Courtney Paris has always been the franchise player, so to speak.

That changed last month when six teams passed on Paris in the WNBA draft.

Instead of being selected by a team that needed Paris to be the dominant force she's always been, she slipped to No. 7, where the Monarchs selected her out of Oklahoma and asked the first four-time All-American in college women's basketball to be a role player.

But if Paris has her way, she'll eventually play the dominant role she's accustomed to filling, and the Monarchs will be much obliged.

For the time being, Paris accepts the challenge of her new role as she begins her first WNBA training camp today at the Monarchs' practice facility. Still, there's part of her that expects to be the player she's always been. After all, she collected accolades in high school and college the same way she grabbed rebounds – at a record rate.

"You want be the best you can be, and hopefully that's one of the best," said Paris, 21. "But I feel like I have so much to learn, and I don't know how (long) it will take me to get everything in. Maybe it will take a year, maybe a month, maybe a couple of years. But I do want to get it down and hopefully go out and dominate."

That's as close as you'll get to Paris bragging. For a player who recorded an NCAA-record 112 double doubles and is the only college basketball player – male or female – with at least 2,500 points and 2,000 rebounds, there's a noticeable humility.

Paris took the slide to seventh in the draft well. She addresses concerns about her weight (USA Basketball lists her at 250 pounds) and conditioning without bitterness.

She's well aware some wonder if her style of play will work in the WNBA, where the 6-foot-4 center will encounter taller players and be asked to be more versatile.

She says she must have been meant to be a Monarch and likes that she's near the Bay Area and Modesto, two places she spent her childhood.

Bryan Gardere, Paris' coach at Piedmont High School for three seasons, has overseen some of her workouts since the draft and believes the slide to No. 7 will add motivation.

"She's always politically correct, and she always says the right thing," Gardere said. "But I think she'll feed off the six teams that passed on her."

Despite Paris' success in high school and college, there have been doubters. Paris, however, always responded by putting up eye-catching statistics (she owns 18 NCAA records).

The Monarchs have nothing but praise for Paris.

"A player's not going to last in the WNBA if (she doesn't) have something that's special," Monarchs coach Jenny Boucek said. "I can't answer for other GMs why she dropped, because she's special.

"There were probably some players that may appear on the surface to be ready right now. But we're not in a situation where we need her to be a savior."

Not that she can't be one.

Piedmont became a national force and won two California Interscholastic Federation titles with Paris and her twin sister, Ashley, leading the way. Ashley, who also played at Oklahoma, was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Sooners reached this year's Final Four behind Courtney, whose public guarantee of a national championship fell short, and Ashley.

The transition into the WNBA shouldn't be a simple for Courtney as stepping on the court and grabbing double-digit rebounds.

"They said high school to college was going to be a huge transition and maybe it would take her a while to get used to it, and she became the first four-time All-American," Ashley said. "Regardless of the competition, she's able to adjust and be the same consistent player."

The last time Courtney took a step up in competition, she averaged 21.9 points and 15.0 rebounds as a freshman at Oklahoma. She won't be asked to score much as a rookie, but as the leading rebounder in women's college basketball history, Paris will be asked to do a lot of that.

"She can be of great value just rebounding and protecting the paint," Monarchs general manager John Whisenant said. "For her to be a dominant all-star, she has to continue to work on her skills."

The Monarchs intend to allow Paris to work on her offensive skills and won't ask much of her in that area. Neither did Oklahoma, where Paris said her job "was to shoot layups, guard the key, block shots and grab rebounds."

"There's a lot of people that probably think I can't do a lot of things I can do," Paris said. "(At Oklahoma), I did what I was strong at and what I could do to help my team win. And whatever role I get here is the role I'm going to focus on."

That's one reason falling to Sacramento might end up being the key to allowing Paris to develop into a star.

If Rebekkah Brunson and DeMya Walker overcome knee injuries and Laura Harper builds off a solid season in Europe, Paris will be given the time to expand her offensive game.

"When you go into a situation year after year and you have to perform (for the team to win), you do what you do well," Boucek said. "When you're allowed to develop and you don't have the same pressure day in and day out, it gives you room to grow."

If Paris grows into the player the Monarchs believe she can be, the 2009 WNBA draft might be remembered for lucky No. 7.

"She's always been told she can't do certain things, and she's gone out and proved people wrong," Gardere said. "If the minutes are there and she earns it, she's going to be a double double every night. She's going to surprise a lot of people.

"If the league leader (Candace Parker) was at 9.5 (rebounds a game) last year, you're going to have a new rebounding leader. Everyone's going to be surprised."