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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Brianna Turner selected 11th overall, traded to Phoenix

By Ben Belden

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 05: Brianna Turner #11 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish grabs the rebound from Napheesa Collier #24 of the UConn Huskies during the fourth quarter in the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 05, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 05: Brianna Turner #11 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish grabs the rebound from Napheesa Collier #24 of the UConn Huskies during the fourth quarter in the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 05, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Brianna Turner leaves the Notre Dame women’s basketball program as one of the most decorated defensive bigs in school history.

Notre Dame women’s basketball came just short of a repeat championship in 2019. A huge part of the efforts for the Irish was the play of Brianna Turner.

After tearing her ACL in the 2017 postseason, Turner missed Notre Dame’s National Championship run in 2018. Back as a graduate student this past season, Turner was nothing short of sensational.

Turner and teammate Jessica Shepard created a frontcourt duo that kept opposing coaches up at night. Turner’s size and mobility made her a force to be reckoned with around the basket on offense.

But it was her defensive prowess that garnered her the spotlight at Notre Dame. Turner has proven herself as the most prolific shot-blocker in Notre Dame women’s basketball history. That shot-blocking ability is undoubtedly why she is a premier WNBA prospect.

When it comes to mobile bigs, Turner is as good as it gets. As the game of basketball continues to evolved and get “smaller,” bigs that can run the floor and catch and finish in transition, while also being able to run on defense and challenge shots. Turner checks all of those boxes.

After being selected 11th overall to Atlanta, Turner was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, adding depth to the Mercury’s front court. The Mercury has star Brittney Griner and drafted stretch four Alanna Smith out of Stanford. The trio should create a nice rotation in the Phoenix front court.

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Turner has only reached the tip of the iceberg as far as her talent is concerned, and when you consider that she sat out the entire 2017-2018 season with a torn ACL, only to return to Notre dame in dominant fashion, it’s easy to realize that the sky is the limit for her.