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, UConn
Grade: 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 that 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, France
Grade: A+
American 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 Dame
Grade: A-
Citron 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 Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, USC
Grade: B-
The 6-foot-3 forward who spent time in college playing for Stanford and USC is a fantastic rim-runner and a versatile forward who has drawn comparisons to Chiney Ogwumike. With the Mystics though, she could be battling for playing time with Aaliyah Edwards, who the Mystics took sixth overall last year out of UConn. Iriafen’s jumper could be more consistent, but she carried USC offensively when JuJu Watkins went down with an injury. Iriafen makes up for whatever she lacks on offense on the other end where she is adept at defending multiple positions and was one of the best wing defenders in college this past season.
5. Golden State Valkyries: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania
Grade: C-
There’s a lot of unknown with Jocyte, who has played professionally in France since 2019. She becomes Golden State’s first-ever draft pick, but how much the 19-year-old will contribute in Year One is unclear. Jocyte has been lauded for her offensive versatility and mastery in the pick-and-roll, but questions remain about her defense and durability. The Valkyries could have found their starting point guard of the future here, but are gambling on a young international prospect instead.
6. Washington Mystics: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Grade: B+
The Mystics took advantage of what the Valkyries didn’t do at No. 5 and grabbed a player that could be their point guard for years to come. The firecracker Australian point guard developed quickly under Kenny Brooks into a player who has great court vision — she ranked in the top 10 nationally in assists in each of the past two seasons — and someone who can be a deadly shooter popping around screens. Amoore powered Virginia Tech to its first-ever ACC title and Final Four appearance with Elizabeth Kitley, and then helped Brooks engineer an incredible one-year turnaround at Kentucky. The Mystics are hoping she can continue to be a catalyst for improvement.
7. Connecticut Sun: Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Grade: B-
Morrow left college as the second-greatest rebounder to ever play Division I NCAA women’s basketball, as only Courtney Paris grabbed more boards than her. While Morrow is undersized for a forward at 6-foot-1, she has an unstoppable and undeniable motor that helped her average 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game this past season for the Tigers, who advanced to the Elite Eight. Offensively, her consistency in the scoring department needs some improvement, but she should get the chance to work on that as a rookie for a Sun team that needs a lot of help.
8. Connecticut Sun: Saniya Rivers, N.C. State
Grade: A-
The GM of the Chicago Sky called Rivers “maybe the best athlete” in the draft. She’s a big guard at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-5 wing span, with good court vision, the ability to get to the rim seemingly whenever she wants to, and a defensive arsenal that allows her to guard multiple positions. Rivers got better each year she was in college — where she helped N.C. State go to a Final Four while earning All-ACC honors — but it feels like she isn’t close to reaching her potential. Rivers’ offensive game needs some development, but her defense will keep her on the court in the WNBA.
9. LA Sparks: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Grade: B-
While it felt like there were better players left on the board here, Barker left a big impression in her final collegiate game, scoring 45 points in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss at Maryland. She’s a reliable and standout defender along the wing, she’s sharp off the ball and has a high motor. Barker is a playmaker on offense with the ability to finish at the rim and knock down deep shots consistently.
10. Chicago Sky: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia
Grade: C+
The 6-foot-3 combo forward has a quick release and a knack for being a solid shooter, but she’s also a great passer who has had a penchant for dishing out head-turning assists in the French league. While the 19-year-old projects to be a three-and-D type of player, it’s unclear if she’s ready to defend talented posts in the WNBA. If she continues to improve and develop, she should be a complimentary player to the centerpiece of the Sky, Angel Reese.
11. Chicago Sky: Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Grade: A-
Following a summer in which she won an Olympic bronze medal with Team USA’s 3×3 squad, Van Lith had her best collegiate season ever with TCU, averaging 17.9 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from 3-point land. Van Lith plays with an unmatched competitiveness and swagger and this season led TCU to a Big 12 title and Elite Eight appearance for the first time ever. She played in the Elite Eight every season she was in college for three different teams, which is remarkable. Van Lith will get the chance to learn from an all-time great WNBA guard in Courtney Vandersloot, and she’ll reunite with Reese, her former LSU teammate.
12. Dallas Wings: Aziaha James, N.C. State
Grade: A-
On the broadcast, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo asked, if you’re a defense facing Dallas with Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Aziaha James, who do you guard?
Indeed, defenders will have to pick their poison with Dallas, because James developed into an absolute bucket over four seasons at N.C. State. This past season she averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the floor. She’s a microwave scorer, a southpaw with a smooth handle and silky jumpshot, and a player who consistently boggles the mind of her defenders. James seemingly keeps getting better every season and if she continues on that trajectory, Dallas may have gotten the steal of the draft.
