Crystal Dangerfield counting the days to the WNBA Draft

The WNBA Draft is nine days out — and Crystal Dangerfield is counting every one. After the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended her collegiate career, the senior point guard has been back home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with her family. On Wednesday, Dangerfield held a conference call with the media and sounded an optimistic note towards her future, even with the entire world at a standstill.

While Dangerfield can’t workout for WNBA teams like she would under normal circumstances, that hasn’t stopped them from working to get a full picture of who she is with phone calls and Zoom meetings. While she declined to say how many teams have been in contact with her, Dangerfield did share some insight into those conversations.

“It’s been both — coaches and general managers,” she said on who she’s talked to. “Just regular conversations, trying to see what we’re like off the court, asking what our personality is like, asking what we think our strengths and weaknesses are, what we’re looking forward to when we’re drafted, where you could fit on their team and things like that.”

In those meetings, Dangerfield said teams have repeatedly point to her high basketball IQ as one of her most valuable traits that she can bring to the next level.

She also announced that she signed with Eric Wiesel of LBM Management, who also represents former UConn players Kelly Farris, Renee Montgomery and Azura Stevens, per Carl Adamec. Dangerfield said she reached out to Montgomery and also spoke to Stevens and Napheesa Collier for advice on the WNBA and adjusting to the next level.

Though she admitted draft night will be “different than I had envisioned it,” Dangerfield still plans to dress up for it like she would’ve if it was held in New York City — even if she’ll just be watching it on television at home with her family.

“It’ll still be shared with family, I don’t know where in the house we’ll actually watch it yet,” she said. “Hopefully celebrate as normal hoping that I’m chosen by a team.”

While Dangerfield waits, she’s kept herself busy by working out in her home and keeping up with schoolwork, though she hasn’t picked up any new hobbies yet. At the very least, the draft will give her some direction for her immediate future and change up her day-to-day pace. But once it comes and goes, Dangerfield will have to go back to being patient.

“Next Friday, wherever I’m going to be chosen too, I’ll be excited and then after that, another waiting game to see what they’re going to do about training camp and the start of the season. It’s never ending,” she said.