WNBA draft 2025: Wings, Solar, Mystics rating highest grades

Having the highest choose in Monday’s WNBA draft just about 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 at the very least a pair have a stable likelihood to make the roster.

Two groups in rebuilding mode — the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Solar — additionally had robust drafts. The league’s latest group, the growth Golden State Valkyries, did not grade as effectively (their growth draft additionally raised eyebrows). However there’s at all times 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 here are our preliminary impressions of the 2025 draft for the opposite 11 franchises.

Bounce 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

It is a new period for Dallas, which is beneath 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 basic supervisor who excelled with protection in his time main the Solar — and the picks in his first draft with Dallas mirror that.

Admittedly, it will likely be onerous 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 will probably be onerous to protect. And Dallas’ perimeter protection may very well be excellent. Anticipate this group to play very quick and benefit from all of Bueckers’ many skills.

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Newly drafted Wings star Paige Bueckers expresses her feelings after being the primary choose of the WNBA draft.

7: Aneesah Morrow, LSU Tigers, PF
8: Saniya Rivers, NC State Wolfpack, SF
25: Rayah Marshall, USC Trojans, PF

The Solar needed to be thrilled that Morrow was nonetheless accessible at No. 7. Like her former LSU teammate Angel Reese (final 12 months’s No. 7 choose) was for Chicago, Morrow may very well be a rebounding star instantly.

After the Solar misplaced longtime face of the franchise Alyssa Thomas — often called “The Engine” — to Phoenix by free company, now Morrow is available in as a brand new motor.

Rivers is lengthy, fast and versatile, a participant who stuffed 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 Solar choose Aneesah Morrow seventh general

The Connecticut Solar choose Aneesah Morrow from LSU with the seventh choose of the WNBA draft.

3: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame Combating 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 certainly to make an impression for a new-look Mystics franchise. Citron is a superb 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 pressure and can do no matter is required of her on protection.

However Washington’s depth impressed, too: Olsen excited Huge Ten followers together with her scoring capability in her one season at Iowa, and Inexperienced additionally had a huge impact 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 gained the draft the previous two years with two No. 1 picks who gained 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 perhaps 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 glorious mentoring from gamers comparable to veteran All-Star Nneka Ogwumike with Seattle.

Malonga alone would earn an excellent grade for the Storm, however Sundell, a third-round choose, has a shot to make the group. She liked passing to Ayoka Lee at Okay-State, and now she might 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 general

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 Combating Irish, PF
22: Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M Aggies, SG

A variety of this grade depends upon Sivka, a extremely regarded teen who, like Malonga, would not flip 20 till November. If she adapts effectively to the WNBA, the Sky might 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 university participant; we are going to see if she continues that success within the professional recreation. Westbeld may need an opportunity to make the roster, too.

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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 Combating Irish, SF

Barker wasn’t this excessive on our draft board, however she had her career-best 12 months as a senior, capturing 56% from 2-point vary and 37.5% from behind the arc.

Wanting again, although, Feagin is perhaps 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 capability.

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 picks, and at the very least one might make the roster. Nye may very well be an excellent match for coach Becky Hammon’s offense — she made greater than 100 3-pointers every of the previous two seasons, capturing 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 group. However Paopao’s capturing capability may 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 might be.

Thierry was one of many Huge Ten’s greatest defenders; even when she would not make this roster, she might have a future within the WNBA.

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Te-Hina Paopao is able to deliver 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

An enormous a part of the explanation the grade is middling for the Lynx is that they did not actually need something from this draft. They had been an eyelash from profitable the WNBA title final 12 months 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 teenager who might find yourself sooner or later 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 issue with evaluating the Valkyries’ first draft is we actually do not know the way their gamers will match collectively since they’ve but to play a recreation as a franchise.

Sellers dropped additional than we anticipated; maybe she makes an impression on this roster. As for the Valkyries’ first-round choose, we do not need 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 impression, and it would take longer.