2025 WNBA Draft Grades

The WNBA Draft is in the books, and now that I have finally gotten my ducks in a row, I am ready to discuss the grades!  While it was an interesting draft with multiple storylines, I also thought that it was a weak draft after who I thought were the top 3 players in the draft (with two, Paige Bueckers and Dominique Molonga, being the top 2 picks, and a third, Shyanne Sellers, falling to the second round).  A big part of this is due to players with eligibility waiting to see the result of next year’s new collective bargaining agreement.

With my grades, I did not penalize teams if I thought they should have taken a different player (in that situation, everyone who passed on Sellers after the first two picks would have gotten a worse grade than they did), but focused on the player they did pick and what I thought about the selection and fit.  With my grades, there isn’t an exact formula, but I prioritized first round picks, then second round picks, and then third round picks.  Lastly, I reference second and third round picks possibly not making the roster; unlike many other leagues, the second and third round picks do not require a contract, and many do not make the roster in their rookie year.  As such, most of the third-round selections are more often used to fill out the training camp rosters.

 

Atlanta Dream

·        Te-Hina Paopao (18)

·        Taylor Thierry (36)

Atlanta didn’t have a first-round pick, but they got a player projected to be a first-round pick with their second rounder who also fills a need.  Paopao is unlikely to be more than a role player, but she is a good shooter and has a high IQ on both ends.  The shooting could be especially valuable, as Atlanta was not good at shooting last year, yet they hired a coach who lived by the 3 in college.  I’m not sure how much she would play if she made the roster, but her skillset and competitiveness allow her to have a serious chance of making the roster.  As for Thierry, I don’t think that she will make the roster, but she is a do-it-all type wing who is a great defender in particular; if she does make the roster, she could warrant some playing time, though she will at least be a competitive player in training camp.  For the picks they had, I thought Atlanta made some solid choices.  Grade:  B+

 

Chicago Sky

·        Ajsa Sivka (10)

·        Hailey Van Lith (11)

·        Maddy Westbeld (16)

·        Aicha Coulibaly (22)

Chicago’s draft was a little bit all over the place, though they were at an odd spot entering the draft since they’re in between rebuilding and contending.  With their first pick, they selected Sivka, who I think could earn a role immediately due to her upside as a shooter, playmaker, defender, and playmaker with nice size.  I think she has starter upside, so I think it’s a good pick whether she comes over immediately or not.  It’s also worth noting that I had Sivka 6^th on my board, so I think this was a good selection.  As for Van Lith, on the other hand, I am much lower on her.  While she’s an aggressive scorer, is competitive, and is a good playmaker, she is small and has a streaky shooter.  In general, it is tough to make it in the league when smaller if you are a bad defender, aren’t a consistent shooter, and have moments where you’re erratic and reckless with the ball, each of which are a part of her game.  I don’t see Van Lith ever being better than a backup guard, which is not a good selection for a first-round pick, even if this draft is weak (for reference, I had her as a late second round pick, while I even had Diamond Johnson, a 5’5 guard from Norfolk State, ahead of her).  In the second round, they took Westbeld, who was good prior to her injury this year and was a steady stretch-4 with two-way upside but was horrible after the injury.  I guess it might be worth a shot if she’s recovered and makes the team, which is fair since most second-round picks don’t make the roster anyways.  With the Coulibaly selection, they got a player who is a good finisher, rebounder, and defender, but is an atrocious shooter, isn’t great off the ball, and is coming off a rough season defensively compared to her prior year.  With her size and athleticism, it might be worth seeing if she can make a roster spot.  I am still a little confused by their draft, but I at least get the moves they made.  Grade:  B-

 

Connecticut Sun

·        Aneesah Morrow (7)

·        Saniya Rivers (8)

·        Rayah Marshall (25)

After building around defense, size, physicality, and athleticism in their run of 6-straight semifinals appearances without winning a title and hiring a coach that will likely try more on offense, Connecticut decided to select players who likely won’t provide much of anything offensively.  I was lower on Morrow than most (I still had her 11^th because you might as well take someone who can play hard off the bench in the first round of this weaker draft) since I don’t think she will translate to the league due to her size and limited offensive game, but she is competitive, athletic, and smart, which will allow her to find opportunities to earn minutes, even if off the bench.  I also was lower on Rivers than most (I had her 12^th because I think it’s possible that she becomes a starter if she can develop her playmaking a bit more), but I will acknowledge that she might be the best defender in this class and could be a good playmaker.  The biggest issue with her fit in Connecticut is that she is a 0 when off the ball on offense, but Connecticut has so many players who either play best on the ball or will inevitably have the ball in their hands more than they should, meaning that Rivers will probably be pinched for ball handling minutes, not allowing her to reach her potential in the league.  As for Marshall, she is an amazing defender, but a horrible offensive player who, like Rivers, needs the ball in her hands to have any hope of finding a role on offense.  While this draft is weaker, Connecticut had a chance to find some building blocks; while there were better ones, they got ones who could have a role, though Connecticut’s current roster will not allow them to become building blocks.  Grade:  D

 

Dallas Wings

·        Paige Bueckers (1)

·        Aziaha James (12)

·        Madison Scott (14)

·        JJ Quinerly (27)

·        Aaronette Vonleh (31)

While most people focused on the first pick, Dallas had a very busy and interesting draft.  Not surprisingly, they took Bueckers first, as she has star potential on both ends, especially as a scorer, shooter, playmaker with very few weaknesses (even those that she has, such as not being an elite athlete, will likely be minimized due to her playing style).  Even if Bueckers is not the best player on a team, she should at worst be the third option while being an All-Star level player (think Jackie Young in Vegas).  After this pick was where the draft went a bit strange.  James is competitive and has some nice strengths, but she’s too small to be a shooting guard, is a streaky shooter, and isn’t a good enough playmaker to be a point guard, so I question what her role will be in the W.  In particular, I have her as a late second round pick at best due to my doubts about her floor and upside, so this pick feels like a stretch.  With the 14^th pick, they selected Scott, who I thought could go earlier than I projected (I had her going 36^th in my mock, but I thought she’d be selected in the first two rounds due to being invited to the draft), but her offense, especially off the ball, makes me question her upside.  It is worth noting that she is a solid playmaker, is aggressive and has defensive upside, though I think she’s a bit raw for the 14^th pick.  In the third round, they selected Quinerly, who I think is better suited as an amazing college player than a WNBA player.  She is a good defender, is aggressive, and has upside as a playmaker and ball handler, but she is small, has an erratic shot, and turns the ball over a lot, and likely won’t be a good finisher.  I don’t expect that she’ll make the team after training camp.  With their last pick, they took Vonleh, who is a good athlete and strong finisher, though she isn’t a good defender, passer, or shooter, is undersized, and fouls a ton; I think it will be tough for her to make it at this time since I think she’s a little raw.  The first pick was a slam dunk, but I could see none of their picks after being on the team within two seasons, which isn’t great.  Grade:  B-

 

Golden State Valkyries

·        Juste Jocyte (5)

·        Shyanne Sellers (17)

·        Kaitlyn Chen (30)

Golden State provided the first surprise of the draft with the 5^th pick in selecting Jocyte, and I really like it, especially since I was very high on her in this class (I had her 5^th on my board, and 3 of the top 4 ahead of her were already selected).  Jocyte is a high-risk, high-reward type player since I consider her pretty raw, but the shot, size, and playmaking upside are there.  I think the biggest question I have about her is related to her finishing ability, but I still think a 6’2 point guard is worth taking a shot on, especially in a draft where the upside is low for most of the talent.  In Golden State’s situation, it makes sense to take a chance on high-upside players, especially since they didn’t select any high-upside players in the Expansion Draft.  With their second-round pick, they selected Sellers, who I had as the 3^rd best player in this class.  I have no idea what caused her to fall so much, but they got another big playmaker who I think has a really high floor due to her shooting, IQ, and confidence.  The reason I have her so high is because I think several of her weaknesses (shot selection and defensive consistency when taking the scoring load, in particular) will be lessened in the role that she would play in the WNBA.  While it will take a lot for her to reach this level, I think she has the potential to be a one or two-time All Star, making her one of three who have that potential in this draft, in my opinion.  As for Chen, she’s a solid shooter and defender who competes hard, though I think she was mainly drafted after Paige Buecker’s campaigning.  I think Chen is a good player to have in training camp since she is competitive and a smart player, but the bigger thing is that now Golden State can potentially use this when campaigning for Bueckers once she reaches free agency (for those of you who think this is insane, teams do crazy stuff with late picks).  I think each pick served a purpose and made sense, with the first two being home runs.  Grade:  A+

 

Indiana Fever

·        Makayla Timpson (19)

·        Bree Hall (20)

·        Yvonne Ejim (33)

Indiana had no first round picks in this draft, so it makes sense to take a chance on players who could be interesting if they make the roster.  Timpson has upside due to her athleticism and defense, though she isn’t that tall (which will likely limit her shot blocking in the W) and is limited offensively.  I think it’s worth a shot to see if she can make it out of training camp and pair in a fast-paced offense alongside Caitlin Clark.  Hall is an interesting choice in the second round, as she is a good defender with nice size, but I believe is a 0 offensively.  Her future in the W depends on whether the improvement in her jumper is real, though I don’t believe it is.  As for Ejim, she’s skilled as an all-around player who is versatile, though she isn’t the best defender, isn’t a consistent shooter, and might be a little smaller than I’d like.  I could see her being competitive in training camp, though I could also see her being cut prior to the start of the season.  Honestly, there wasn’t a clear slam dunk pick at this point in the draft (although I was high on Serena Sundell, the fit isn’t the best in Indiana), so they might as well take some chances on players who could at least compete in training camp; if any of the three make the roster, then you can consider that a win.  Grade:  B

 

Los Angeles Sparks

·        Sarah Ashlee Barker (9)

·        Sania Feagin (21)

·        Liatu King (28)

L.A. had a pick in each round, and made some interesting moves with each.  With their first round pick, they selected Barker, who likely has a limited upside due to her athleticism, defense, and shooting upside, but she could be a do-it-all player if she can develop more as a playmaker, as she should be a solid finisher and rebounder.  The issue with this pick for L.A. is that I would have taken someone with a higher upside if someone was available (I think there are multiple players that fall under that) since L.A. was very bad again last year.  In particular, I think they could have used a primary playmaker for the future or an off-ball wing who is a better shooter, and multiple of these players were available; that said, I had Barker as a late first round pick, so this pick isn’t horrible.  Feagin was an interesting second round pick, as she is extremely raw for her age and is a poor offensive player with the exception of finishing.  I questioned if Feagin would have been invited to the draft had she played anywhere other than South Carolina, but it might be worth a chance for a raw player.  Lastly, they took King, who is a versatile player who can do a lot, but is small for her skill set and doesn’t have a good shooter.  I don’t think she’ll make the league, but she at least has an intriguing skillset.  L.A. at least selected some players who could be role players if they pan out, but anyone with higher upside makes sense since they are still so bad.  Grade:  B-

 

Las Vegas Aces

·        Aaliyah Nye (13)

·        Harmoni Turner (35)

While Vegas went off the board with both of their picks, I thought they were solid picks.  Nye wasn’t on a lot of draft boards, but she makes sense as a role player in the W due to her shooting and defensive upside (I think she could be a solid defender in the W due to her size and versatility).  If she makes the team, she could be a good fit due to the shooting and low-maintenance offensive game, which will likely shield her weaknesses significantly.  As for Turner, she likely won’t make the roster since the jump from the Ivy League to the W is massive, but she is a good shooter and smart with getting steals.  She likely won’t be a great rebounder, playmaker, or defender (like she was in college) so it will be tough to make the roster, but she will be a great addition in training camp to get the best out of everyone on the roster.  Grade:  A-

 

Minnesota Lynx

·        Anastasiia Kosu (15)

·        Dalayah Daniels (24)

·        Aubrey Griffin (37)

Minnesota doesn’t have any immediate needs in my opinion, but took some players who either have upside or will compete in training camp.  They first took Kosu, who I expect will remain playing internationally for a few years, but she is a higher upside player due to her potential as a defender and shooter while also demonstrating glimpses of a high basketball IQ, though she is raw at all aspects of the game.  In this class, I had her 14^th on my board, so 15^th is pretty good value.  I’m not sure if Daniels will make the roster or if she’s immediately WNBA ready, but she is a good finisher with upside as a passer out of the post and defender.  If she does make it in the league, I could see her developing into a nice versatile 4-5 who develops a smooth passing touch.  As for Griffin, I don’t think she’ll make the roster, but she’s competitive, will bring a lot of energy in training camp, and allows Minnesota to have something additional to pitch Paige Bueckers once she hits free agency.  Overall, I thought these were some solid choices.  Grade:  B+

 

New York Liberty

·        Adja Kane (38)

New York only had one pick in this draft (the final one) and really weren’t clamoring for anything in particular, so it made sense to take a high upside international player who likely won’t come over anytime soon.  Kane is super raw, but has shown glimpses of what she could be as a competitive rebounder, rim protector, and finisher; she also shot well from the line, though it’s worth noting that she almost never gets to the line.  If she can develop (she is still incredibly raw), she could be a very good big in the W at best, though if she doesn’t make it in the W, it’s the last pick, so that’s not a big deal.  Grade:  B

 

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix made no selections during the night, so the cannot receive a grade.  Grade:  N/A

 

Seattle Storm

·        Dominique Malonga (2)

·        Serena Sundell (26)

·        Madison Conner (29)

·        Jordan Hobbs (34)

Seattle had the opportunity to make a big splash with the second pick (which they did), but they even had an interesting third round.  Malonga was a pretty clear second pick and is easily the second-best player in the draft in my opinion.  She is still a little raw and inconsistent on both ends, but she has an insane skillset at her size and has the potential to do anything on both ends while 6’6 and only 19.  While some have compared her to Victor Wembanyama due to both being French, I think Jonquel Jones is a good player to model her game after, especially when considering how she played in Connecticut during her MVP season.  In the long-term, she could be a very interesting fit alongside Ezi Magbegor, especially since I think Malonga will be a good enough shooter to allow Seattle to play two bigs together.  With their first pick in the third round, they stumbled into Sundell, who somehow was still available at that point (for reference, I had her 8^th on my board and thought she would go 15^th).  While there are concerns with her athleticism, streaky shot, and lack of strength, she is an elite playmaker who has a high IQ on both ends and is very big for a point guard.  I think she is the most likely third-round pick to make a roster, and I think she has the upside to be a combo guard who gets key minutes either off the bench or in a starting lineup (I think the former is a little more likely).  With Conner, while she has her weaknesses and likely will have difficulties on both ends projecting to the league as a point guard, she is an elite shooter, so it makes sense to give her a chance, especially with a team that had very few offensive options last season.  With Hobbs, while she’s not an elite athlete or elite at one skill, she’s a do-it-all player who will be a great player to have in training camp at the minimum.  I honestly love the draft they had, even if their third-round picks don’t make the team.  Grade:  A+

 

Washington Mystics

·        Sonia Citron (3)

·        Kiki Irafen (4)

·        Georgia Amoore (6)

·        Lucy Olsen (23)

·        Zaay Green (32)

Washington was the busiest team of the night, though I’m skeptical regarding some of the selections they made.  I was lower than many with my opinion of Citron since I don’t love the do-it-all type players that don’t have one skill to rely on (while it’s not as much of an issue for WNBA players, there are countless NBA players who flame out that are considered do-it-all because they apparently weren’t good enough at any one skill), but I still had her 7^th on my board since she is a good shooter.  I don’t see her ever being better than a role player (likely either a lower-level starter or high-level bench player as a ceiling), but that’s still a pretty high floor for this draft.  I had Iriafen 4^th on my board despite not really liking her since I think her floor is high due to her defensive upside and athleticism, though I question how her playmaking and jumper will fare.  That said, I don’t love this pick since I think the fit is a bit clunky since they already have Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin on the roster; the three won’t be able to share the court, so the only way this makes sense would be to draft Iriafen to come off the bench (I think the other two have higher upside), meaning that the 4^th pick is pretty much wasted on a player strictly to play bench minutes.  Their final first round pick was used on Amoore, which I don’t love since I wasn’t high on her (as much as it pains me to not be high on a former Virginia Tech player).  While a competitive player who is a good playmaker and is smarter than given credit for, she is small, a bad defender, and has pretty terrible shot selection at points.  I don’t see her being better than a backup guard, but I could see them trying to push minutes onto her behind Brittney Sykes.  With their second-round pick, they took Olsen, who I’m higher than most regarding (I had her 18^th).  I think she’s worth a shot since she’s a good passer and is really competitive, though I think there will be difficulties in her game translating due to finishing, defense, and off-ball ability (in particular, her jumper is really streaky, so she can’t fall back on that).  It is still possible that she makes the roster due to there not being a ton of clear-cut point guard options on the team.  With their final pick, they chose Green, who I don’t think will make the roster, but should be competitive in training camp.  She has nice size, is a good playmaker, and is competitive on both ends, though she is older and I don’t believe in her shooting or finishing ability.  While they made a lot of selections, I’m mixed on them; they might have selected players who could be contributors, but I could see them having regret when a few players they passed on end up being much better players than those they selected, which is something that is predictable.  Grade:  C

 

 

 

Bonus:  What to Make of Sedona Prince Being Undrafted

The draft contained several stories, with almost all of them being happy ones involving players being drafted and being able to fulfill a lifelong dream of theirs.  However, there was an underlying tension that hung over the draft regarding the draft prospects of Sedona Prince, TCU’s star center, who ultimately went undrafted.  While she is a skilled traditional big with passing upside who has been a strong advocate for gender equality, her on-court weaknesses (shooting and ability outside of the paint on either end) and age (she will be 25 in May) are a secondary story compared to allegations she has faced of abuse, assault, and sexual assault.

While she has denied allegations and has not faced any charges, there are at least 4 women who have levied serious allegations against her, with at least one filing a lawsuit that was later dropped.  On top of this, The Washington Post reported that Prince asked two accusers to sign NDA’s and has threatened legal action against those who spoke about her on social media.  While some would say that she hasn’t faced legal action so this shouldn’t be an issue, only 31% of cases are reported to the police, and there are even fewer instances where an alleged abuser faces charges.  This added information from the Washington Post makes it even less likely for someone to report, since there will likely be a sense that no charges would be filed, and then they could face a lawsuit from Prince.

In many sports teams, there is a debate whether a player’s off-court incidents (if there are ones) can be outweighed by the talent.  While it can be unsettling and uncomfortable to think in this manner, executives with teams are often paid to try to create a winning team (while their job is actually to keep the owners happy, owners often do want to win for ego purposes).  I projected she would go 16^th, though I thought it was possible that she could fall.  The added element in this situation is that executives have to think about two things.  First, they have to be concerned about what players think.  WNBA players have already shown that they can have a strong and powerful voice, especially in social issues, so executives could worry about their jobs if backlash is severe enough.  Second, teams have to worry about how their fanbases will respond.  If they were to select her, the allegations would resurface with headlines from local markets, which adds to the pressure.  If she was considered a top-5 pick, she probably would have been drafted within the first 10 picks, but most analysts were lower on her, many viewing her as a late-first round pick or a second-round pick.

While it doesn’t matter whether I would select her since I do not work for a WNBA team, I still wanted to discuss whether I would have drafted her.  From an on-court standpoint, I was lower on her because I don’t like the idea of choosing traditional bigs.  While there is value in the rim protection, rebounding, and finishing that they could provide, I often think that this level of player can easily be duplicated from a player who is being signed to a minimum contract (or close to it).  As such, I had her as a third-round talent prior to considering the off-court allegations.  When I consider those, I wouldn’t even consider drafting her at any point in the draft.

Now that Prince has gone undrafted, it is still possible that she signs with a team.  I don’t think that she will sign with a WNBA team this season since the potential backlash is still fresh.  I expect that the next step for her would be to sign a contract with an international team that might not generate the same headlines and backlash for that team.  From there, it is possible that a team offers her a contract in the next few years, but teams will have to be mindful of the backlash I discussed previously.  While I don’t want to say that her career should be over due to allegations, I do feel uncomfortable with the idea of her getting a contract despite not only the allegations, but also the report of her actions in response to the allegations is something that I think is more unsettling, especially due to the power dynamics that already existed in the relationships.  That said, I am glad that she wasn’t drafted to the players who were drafted could be a focus, though I wish this didn’t have to be a concern so that this discussion wouldn’t take away from those who were drafted, and, more importantly, those who have accused her of allegations don’t have to continue to potentially suffer from the trauma that the discussion likely provides for many of them.

 

 

What did you think of this draft?  Any grades you disagree with me about?  Let me know in the comments!