Lynx Take NC State's Kayla Jones, MN Native Hannah Sjerven In WNBA Draft

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In Monday night's WNBA draft, the Lynx added a forward from NC State and brought home a Minnesota native.

After trading their top two picks for a couple of selections next year, the Lynx were left with the 22nd and 28th overall picks this year.

At 22 they took Kayla Jones, a 6-foot-1 forward from NC State. She averaged 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds a game in her college career. During this season's NCAA tournament, she helped bring NC State to the Elite Eight, where they lost to Minnesota native Paige Bueckers and UConn. Jones made the All-ACC Second Team this year, and was named to the All-ACC First team the year before.

"Childhood dreams turned into reality," Jones wrote on Twitter.

With the 28th pick, the Lynx added Hannah Sjerven, a native of Rogers, Minn., who played college ball at the University of South Dakota. The 6-foot-2 center averaged 13.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game in four college seasons. Like NC State, South Dakota made a deep tourney run, being one of only two double-digit seeds to make the Sweet 16. Sjerven earned three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards in the Summit League.

On Twitter, Sjerven wrote she was "happy to be coming home."

The Lynx will begin the season in Seattle on May 6.