'Right away, you saw the talent': High school coach celebrates former Terp picked in first round of WNBA Draft

BALTIMORE - Abby Meyers high school basketball coach jokes that she could fall out of bed and score double digits in points.

The Maryland guard, who played high school ball at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, was one of two Terps selected in the first round of Monday's WNBA Draft.

"Right away, you saw the talent," Whitman girls' basketball coach Peter Kenah said. "I joke that she could fall out of bed and give you 12 points."

Meyers, who averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds this season for the Maryland women's basketball team, was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Wings.

She was 10 picks behind teammate Diamond Miller, who was chosen second in the draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

For both, who helped the Terps with a 28-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Elight, Monday's draft was special.

Meyers, who was the Ivy League Player of the Year her junior season at Princeton, finished her career in College Park.

Family and friends celebrated Meyers' selected with a draft party.

 "She's just the most natural scorer," Kenah said. "She's just totally gifted in that sense."

Coach Kenah watched Meyers up close for four years as her high school coach, so, naturally, he had to be there for her when she transferred to Maryland.

He bought season tickets and was there for every home game. 

He was even with the family on draft night.

"She was sweet enough, she invited me to watch with her and her parents and two of her friends," Kenah said. "We were just saying it's getting around the 12th pick, maybe we should set up some cameras, and when it said "ab," we just looked at each other. It was wild."

Kenah said that knowing Meyers, she was right back to work in the court.

"Some people want to go out and celebrate," Kenah said. "I know for a fact she was working out at 8 a.m. this morning."

Miller was a four-year started for the Terps.

She said her dad was a big reason for her success.

"if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be playing basketball right now," Miller said. "He knows all of the hard work we put in. He was my coach, he's my mentor. I just thank him for everything. All of my success goes to him."

Miller averaged nearly 20 points per game.