Having the highest choose in Monday’s WNBA draft nearly assured the Dallas Wings an “A” in ESPN’s draft grades. After which the Wings did even higher.
As anticipated, they chose UConn guard Paige Bueckers at No. 1. Dallas after which went guard-heavy on three of its 4 different picks, and no less than a pair have a strong probability to make the roster.
Two groups in rebuilding mode — the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun — additionally had robust drafts. The league’s latest crew, the enlargement Golden State Valkyries, did not grade as properly (their enlargement draft additionally raised eyebrows). However there’s all the time an opportunity for groups to show these grades fallacious — generally for higher, generally for worse.
The Phoenix Mercury had no picks Monday, and the defending champion New York Liberty had only one — the ultimate choice — so there is not any grade for both franchise. However listed below are our preliminary impressions of the 2025 draft for the opposite 11 franchises.
Leap to: ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND | LV | LA | MIN | SEA | WAS
1: Paige Bueckers, UConn Huskies, PG
12: Aziaha James, NC State Wolfpack, SG
14: Madison Scott, Ole Miss Rebels, SG
27: JJ Quinerly, West Virginia Mountaineers, SG
31: Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor Bears, C
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
It is a new period for Dallas, which is below new management after lacking the playoffs final season (the Wings reached the 2023 semifinals). New Wings GM Curt Miller is a longtime WNBA coach and normal supervisor who excelled with protection in his time main the Sun — and the picks in his first draft with Dallas replicate that.
Admittedly, it is going to be exhausting for James, Scott and Quinerly to all make this roster. However they’re all good gamers who will make camp very aggressive.
With veteran Arike Ogunbowale, Bueckers and James on the roster, the Wings can be exhausting to protect. And Dallas’ perimeter protection may very well be excellent. Count on this crew to play very quick and make the most of all of Bueckers’ many abilities.
7: Aneesah Morrow, LSU Tigers, PF
8: Saniya Rivers, NC State Wolfpack, SF
25: Rayah Marshall, USC Trojans, PF
The Sun needed to be thrilled that Morrow was nonetheless obtainable at No. 7. Like her former LSU teammate Angel Reese (final yr’s No. 7 choose) was for Chicago, Morrow may very well be a rebounding star instantly.
After the Sun misplaced longtime face of the franchise Alyssa Thomas — referred to as “The Engine” — to Phoenix by means of free company, now Morrow is available in as a brand new motor.
Rivers is lengthy, fast and versatile, a participant who crammed up field scores for the Wolfpack. Marshall is robust and reliable as an inside defender and rebounder, with some untapped offensive potential, too.
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Connecticut Sun choose Aneesah Morrow seventh total
The Connecticut Sun choose Aneesah Morrow from LSU with the seventh choose of the WNBA draft.
3: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame Preventing Irish, SG
4: Kiki Iriafen, USC Trojans, PF
6: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky Wildcats, PG
23: Lucy Olsen, Iowa Hawkeyes, SG
32: Zaay Inexperienced, Alabama Crimson Tide, PG
The highest three right here, in fact, are the almost definitely to make an affect for a new-look Mystics franchise. Citron is a wonderful defender and reliable scorer who brings Notre Dame’s famed “Guard U” prowess to the Mystics. Iriafen turned herself right into a lottery choose together with her junior and senior seasons. Amoore is small, however she is an offensive power and can do no matter is required of her on protection.
However Washington’s depth impressed, too: Olsen excited Massive Ten followers together with her scoring potential in her one season at Iowa, and Inexperienced additionally had a big effect in her one season at Alabama.
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Mystics take Sonia Citron with the third choose
The Washington Mystics choose Notre Dame star Sonia Citron with the third choose within the WNBA draft.
19: Makayla Timpson, Florida State Seminoles, PF
20: Bree Corridor, South Carolina Gamecocks, SG
33: Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga Bulldogs, PF
The Fever received the draft the previous two years with two No. 1 picks who received Rookie of the 12 months in Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. After making the playoffs for the primary time since 2016, the Fever did not have a first-round choose on this draft however made probably the most of what they’d.
Timpson simply is likely to be the steal of the second spherical; she has averaged a double-double the previous two seasons for the Seminoles and may very well be one other good goal for Clark’s passes. Corridor is a lockdown defender and former teammate of Boston’s at South Carolina.
2: Dominique Malonga, France, C
26: Serena Sundell, Kansas State Wildcats, PG
29: Madison Conner, TCU Horned Frogs, SG
34: Jordan Hobbs, Michigan Wolverines, PG
We’re able to be wowed by Malonga, who may very well be one of many subsequent nice submit gamers within the WNBA regardless of nonetheless being an adolescent. She may have some wonderful mentoring from gamers akin to veteran All-Star Nneka Ogwumike with Seattle.
Malonga alone would earn grade for the Storm, however Sundell, a third-round choose, has a shot to make the crew. She cherished passing to Ayoka Lee at Okay-State, and now she may have one other 6-foot-6 goal in Malonga, together with Ogwumike and 6-foot-4 Ezi Magbegor.
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Seattle Storm choose Dominique Malonga 2nd total
The Seattle Storm choose Dominique Malonga from France with the second choose of the WNBA draft.
10: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia, PF
11: Hailey Van Lith, TCU Horned Frogs, PG
16: Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame Preventing Irish, PF
22: Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M Aggies, SG
Lots of this grade is determined by Sivka, a extremely regarded teen who, like Malonga, does not flip 20 till November. If she adapts properly to the WNBA, the Sky may have an excellent younger submit core, with Sivka alongside sophomores Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Van Lith, who performed one season at LSU with Reese, reached the Elite Eight 5 occasions as a school participant; we’ll see if she continues that success within the professional sport. Westbeld may need an opportunity to make the roster, too.
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Hailey Van Lith thanks household after being drafted by Chicago
New Chicago Sky star Hailey Van Lith tells Holly Rowe how her household has impacted her work ethic.
9: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama Crimson Tide, SG
21: Sania Feagin, South Carolina Gamecocks, PF
28: Liatu King, Notre Dame Preventing Irish, SF
Barker wasn’t this excessive on our draft board, however she had her career-best yr as a senior, taking pictures 56% from 2-point vary and 37.5% from behind the arc.
Wanting again, although, Feagin is likely to be probably the most impactful participant the Sparks get on this draft. She got here into her personal this season for the Gamecocks and will simply be scratching the floor of her potential.
13: Aaliyah Nye, Alabama Crimson Tide, SG
35: Harmoni Turner, Harvard Crimson, SG
The Aces misplaced their first-round choose for league disciplinary causes, however they made probably the most of those two alternatives, and no less than one may make the roster. Nye may very well be match for coach Becky Hammon’s offense — she made greater than 100 3-pointers every of the previous two seasons, taking pictures 41.7% behind the arc as a junior and 45.5% as a senior. Turner was one of many prime scorers within the nation (22.5 PPG) this season and led Harvard to the NCAA event.
18: Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina Gamecocks, SG
36: Taylor Thierry, Ohio State Buckeyes, SF
With picks this late, there is not any assure of getting somebody who could make the crew. However Paopao’s taking pictures potential would possibly give her an opportunity. She wasn’t as sharp from 3-point vary for South Carolina this season (37%) as she was in 2023-24 (46.8%), however we all know what sort of shooter she may be.
Thierry was one of many Massive Ten’s finest defenders; even when she does not make this roster, she may have a future within the WNBA.
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Te-Hina Paopao is able to convey Samoan tradition to Atlanta
New Atlanta Dream star Te-Hina Paopao talks about bringing her Samoan heritage to the WNBA.
15: Anastasiia Kosu, Russia, SF
24: Dalayah Daniels, Washington Huskies, PF
37: Aubrey Griffin, UConn Huskies, SF
A giant a part of the rationale the grade is middling for the Lynx is that they did not actually need something from this draft. They had been an eyelash from successful the WNBA title final yr and convey again all these key gamers. They traded their first-round choose (No. 11) to Chicago.
However the participant to observe is Kosu, a promising teen who may find yourself in some unspecified time in the future making this draft look fairly good for Minnesota.
5: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania, SG
17: Shyanne Sellers, Maryland Terrapins, PG
30: Kaitlyn Chen, UConn Huskies, PG
A part of the problem with evaluating the Valkyries’ first draft is we actually do not understand how their gamers will match collectively since they’ve but to play a sport as a franchise.
Sellers dropped additional than we anticipated; maybe she makes an affect on this roster. As for the Valkyries’ first-round choose, we do not wish to underplay Jocyte’s potential; she is extremely regarded among the many younger gamers from abroad. However the Valkyries appear to be relying on her to make an instantaneous affect, and it would take longer.