The Dallas Wings used a 2024 first-round pick to select French guard Carla Leite. While she didn’t play for the Wings last season, she showed her potential in Europe. So, it was rather surprising to see the 21-year-old be unprotected in the expansion draft in December.
The Valkyries selected Carla Leite, a decision that is looking pretty good for Golden State so far and rough for the Wings. Leite is young, even for a rookie, and has a very high ceiling that she can reach if developed correctly. Dallas squandered an opportunity to do that.
Carla Leite’s potential is on full display early in her rookie season
Carla Leite had a rough WNBA debut. In 12 minutes against the Los Angeles Sparks, she scored only two points, missing all three of her field goal attempts, and turned the ball over three times.
Those struggles were not exactly unexpected. Leite is young and had to move to a new country, get used to new teammates and a new system, and play in front of a huge crowd eager to see the Valkyries kick off their inaugural season. That is not the best environment to have a successful WNBA debut.
Leite made up for it quickly, playing a significant role in the Valkyries’ first-ever win. She played 21 minutes in the Valkyries’ 76-74 victory over the Washington Mystics, taking on a bigger role when Tiffany Hayes had to leave the game with a nose injury, and put up 10 points, two rebounds, and three assists.
Leite still missed a lot of her shots, shooting only 28.6 percent from the field, but showed flashes of her potential. She cleaned up her turnovers compared to her first game and didn’t let her shooting struggles keep her from impacting the game.
As the season goes on, Leite will only continue to grow her confidence and get used to the WNBA game. Soon enough, she may emerge as one of the best young guards in the league and will truly make the Wings regret letting her go in the expansion draft.
Carla Leite is no ordinary rookie
Carla Leite may be young and a rookie but she has an advantage over most other WNBA newbies. Playing professional basketball is nothing new for Leite. She signed her first professional contract in France when she was just eighteen years old. This past season, she was even named the EuroCup Women Finals MVP, leading Villeneuve d’Ascq to its second EuroCup title.
If Leite decides to play in the WNBA regularly, she could quickly turn into a franchise cornerstone for the Valkyries.