The Ashley Owusu era in Dallas, Texas, might be here.
The former Penn State women’s basketball guard heard her name called by the Dallas Wings as the No. 33 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft Monday night, and Owusu was the first Lady Lion to get drafted since Maggie Lucas in 2014.
Per Wings President Greg Bibb, Owusu applied for a sixth year of eligibility with the NCAA. While Owusu might not join the Wings for another year, Bibb felt confident that the Lady Lion would be a great option in Dallas whenever she comes.
“Ashley Owusu at pick 33 is a tremendous value pick for us,” Bibb told media Monday night. “If she does get that extra year, we’ll discuss that option with her. If she does go back to school, we’ve retained her rights for the year. And if she doesn’t go back to school, we’ll talk about what her future with us looks like.”
Owusu has consistently been one of the best players on any team she’s played on. A native of Woodbridge, Virginia, Owusu was a five-star high school prospect and the No. 7 overall player in the country, per ESPN. When she went to Maryland and Penn State, along with a less successful stint at Virginia Tech in between, Owusu was still dominant.
At Penn State, Owusu recorded 354 points, 72 assists, 109 rebounds, and 18 steals. At Maryland, Owusu beat the Lady Lions five times en route to notching 1,286 points, 444 assists, and 370 rebounds across 88 appearances.
“With Ashley, that’s a player that I’ve watched since her days at Paul VI in Virginia,” Bibb said. “She got back on the court and she was very productive at Penn State the second half of the season. She is an uber-skilled athlete. I love her size.”
From a technical aspect, Bibb raved about Owusu’s ability. The guard struggled with injuries at the start of her Penn State tenure but finished the season as the Lady Lions’ best player. She was an aggressive shooter and a force on defense, exemplifying the playing style of head coach Carolyn Kieger.
“She’s very good at backing down smaller guards and playing with her back to the basket. She is much quicker than she looks,” Bibb said. “She’s one of those players, rare players in my opinion, she actually may be faster dribbling the basketball than she is running without it. And she’s super smart in terms of her basketball IQ.”
Bibb said the Wings did their homework on Owusu and drafted her with the understanding they might not see her for another year.
However, Bibb added that he didn’t feel Owusu had to join the team as soon as possible. He was as comfortable to let Owusu develop for another year with Penn State as he was to get her on the floor in Dallas.
“The good thing with us, this is not a player that we have to have here for training camp this summer. That’s what it works out to be, super excited to have someone of her talent level here,” Bibb said. “If it doesn’t work out to be, though, that’s fine, too. We can always look to bring Ashley in next year.
“There’s a lot of flexibility there with us in terms of her. I think that’s why it’s probably a great fit for her because we’ll be able to do what’s best not only for us but more importantly, what’s best for her,” he continued.
