The 2025 WNBA Draft fell largely as anticipated, with mock drafts predicting the final course of the picks. Let’s dive into instant draft grades and evaluation for every decide.
2025 WNBA Draft Grades
1. Dallas Wings – Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
No surprises right here, because the Wings cement Paige Bueckers as their subsequent franchise star. She’s a consummate lead initiator, able to operating a staff’s offense and scoring in any respect ranges with excessive effectivity. Bueckers will match snugly subsequent to Arike Ogunbowale due to her off-ball transferring brilliance and excessive defensive potential. She’ll assist vault Dallas again into playoff rivalry as quickly as he first WNBA season.
Grade: A
2. Seattle Storm – Dominique Malonga, C, Lyon
Few prospects to enter the WNBA sport a fraction of Dominique Malonga’s heart. The 6-foot-6, 19-year-old heart excelled within the French first division and will translate her dominance to the WNBA. Apart from her elite measurement and paint safety, Malonga’s taking pictures, driving and passing flashes, and perimeter protection give her the upside to rival the very best gamers within the WNBA.
The slot in Seattle would possibly take some tinkering, as they already roster two wonderful non-spacing bigs in Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor. A guard could have match higher, however groups deciding on as excessive as Seattle ought to at all times prioritize expertise. This one is a house run.
Grade: A
3. Washington Mystics – Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
The Mystics missed out on a blue chip, famous person prospect by no fault of their very own, however Citron can be a wonderful comfort prize. Even with out star-level creation traits, Citron’s versatility will assist her stand out within the WNBA. She’s an exceptional off-ball participant, able to taking pictures off of the bounce and organising her teammates.
Citron will thrive on the defensive finish, weaponizing her excessive really feel defending off of the ball and guarding a number of positions with measurement and size. She’s an excellent match subsequent to Washington’s assortment of bigs — Aaliyah Edwards, Shakira Austin and now Kiki Iriafen. Washington picked the very best participant on the board who additionally occurs to suit their roster snugly.
Grade: A
4. Washington Mystics – Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
Washington made the anticipated decide right here, drafting a high-upside scoring ahead in Iriafen. She wasn’t as productive this season at USC, however Iriafen has confirmed herself a potent face-up and post-up scorer. She’ll want to enhance her jumper if she needs to maneuver to the wing, however Iriafen’s slashing and defensive prowess are high-level traits.
Iriafen could have hassle becoming with Washington’s present roster as a result of neither she, Austin or Edwards house the ground. It’s nonetheless price prioritizing expertise over match, even when the Mystics should shift some items to maximise Iriafen.
Grade: B+
5. Golden State Valkyries – Juste Jocyte, G, Lyon
Golden State’s first-ever draft decide is the second worldwide participant off the board. The Valkyries constructed their roster round taking pictures and Jocyte provides one other dynamic off-dribble shotmaking expertise. She’s a wonderful reside dribble playmaker, able to throwing high-level reads off the bounce.
Jocyte’s explosion and athletic instruments restrict her driving and defensive capability, however she’ll have time to develop these points of her sport on a rebuilding Golden State staff. She’s an comprehensible swing on a powerful on-ball expertise for a franchise hoping to search out future cornerstones.
Grade: B
6. Washington Mystics – Georgia Amoore, G, Kentucky
Amoore has a case as essentially the most electrical participant within the class with the ball in her palms. Regardless of standing at 5-foot-6, Amoore is an elite off-dribble scoring expertise who wins as a dynamic shotmaker, driver and reside dribble playmaker.
Opposing offenses will problem her measurement on protection, however the Mystics have loads of bigs to insulate her. She’s an ideal match subsequent to their current gamers, in addition to Citron and Iriafen, because the Mystics full their rookie trio and bolster their younger core.
Grade: A
7. Connecticut Solar – Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU
Morrow was one of many nation’s best gamers this previous season. She’s a prolific paint scorer, able to ending in site visitors, cleansing the offensive glass and scoring within the intermediate. Her athletic instruments additionally assist her shine on protection, the place she will guard a number of positions.
Her lack of high-end really feel for the sport and perimeter taking pictures may restrict her upside and a rebuilding Solar staff may have swung for a loftier ceiling right here. Morrow may develop right into a rock-solid rotation wing, providing the Solar a foundational constructing block to depend on for the longer term.
Grade: C+
8. Connecticut Solar – Saniyah Rivers, G, NC State
Apart from the highest few gamers within the class, no person’s potential is extra engaging than Rivers’s. She’s an elite athletic expertise who weaponizes these instruments to wreck store on the defensive finish. Regardless of some rawness on offense, Rivers’ playmaking and slashing current an especially excessive ceiling.
Rivers has loads of rising to do as a scorer, particularly from the surface. She’ll have loads of room to develop in Connecticut, ironing out her mechanics and sharpening her offensive strategy. For a Solar staff ranging from the bottom ground, drafting a participant with a ceiling as excessive as Rivers’s is a sensible selection.
Grade: A+
9. Los Angeles Sparks – Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Alabama
After a dominant last season in Tuscaloosa, Barker will bolster the Sparks’ backcourt rotation. Even after buying and selling for Kelsey Plum, LA will need extra energetic two-way gamers there. Barker is a flexible offensive piece, dwelling on the basket with explosive drives and improved 3-point taking pictures.
Barker ought to instantly add worth on the defensive finish, the place she excels as an on-ball stopper and go lane jumper. The Sparks add one other wonderful role-player prospect to pair with Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. She’ll add worth with and with out the basketball, making her an excellent match for this LA staff.
Grade: A-
10. Chicago Sky – Ajsa Sivka, F, Slovenia
The Sky spent their first 2025 draft decide on a shooter as anticipated, including a much-needed ground spacer for Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. At 6-foot-4, Sivka shows uncommon shotmaking expertise able to spacing the ground and drawing greater gamers out of the paint to drive previous them to the rim.
Sivka possible gained’t be capable of contribute a lot instantly, as she’ll want to enhance bodily and sharpen her decision-making on each ends of the ground. If she does develop right into a WNBA contributor, Sivka will enable Chicago to run some monumental lineups and enhance their wing shotmaking.
Grade: B-
11. Chicago Sky – Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU
Van Lith reconstructed her draft inventory this season at TCU, taking notable strides as a playmaker and driver. She’ll add much-needed shotmaking for a Chicago staff that also wants loads of ground spacing, even after drafting Sivka with the decide prior. Van Lith proved herself as a major creator on the school stage and can scale down on the WNBA stage.
Regardless of her top, standing 5-foot-9, Van Lith doesn’t have the texture to play level guard and groups could decide on her on the defensive finish. Including guard depth is sensible for this Chicago staff, even after including Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot this offseason.
Grade: C
12. Dallas Wings – Aziaha James, G, NC State
James is among the class’s premier bucket-getters, able to catching on fireplace and scoring at will. She’s a potent off-dribble creator who can stress the rum, spray 3-pointers and excels as a mid-range shotmaker. James isn’t a lot of a playmaker or defender, however she’ll slot in easily as a scorer on the WNBA stage.
After drafting a particular ground normal atop the draft, including a scorer like James is sensible. She’ll haven’t any drawback enjoying with Paige Bueckers, who ought to feed James straightforward buckets. Bueckers, James and Ogunbowale will instantly kind a guard trio that may give defenses complications.
Grade: B
