‘She blew us off the charts’: Shyla Heal taken at No.8 in WNBA draft
Shyla Heal beamed and hugged her celebrated basketball father Shane after being taken with pick eight in the WNBA draft, the Australian teenager ready to jump into the deep end of the best women’s league in the world.
The 19-year-old point guard was chosen by the Chicago Sky on Friday (AEST), with her new side backing her to play immediately in the new season starting in the US on May 16.
Shyla Heal is heading to the WNBA.Credit:Getty Images
“I wouldn’t be here without him,” she said.
“He’s trained me since I was a little girl, and we’ve done I don’t even know how many trainings, so many thousands. He’s such a big influence in my life on and off the court, and I’m so grateful for him.”
Sky coach and general manager James Wade said Chicago will throw Heal in right away.
“We have been very transparent that the point guard we chose at eight, we are bringing them in to play,” Wade said.
Shyla (then aged 15) with her father, Australian basketball great Shane Heal.Credit:Jamila Toderas
Heal’s outstanding WNBL form in helping the Townsville Fire to the grand final caught Chicago’s attention, including her stellar finals series where she scored 30 points against eventual champions Southside Flyers in the semi-finals and 28 points in a preliminary final win.
Wade spoke or received emails from several Australian contacts including Opals captain Jenna O’Hea and Timms. But what sold him was watching Heal hold her own against WNBA guards like Leilani Mitchell in the WNBL.
“I saw how much they committed to stopping her, you are talking about WNBA players with a great roster committing to stopping a 19-year-old – that was telling and she handled it well,” Wade said.
“When we spoke to her, she just blew us off the charts, she loves basketball.
“We don’t know how long the adjustment period will be whether it’s 30 minutes, 30 days, 60 days – we don’t know. The one thing we know is we have confidence in her and we know she can be a good player in this league.”
Heal remains in the running to make the Opals squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
Queensland and Syracuse University guard Tania Mangakahia went undrafted after starring for her school this season following her recovery from breast cancer. Mangakahia could still find her way to the league via free agency and training camp.
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