CHICAGO — Most draft prospects aren’t too picky about their potential destination. But for Maryland senior Shyanne Sellers, it’s a slightly different story.

Chicago means something different to the Sellers family. And Shyanne’s father, Brad, can’t lie — it’s hard not to dream about the prospect of hearing his daughter’s name called to the city almost four decades after the Bulls selected him.

“Look, the trip back to Chicago hasn’t gotten past us,” Sellers told the Chicago Tribune with a grin. “It’s exciting to even think about.”

There’s a high likelihood Sellers won’t be available by the time the Sky are on the clock Monday night with the No. 10 pick in the WNBA draft. Although initial mock drafts often had Sellers being selected toward the end of the first round, her stock skyrocketed after stars such as Olivia Miles opted to return for a final year of eligibility.

Sellers, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 14.4 points and 4.1 assists and shot a career-high 40.8% from 3-point range as a senior. If she falls far enough — or if general manager Jeff Pagliocca is willing to make one more draft maneuver — Sellers fits the profile of the lengthy shooter the Sky have coveted in this draft.

Most mock drafts now place Sellers as the No. 4 or No. 5 pick, which would send her to the Washington Mystics or expansion Golden State Valkyries. Still, that hasn’t kept the Sellerses from making their pitch. They feel Chicago would be a perfect fit for Shyanne — her older sister Syarra is even studying law at DePaul, regularly teasing Shyanne about the prospect of living in the same city again.

And for the Sellers family, it’s hard not to hope for a return home.

“It really brings you full circle,” Brad Sellers said. “She knows what the city of Chicago means to our family and what it has done for us. To see her come back, it would be a joy for me.”

The Bulls drafted Sellers with the ninth pick in the 1986 NBA draft as they began building a roster around Michael Jordan. Sellers didn’t stay in Chicago long enough to reap the benefits of the ’90s Bulls. He was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics just three years later and remained in the NBA until 1993, when he continued his playing career overseas.

But even after playing for four other NBA teams, the Bulls always held the most meaning for Sellers. He praised the Reinsdorf family for offering support throughout his post-basketball career in media and politics. He now is the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

And decades later, Sellers said he keeps close ties with former Bulls teammates and colleagues.

“I love Chicago and I love the Bulls,” Sellers, 62, said. “Always have and always will. That’s family. I can pick up the phone and call anybody over there. They gave me a start in life that many don’t get a chance at. I’ve always been appreciative of that.”

Shyanne always followed in the footsteps of her older sisters Sydney, Syarra and Shayla. The family jokes that she learned to dribble the same week she learned to walk. So it wasn’t a surprise when her mother, Kym, told a little white lie to sign Shyanne up for a 5-year-old league at age 4.

And it also wasn’t a surprise when Sellers quickly began to impress on the court.

“I saw some things and I was like, ‘Maybe my eyes are fooling me.’ ” Sellers said. “I kept saying, ‘Did she just do what I think she did?’ She just has a knack for the game. She has loved it from the beginning.”

Even with a former pro in the family, Shyanne and her sisters always have credited their mother with sparking their love of basketball. Kym was the one sneaking them onto rec teams and encouraging them to join AAU programs.

Shyanne’s mother couldn’t get on the court with her daughters. Although she played in high school, Kym has used a wheelchair for as long as her youngest daughter can remember following a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. But that didn’t keep her from pushing her children to compete at the highest level of the sport.

As Shyanne rose to elite competition, however, she relied more heavily on her father. Sellers now jokingly refers to himself as an “unpaid consultant” for Shyanne, who aims to be the first professional basketball player in the family since her father.

The retired forward said it’s not hard to motivate his “gym rat” daughter.

“I try to give her space to grow,” Sellers said. “If she comes to me and says, ‘Dad, tell me what you think,’ then I’ll give it to her.”

At halftime of Maryland’s Sweet 16 matchup against defending champion South Carolina on March 28 in Birmingham, Ala., Sellers could barely stand still.

At 7-foot, he towered over neighboring fans in the Maryland friends and family section as he waited with his hands folded. The Terrapins had a two-point advantage over the No. 1 seed. Shyanne was struggling with her shot, but she had made two crucial baskets to give Maryland a slight lead at the break.

Sellers peered toward the tunnel where he knew Shyanne would soon emerge, eager to give her a pep talk: “This is big time. We got a chance. We’re not even supposed to be here.”

Maryland ultimately lost, 71-67, to the Gamecocks, who advanced the national championship game Sunday. But the loss capped another impressive season for the program, which has continued to elevate in the Big Ten under coach Brenda Frese.

Shyanne was a key part of the Terrapins’ growth. Over four years, she expanded her game to become a versatile shooting guard who can score at all three levels. This season, Sellers showcased an ability to become a true playmaker at the next level, creating for her teammates and carving out space for her shot with nifty handling through the paint.

“Having a kid in your program for four years isn’t the norm anymore, and Shy has been someone who has been incredibly loyal when you talk about her trust and her love for our program,” Frese said after Maryland’s loss. “She is a competitor. She is a person that we’ve been able to challenge throughout the course of her career and she has risen to the occasion every single time. Just a special kid from a special family.”

The women’s basketball calendar offers little time for players to catch their breath. Barely two weeks separate Shyanne’s final NCAA game and the WNBA draft.

But Sellers hopes the tournament made one final case for how his daughter can succeed in the WNBA — not just with her on-ball skills or shooting but the intangible effect of her leadership and adaptability.

“She’s figured out what each moment requires,” Sellers said. “And she fills that void to say, ‘I’ll be who we need.’ For those that are in the game, that’s never undervalued. It is a piece that makes a team. Players like that, they don’t come around very often.”

©2025 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.