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2011 WNBA Draft: Minnesota Lynx Select Jessica Breland With First Pick Of Round Two

With the first pick of the second round of the 2011 WNBA Draft, the 13th overall selection, the Minnesota Lynx grabbed another forward when they selected Jessica Breland, a 6'3" forward out of the University of North Carolina.

Breland averaged 12.4 points a game and 7.1 rebounds a contest for the Tarheels, despite only playing 23 minutes per game. She also missed the entire 2009-2010 season with Hodgkin's lymphoma before making a comeback this year.

What does Swish Appeal think of Jessica Breland?

A 6'3 post, Jessica Breland returned to the court this season after missing the entire prior year with Hodgkin's lymphoma.  It took a while to get her stamina back, and, at the end of the year, it was still an issue, but her game improved all year, culminating in an ACC tournament performance where she averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds as UNC went to the finals before falling.   Her junior season (2008-09), she had averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks.  A team drafting Jessica will be looking for a return to that form, but will need patience.

The Lynx have the next selection as well, the 14th overall pick, so we'll see what they do there.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.