NFL
By: Nick Andre
Training camp has begun for the WNBA. With the season right around the corner, teams want to make sure they’re prepared for the journey of 40 games in a four-month span. The Atlanta Dream are known as one of the top playoff contenders in the WNBA. To add to their success, they recently signed guard Destanni Henderson to a Training Camp Contract.
Henderson’s journey has been a unique one, to say the least. She’s a Dawn Staley product as she played four seasons at South Carolina and played a huge role in leading the Gamecocks to a National Championship in 2022. Henderson was later drafted 20th overall by the Indiana Fever and played one season with the organization.
The WNBA has been a cutthroat league. There’s roster space which means that many players do not get a shot to compete at the highest level. After one season with the Fever, Henderson was waived before the start of the 2023 season. She was another player who deserved a fair chance but needed a team to believe in her.
Luckily, things changed in June 2023. As the Los Angeles Sparks needed another point guard, they gave Destanni Henderson a call and offered a hardship contract. During her tenure as a Spark, Henderson was spectacular on both ends of the floor. She displayed a combination of playmaking, scoring, and defending. Henderson played 10 games with the Sparks and averaged five points and 2.5 assists. Her highlight moment was scoring 18 points in a contest against the Dallas Wings on June 23.
After her hardship contract with Los Angeles expired, Henderson later signed with the Phoenix Mercury through the rest of the season. She played five games with the organization and averaged 1.4 points in 6.2 minutes of action.
Henderson’s time with Los Angeles was important. She took advantage of her opportunity and made sure to not disappoint. The beauty of Henderson’s game is her ability to play with or without the basketball. She is a dynamic playmaker who can get into the teeth of the defense while either finding an open teammate or finding an opportunity inside. Henderson is also great with her off-ball movement by moving well while also being a spot-up shooter as well.
Henderson has an opportunity to continue her WNBA tenure with the Atlanta Dream. Head coach Tanisha Wright has done a great job of maximizing her guard play and leading them to success. On the first day of Training Camp, Coach Wright announced that Jordin Canada is guaranteed to be the starting point guard for the Dream. However, the backup slot is still one that’s open.
As Henderson is still searching for a permanent roster spot, she’ll be approaching training camp motivated and determined. It’s important that she shows her true value on the floor and continues to make the rest of her teammates better versions of themselves. If things turn out well, we may see her in an Atlanta Dream uniform this season.
