What’s up, Creighton fans? It’s been a minute.
On this episode of the Bluejay Beat podcast we caught up with Atlanta Dream rookie wing Jaylyn Agnew from the “The Wubble” at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. After becoming the first Creighton player in nearly 30 years to average at least 20 points per game for an entire season, Agnew was named 2020 Big East Player of the Year and earned an Honorable Mention All-American nod from the Associated Press. She then became the first player in the history of Creighton women’s basketball to be drafted in the WNBA when the reigning champion Washington Mystics selected her in the second round with the 24th overall pick.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic she was waived by the Mystics before training camp began as teams had to get their rosters aligned with the salary cap by May 26. In the mean time, Agnew finished up her studies and earned her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Creighton University. On June 24, a week and a half before all 12 teams made their way down to Bradenton for the start of training camp, Agnew was signed by the Atlanta Dream and she made her professional debut against the Dallas Wings on July 26, just over two months after being waived by waived by Washington.
With her first season in the WNBA winding down, she joined us to talk about what life is like in isolation away from her family and friends as well as her experiences playing against some of the game’s all-time greats such as Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Brittney Griner. She offers her valuable insight on the pros and cons of conducting a season in a bubble, including what the experience might be like for student-athletes if college basketball elects to implement a similar model. She also shares reflects on a summer of racial injustice and turmoil, and takes us inside the league’s persistent efforts to strive for meaningful social justice reform.
Here’s the audio podcast:
Or if you prefer, you can watch a video of this episode on our YouTube Channel!