Leigha Brown’s last season at Michigan earned her a shot in the WNBA

Departures and injuries forced Leigha Brown into a new role in her final college season, as Michigan’s point guard and primary ball handler and facilitator.

It not only helped Michigan, which went 23-10 and won a game in the NCAA Tournament, but it led to Brown getting picked 15th overall in this month’s WNBA draft.

Brown’s selection tied for the highest in Michigan history, a mark set last year by Brown’s former teammate, Naz Hillmon. The same team drafted both Wolverines, and that wasn’t purely a coincidence.

Atlanta Dream management asked Hillmon, who appeared in 34 games with 12 starts as a rookie last season, about Brown.

“Naz just said, ‘Love playing with her, ultimate competitor,’ and had nothing but good things to say,” Dream general manager Dan Padover said on draft night. Atlanta was already high on Brown; Hillmon’s endorsement was the final stamp of approval.

Atlanta had two first-round picks this year (6 and 8) and took Stanford’s Haley Jones and South Carolina’s Laeticia Amihere. While Amihere is technically a forward, she played on the perimeter plenty at South Carolina.

“They’re all big guards, great size with a lot of different versatility,” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright said of the three draftees. “We want to get out, we want to run, we want to try and score in transition. We want our pace to be high. … All of them bring that to the table.”

Brown showed her full skill set as a fifth-year senior last season. She led Michigan with 17.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. At 6-foot-1, she is tall for a point guard. Brown believes her position switch this season “play(ed) a pretty big part in this opportunity.”

The next step is proving she can do it at the professional level. Earning a WNBA roster spot, especially as a second-round pick, is not easy. Last year, three of the 12 second-round picks (and one first-rounder) were waived before the season began.

Brown spoke to media last week, on the last day of classes of Michigan’s winter semester. Her final exams will be done before training camp starts on April 30. (The season opens on May 19.)

“I’m coming into training camp knowing it’s going to be really difficult and there’s going to be bumps and growing pains,” Brown said. “It’s going to take a minute to get used to. But going in and bringing exactly what I’ve been able to showcase these last few years, and a little more.”

Brown described her draft-night reaction as “through-the-roof” excitement. Reuniting with Hillmon contributed to that feeling, given their history and chemistry. With those two as Michigan’s leading scorers, Michigan went to its first-ever Sweet 16 in 2021 and then topped it with an Elite Eight run in 2022.

Without Hillmon, it was fair to wonder if Michigan would fall off, especially after star sophomore guard Laila Phelia went down with injury. Brown carried the Wolverines in certain games, like her 29-point, eight-assist performance in a win at…