3 weeks Ago
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images UConn star Paige Bueckers is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings. What happens after that in the 2025 WNBA Draft is anyone’s guess.
There’s a singular event each April that marks the turn of the calendar in women’s basketball.While the transfer portal rages on and the coaching carousel keeps spinning, the annual WNBA Draft marks the end of the college campaign and the start of the season for the best professional women’s basketball league on the planet.This draft is an interesting one.
While UConn star and recently crowned national champion Paige Bueckers is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, what happens after that is anyone’s guess. Prospects that could be drafted in the first round include the 6-foot-6 Dominique Malonga from France, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, and a pair of intriguing and dynamic guards from N.
C. State.Notably, six teams enter Monday night without first-round picks, including the Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury.
Nearly half the league either traded their picks away, or — in the case of the Aces — had it taken from them due to violating league rules.As Monday night’s draft goes on, we’ll grade each pick in real time, and then we’ll adjust for trades and other surprises as those are reported. Keep refreshing this page to get instant analysis on each of the first 12 selections.
Here are the picks:1. Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, UConnGrade: A+This was a no-brainer. Bueckers has long been projected as the top pick in this draft and has garnered comparisons to Chelsea Gray and Chris Paul.
She’s a versatile, well-rounded and shapeshifting guard who at UConn proved that she could be the team’s top passer, shooter, rebounder and defender. Bueckers can be an elite offensive contributor with and without the ball in her hands, in the she can create shots for herself and others, while also being capable of flying around picks and knocking down catch-and-shoot opportunities. And if that isn’t enough, she’s a fine defender too.
She leaves college and enters the WNBA as a national champion, a three-level scorer and a can’t-miss prospect.2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, FranceGrade: AAmerican audiences should get familiar with Malonga quickly.
She’s been compared to Victor Wembanyama and ESPN’s Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogumike called her the “steal” of the draft. Malonga is 6-foot-6 and — with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and incredible athleticism — is capable of dunking whenever she has the ball in her hands. The 19-year-old was the MVP in the EuroCup this past season and arguably the best player in the French league.
The WNBA talent evaluators at The Next identified her ceiling as “Lisa Leslie with a 3-pointer.” Carter also called her an “absolute matchup nightmare.”3.
Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron, Notre DameGrade: ACitron was often overshadowed at Notre Dame because of her head-turning human-highlight reel teammates in Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, but the 6-foot-1 guard is a standout stopper on defense and has the ability to make big shots on offense. Citron has a versatile offensive package and was a 37 percent 3-point shooter for the Fighting Irish. She is the prototypical three-and-D wing.
4. Washington Mystics5. Golden State Valkyries6.
Washington Mystics7. Connecticut Sun8. Connecticut Sun9.
LA Sparks10. Chicago Sky11. Chicago Sky12.
Dallas Wings.
_0.png.webp?itok=4iqwm02r)
