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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Jessica Shepard is drafted by Minnesota

By Jordan Small

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 05: Jessica Shepard #32 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts a shot against the UConn Huskies during the first 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: Jessica Shepard #32 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts a shot against the UConn Huskies during the first 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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After just two seasons with the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, Jessica Shepard has evolved into a true WNBA talent.

Jessica Shepard is heading to Minnesota. With the number 16 overall pick in the WNBA draft, Shepard was picked up by the Minnesota Lynx. As a midwest native, this could be really good for Shepard. She will bring a good balance of offense and defense for the four-time WNBA champions. Head coach Cheryl Reeves had told Shepard at USA Basketball camp that she needed to shed some weight if she wanted to truly transform into a WNBA talent. And so in the offseason, Shepard lost 40 pounds and it transformed her game for the Irish in her senior season.

Jessica Shepard is a very unique talent and will be an asset at the next level. She is a forward with the ball handling ability of a guard and incredible court vision. At the college level, she reached the 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds club which only Ruth Riley has done in Notre Dame history. In her senior season, she also had over 100 assists which really speaks to her passing ability.

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There are two areas that Jessica Shepard really stands out. On the defensive end, she’s an incredible rebounder who does a great job of outletting the ball when she gets it. She can turn and find her teammates streaking up the court for an easy bucket. This will be very helpful at the next level when players are getting quicker and transition points are even more vital. Then on the offensive side of the ball, she has the ability to work really well as part of the high-low game. Shepard has very good range when it comes to shooting so her playing at the free throw lane is no problem. At 6’4” this can create matchup problems while also drawing another player off the block. As was highlighted earlier, she can pass the ball extremely well and she can make those tight passes down low to find her partner in the post or a guard who is cutting down.