Phoenix drafts Westerberg

The blessings just keep coming for Emily Westerberg.

The former Central Valley star, who just completed her basketball career with the most successful season in Arizona State history, was selected in the WNBA draft Wednesday.

“It’s pretty crazy, isn’t it?” she said. “I never would have expected it. How many women play basketball in the whole country? To be in the top 40, that’s pretty crazy, a small-town girl from Spokane.”

Westerberg was taken in the third round, 37th overall, by the Phoenix Mercury. There were three rounds and 39 selections. It was a rare moment for a local product.

Stacy Clinesmith, a standout at Mead and UC Santa Barbara, was a second-round pick, 30th overall, by Sacramento in 2000. She played three years in the WNBA.

Aubree Johnson of Post Falls, Westerberg’s best friend and teammate, was also invited to camp with the Mercury.

“Aubree was reading me the names, refreshing the computer,” Westerberg said. “She was freaking out when it was mine. I was just thinking there was a chance I could get invited to a camp.”

Both just returned to school from the Final Four in Cleveland. Westerberg had been invited to the predraft camp, which was in Cleveland, and Johnson went for a vacation.

“I was apprehensive,” Westerberg said. “You don’t run a set offense, I think that’s when my talent showcases, it’s a lot of 1-on-1, create your own shots.

“I think I did OK. I played hard. That’s one thing I could do, show teams I play hard, hustle. Teams still need role players. I showed I can do that.”

Westerberg also pointed out that ASU lost to both teams in the championship game, Tennessee and Rutgers. The Sun Devils’ other three losses were to conference rival Stanford.

Westerberg and Johnson helped ASU to a 31-5 record, 16-2 in the Pac 10. The Sun Devils reached the Elite Eight, where they fell to Rutgers. They set school records for wins, conference wins, highest ranking (seventh in one poll) and advancing in the postseason.

Westerberg was ASU’s leading scorer at 13.2 points a game and Johnson was the leading rebounder at 5.8. Both earned All-Pac-10 honors, with Westerberg the first ASU player so honored three times.

Phoenix selected consensus Player of the Year Lindsey Harding of Duke with the No. 1 overall pick and traded her to Minnesota for 6-foot-4 All-Star post Tangela Smith.

In the second round the Mercury picked Tyresa Smith, a forward from Delaware.

With three picks in the third round Phoenix added Leah Rush, a forward from Oklahoma, Chrissy Givens, a guard from Middle Tennessee State, which beat Gonzaga in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, and Westerberg, a 6-1 forward.

They join a team that includes last year’s league scoring champion Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, who was an all-star as a rookie last year. Paul Westhead, who coached at Loyola Marymount and in the NBA, is the Mercury coach.

Both players are nearing the end of their studies.

Johnson will graduate in May with a degree in kinesiology. Westerberg, an education major, still has to do her student teaching, which she would like to do in Spokane if basketball doesn’t interfere.

Westerberg is engaged to Grayling Love, a former Sun Devils football player, with a wedding planned for July in Spokane.

“Spokane is where we want to settle down and have a family so my children can play with the Spokane Stars,” she said.

First then is the process of trying to keep her basketball career going. Camp will open soon. The first preseason game is May 2 and the regular season starts May 19.

“I feel blessed, I really feel blessed of all the things I’ve gotten to do up to now and the opportunities that continue to arise,” Westerberg said.