US-NYC: Liberty Draft Okako Adika with 30th Pick of 2023 WNBA Draft

With the 30th pick of the 2023 WNBA Draft, the New York Liberty drafted University of Southern California guard/forward Okako Adika.

A native of Denmark, Adika played with three different Division I programs after earning junior college All-American honors with Odessa College. As a graduate transfer with the Trojans (after one-year terms with Butler and TCU), Adika averaged 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds last season en route to the Trojans' first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance in nine years.

Okako Adika with the strong take for 2 pic.twitter.com/HMkVPG04hz
— Butler Women’s Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) January 13, 2021

As one would expect with the Liberty's current roster packed to the brim with historic talents that have led to the team's popular designation as a "superteam," Adika appears to be more of a long-term project in the New York system. General manager Jonathan Kolb more or less confirmed that in a team statement heralding Adika's signing.

“Okako Adika is a promising talent who we’re really excited about,” Kolb said. “As a versatile 3-and-D wing with familiarity in a pro-style offense, she’s someone who we can really use down the line.”

Adika shot 43 percent from three-point range in Pac-12 play this season, good for third in the conference.

Okako Adika is 🔥 from distance for @ButlerUWBB!

She has 3 three's! pic.twitter.com/Y6DD38eVPJ
— BIG EAST WBB (@BIGEASTWBB) January 17, 2021

Having acquired several notable names this offseason (including Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Courtney Vandersloot), the Liberty were mostly bereft of draft picks at a selection proceeding coming in fresh off the success of a widely-discussed and watched NCAA Tournament won by the LSU Tigers. The champions were represented by second-round choices LaDazhia Williams (17th overall, Indiana) and Alexis Morris (22nd overall, Connecticut).

Three members of the 2021-22 national champion South Carolina Gamecocks were chosen in the first round: Aliyah Boston went to the Indiana Fever as the top choice while Laeticia Amihere and Zia Cooke respectively went with the eighth (Atlanta) and 10th (Los Angeles) choices.

Maryland's Diamond Miller went to the Minnesota Lynx with the second pick while the Dallas Wings used the third and fifth choices on Maddy Siegrist (Villanova) and Lou Lopez Senechal (Connecticut) respectively. Stephanie Soares of Iowa State went to the Washington Mystics at No. 4.

The 2023 Liberty season will open May 19 when the bearers of seafoam battle the Washington Mystics.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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