Joyner Holmes, Sug Sutton selected in WNBA Draft

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas forward Joyner Holmes and guard Sug Sutton capped off their final seasons with the Longhorns by hearing their names called in the WNBA Draft. Holmes was selected in the second round (19^th overall) by the Seattle Storm, while Sutton was taken with the draft’s final selection (36^th overall) by the Washington Mystics.

The selection of Holmes and Sutton raises to 12 the number of UT players who have been chosen in the WNBA Draft, and marked the first time in 15 years that the Longhorns have[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] had multiple players selected in the same year.

Holmes finished her career ranked 29^th in scoring in program history with 1,270 points. She had 27 double-doubles in her career, including a program-record seven straight this year. She played in 114 games, starting 92 and scoring in double figures 70 times.

“We were very high on Joyner,” Storm head coach Dan Hughes said. “When you see her play, you see someone that is kind of unique. She has a pro body. She moves really quickly and strongly. She has a face-up game. There’s no denying she has a big upside. We wanted to work with that upside. We were really pleased to give her an opportunity and get her in the second round.”

Holmes earned All-Big 12 honors three times, including a first-team nod in 2016, when she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

Sutton ranks No. 9 all-time at Texas in assists with 419, and scored 1,091 points, ranking No. 39 in UT history. She averaged 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

“Sug has the right demeanor to play in our league,” Mystics head coach Mike Thibault said. “She’s got some things to learn, but she knows how to push the tempo.”

Sutton earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2018-19, including a spot on the 2019 Big 12 All-Tournament team, and second-team honors last year, and was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the nation’s top point guard.

Holmes and Sutton were two of seven Big 12 players drafted in the 2020 draft.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the WNBA has postponed the start of the 2020 regular season, which originally was scheduled to begin May 15.
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