UNCASVILLE - When Jewell Loyd and Amanda Zahui embraced each other after the 2015 WNBA draft, it signified a shared respect, accomplishment and understanding of each other’s very similar situation.

That was because the first and second picks in this year's draft both opted to leave the NCAA early and their respective decisions were endorsed as the Seattle Storm plumped for Jewell, with Zahui being chosen by the Tulsa Shock.

Loyd won't take up her senior year with Notre Dame which is a blow to the Fighting Irish, but being the top pick in any draft will come as a significant boost to the player who became the first in the school's history to do so - beating Skylar Diggins, who was taken with the third overall selection a couple of years ago.

As well as a star of the college game, Lloyd is a renowned 3x3 player and has seen her profile begin to soar after a sizeable dose of support and mentoring via social media by Kobe Bryant.

Zahui will also see her own stock rise after becoming the highest European pick for some 15 years.

You have to rewind way back to the 2000 draft, when Cleveland Rockers took the legendary Ann Wauters as first pick.

Also a center, Zahui is pencilled in to play with Sweden's national team at EuroBasket Women in June and has produced some huge numbers playing for Minnesota where she was a redshirt sophomore.

UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had double reason to be delighted with being selected as third pick in the draft, since it means a return to the West Coast.

The Californian was selected by the Storm and will link up with Loyd.

Duke senior star Elizabeth Williams was picked fourth by the Connecticut Sun and Cheyenne Parker of Middle Tennessee State was the fifth pick and taken by the Chicago Sky.

There was also a little piece of history for sixth pick Dearica Hamby, who became the first Wake Forest player to be taken in the draft after the San Antonio Stars plumped for her.

Elsewhere, there were three other European picks in addition to Zahui.

The Phoenix Mercury selected Zofia Hruscakova with the 24th pick. The forward confirmed her status as one of the most exciting players in Europe and underlined her extraordinary talent and influence by leading the Slovak Republic national team in both scoring and rebounding last year when they punched a ticket for EuroBasket Women.

San Antonio opted for Dragana Stankovic with the 30th pick, with the center pushing hard for a place on the Serbia team for EuroBasket Women.

Meanwhile, Washington Mystics head coach Mike Thibault underlined his knowledge of international basketball as the team took Marica Gajic with the 32nd selection.

The play-caller was clearly impressed by the damage the power forward did to her opponents at the U20 European Championship Women Division B last year.

FIBA