LSU's Augustus No. 1 selection



Rutgers' guard Cappie Pondexter was the second player chosen.
BOSTON (AP) -- Seimone Augustus ran the gamut of emotions this weekend in Boston.
Hoping to win the NCAA women's title with LSU, the nation's leading scorer and the Tigers were ousted in the national semifinal Sunday night by Duke. Three days later, Augustus was back on top as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
LSU's go-to player is going to Minnesota.
"After the semifinal loss, I mainly went back to my room and read books to try to keep my mind off of what just happened," Augustus said. "Once I got with the WNBA staff, it was focusing on trying to be prepared for the draft, getting ready for my career and my future."
The two-time AP Player of the Year led the nation in scoring with 23 points a game. She also led the Lady Tigers to three straight Final Fours.
Rutgers' guard Cappie Pondexter was selected second by the Phoenix Mercury. Duke's Monique Currie was the third pick taken by the Charlotte Sting. Duke fell short in the NCAA title game Tuesday night, losing to Maryland in overtime.
Baylor's Sophia Young was chosen by the San Antonio Silver Stars, and the Los Angeles Sparks took UCLA's Lisa Willis to round out the top five.
Impressive numbers
Augustus used her fluid jump shot to put up impressive numbers from the moment she stepped on campus, a Baton Rouge high school standout hailed as the biggest recruiting catch in LSU history.
She scored 27 points in her debut against Arizona and has scored in double figures an NCAA-record 132 times in her 140 games. She finished her career with 2,702 points.
Instead of carrying a team, Augustus is looking forward to fitting in as a rookie in the WNBA.
"I kind of relate it back to my freshman year coming into college. You have to get into that comfort zone," she said. "You learn your teammates, learn their personalities and see where you fit in. You just have to use that year to get yourself together, get your thoughts together and your mindset ready for this professional league."
The Lynx finished 14-20 last season and won the league's draft lottery to gain the No. 1 pick. By trading All-Star Katie Smith to the Detroit Shock last summer, the Lynx acquired an extra first-round selection, the seventh overall.
Lynx coach Suzie McConnell Serio said team officials had their minds made up about Augustus long ago.
"She just separated herself from the rest of her senior class," McConnell Serio said. "Nobody's been able to stop her, but when they've contained her they've sent double and triple teams at her, leaving other players open on the floor."
Will join Taurasi
Pondexter will join a backcourt that includes All-Star Diana Taurasi. Pondexter, a 5-9 Chicago native, has sported a WNBA tattoo on her arm since high school in anticipation of this day.
"It's just overwhelming just knowing your dream is here in front of you," Pondexter. "I've admired Taurasi for a long time, and just to have the opportunity to play with her, I think I will learn a lot."
Pondexter averaged 21 points this season and led the Scarlet Knights to two straight regular season Big East titles.
New Mercury coach Paul Westhead said he's looking forward to pairing the two scorers in his up-tempo offense. The Mercury selected Taurasi first overall in 2004.
"I think Cappie will easily complement Diana Taurasi, and I know 'D' is going to help Cappie because she'll take some of the heat off her," Westhead said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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