her sophomore season. Her knee injuries are what slowed her down but she's a fierce competitor and very strong in the paint. I would love to see her on the Storm and fly to Seattle for a couple games to cheer them on.

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  2. Patrick7:20 AM

    I agree that once she got to Cal her work ethic was praised pretty consistently. Unfortunately, unsubstantiated rumors seem to dog players throughout their careers once it has been said. I can't recall the original claims, but I saw the claim resurface again last year. I for one am hoping she has been able to rehab her knees.

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