WNBA mock draft 2025: Final projection for all 38 picks still has Paige Bueckers on top

April 13, 2025

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The 2025 WNBA Draft is rapidly approaching, and there’s no shortage of storylines as the league’s 13 teams prepare to make their selections.

Once again, there’s not much discussion about who the top overall pick will be. UConn’s Paige Bueckers has been hailed as one of the best players in the country since her very first collegiate game, and the hype will be enormous as she’s drafted to the pros.

On the other hand, several surefire first-round picks have announced in recent weeks that they’ll be staying in school. Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, in particular, seemed to be an easy choice at either No. 2 or No. 3 overall, but she decided to forgo the draft and transfer to TCU. UConn’s Azzi Fudd will also play one more season in college and help the Huskies try to defend their NCAA title.

Then there are the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest team. A dispersal draft held last calendar year gave the Valkyries the first parts of their inaugural roster, but they’ll now have the opportunity to draft from the same pool of collegiate and international talent as everyone else. Who will Golden State choose with its first-ever draft pick?

Every other WNBA team faces questions of its own, and it’s almost time to welcome the latest draft class to the league. In the meantime, here is SB Nation’s 2025 WNBA mock draft, including projections and analysis for all 38 picks.

1. Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, G (UConn)

Bueckers has been the hands-down favorite to get drafted at No. 1 since before the 2025 draft order was even solidified. She’s a remarkably efficient scoring guard, averaging 19.9 points per game while shooting 58.2 percent on 2-pointers and 42.2 percent on 3-pointers during her collegiate career. Bueckers also has great size for her position (6-foot-0) and is one of the most talented playmakers in the country, though her killer instinct as a scorer is usually what makes the highlight reels. Guards like Bueckers simply don’t come around very often, and no matter how the Wings plan on deploying her next to perennial All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, they should be elated to add the three-time All-American to their roster.

Basketball - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 3 — Dominique Malonga (left)

2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, C (France)

The Storm may have missed out on Miles, but Malonga is far more than just a consolation prize. The 6-foot-6 center has the highest ceiling of any big in the class: She’s tall, long, and agile, and at just 19 years old, she’s already showing that she belongs in the pros. Playing for French club LDLC ASVEL Féminin this past winter, Malonga averaged 18.5 points, 11 rebounds and 1.1 blocks EuroCup Women – a competition she’s been playing in since she was 16 – while continuing to hone the ball skills she’ll need in order to thrive in the WNBA. That moment is coming soon; according to ESPN, Malonga intends to play in the WNBA this summer, and if Seattle drafts her, she’ll be able to learn from an all-time great in Nneka Ogwumike.

3. Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron, G/F (Notre Dame)

Washington will be starting over from top to bottom in 2025, with an all-new coaching staff and front office that aren’t afraid to trade the few veteran players left on the team’s roster. The Mystics have three first-round picks in this draft, so there are quite a few ways they could approach this part of their rebuild, but it’s reasonable to think that Citron will be in their plans no matter what. She brings both size (6-foot-1) and shooting (37 percent on 3-pointers in four seasons at Notre Dame) to the perimeter, and if she fulfills her potential as a “3-and-D” wing, she’ll be a valuable building block alongside whichever other players Washington chooses.

4. Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, F (USC)

With Malonga almost certainly being off the board by pick No. 4, Iriafen will be one of the next-best bigs available. The Mystics already have Shakira Austin and Aaliyah Edwards anchoring their frontcourt, but may opt to shore up their depth there, as Austin has had significant injury concerns in her last two seasons. Iriafen has a quick first step that gives her an athletic edge over most bigs and a reliable midrange jump shot, and she can also defend well enough on the perimeter when switched, making for a well-rounded skillset typical of many WNBA power forwards. Her ceiling may not be as high as other players getting drafted in this range, but she’d be a safe pick for Washington nonetheless.

5. Golden State Valkyries: Saniya Rivers, G/F (NC State)

You won’t find a purer athlete on the wing than Rivers, who brings a unique ability to wreak havoc defensively anywhere on the court. Physically speaking, Rivers does things that most players at her position simply can’t do: She’s long-limbed and effortlessly explosive, at times looking like she’d be more at home on a football field than a basketball court. Rivers averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a combined 2.9 defensive stats per game as a senior, though her lack of a signature offensive skill and low scoring efficiency may give some GMs pause in evaluating her. That wouldn’t be as much of an issue for the Valkyries, who, as an expansion team, won’t have much of a competitive advantage in their inaugural WNBA season. If they take a chance on Rivers now, she’ll have ample opportunity to develop.

6. Washington Mystics: Shyanne Sellers, G (Maryland)

The Mystics currently only have one true ball handler on their roster in Jade Melbourne, so it’s hard to see them not using one of their first-round picks on a guard. Sellers isn’t a point guard in the traditional sense, but players who can both create shots and distribute the ball at 6-foot-2 don’t grow on trees. Sellers also had a good season shooting the basketball as a senior, knocking down a career-best 40.8 percent of her three-point attempts. If WNBA teams believe that number is for real, Sellers becomes an even better prospect, and she should be able to contribute on both sides of the ball right away.

7. Connecticut Sun: Aneesah Morrow, F (LSU)

For a Connecticut team that lost its entire core in free agency and will now enter a rebuilding phase, drafting for positional need in the first round may not be the best idea. That being said, while the Sun do have some young talent in their backcourt with Jacy Sheldon and Leïla Lacan, they have no one to truly commit to at forward or center. Morrow may be undersized for her position, but that didn’t stop her from leading Division I in rebounding at 13.5 per game, thanks to an unmatched motor and relentless pursuit of the basketball. Adding a workhorse like Morrow wouldn’t return Connecticut to championship contention, but it would bring toughness and energy to an otherwise patchwork roster that will be searching for some kind of identity in 2025.

8. Connecticut Sun: Justė Jocytė, G (Lithuania)

The Sun picking back-to-back here means that if they can fill a positional need at No. 7, they can afford to take a swing at No. 8. After Malonga, Jocytė is probably the most talented international prospect in the class; at 19 years old, her playmaking chops already rival those of some of the WNBA’s best guards, and she can shoot the ball at a high level, too, as most recently evidenced by her performance in the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket qualifiers. Connecticut may have a bit of a logjam in its backcourt right now, but as a draft-and-stash candidate, Jocytė wouldn’t need to play right away to qualify as a good pick.

9. Los Angeles Sparks: Aziaha James, G (NC State)

The Sparks may be without sophomore forward Cameron Brink for part of the 2025 season as she recovers from a torn ACL, but they’re still two players deep at every position, so there are no glaring needs to be addressed here. If L.A. wants another perimeter scorer to go along with Rickea Jackson and the newly-acquired Kelsey Plum, though, James would be a good choice; the 5-foot-9 guard is cast in the mold of a true microwave scorer, having averaged 16.8 and 17.9 points per game in her upperclassman seasons. Shifty off the dribble and deadly from long range, there aren’t many defenses James can’t get her shot off against, and her shooting efficiency stands to benefit from being a secondary or tertiary scorer, rather than the go-to option she was at NC State.

10. Chicago Sky: Te-Hina Paopao, G (South Carolina)

The Sky have been lacking an heir to point guard Courtney Vandersloot for years, and though they recently brought the franchise great back in free agency, she’s now firmly in the twilight of her career. If Paopao is still on the board at No. 10, she’d make for a great mentee. A 39.8 percent 3-point shooter in five seasons at Oregon and South Carolina, Paopao is a steady floor general who led the Gamecocks to a national championship in 2024 and a runner-up finish in 2025. She’ll likely be one of the first lead guards off the board.

11. Minnesota Lynx: Sania Feagin, F/C (South Carolina)

The Lynx are fresh off a WNBA Finals run that was heartbreakingly close to yielding a championship, and they’ll retain much of that roster for 2025, so they’ll probably stick to improving on the margins in this draft. Feagin fits that bill as a player who makes a clear impact without putting up big numbers, proving herself to be a defensive anchor during South Carolina’s latest trip to the NCAA Championship game while also knocking down open midrange jumpers at an effective rate. That’s not to say Feagin is a low-ceiling player, either; it’s possible she puts up better counting stats as a pro than she did during much of her collegiate career.

12. Dallas Wings: Sarah Ashlee Barker, G (Alabama)

Barker may have been a relatively late bloomer as a draft prospect, but the way she powered Alabama’s high-octane offense as a grad student should make WNBA teams optimistic. A physical scoring guard who’s a threat both at the rim and on the perimeter, Barker averaged 18.2 points per game while shooting 56.1 percent on 2-pointers and 37.5 percent on 3-pointers in her final collegiate season. She’d make a lot of sense for the Wings if they’re looking for another scorer with this pick.

13. Las Vegas Aces: JJ Quinerly, G (West Virginia)

The Aces have plenty of star power, but a disappointing playoff loss to New York in 2024 suggested that they needed to overhaul their complementary talent if they wanted to retain their position of WNBA supremacy. Quinerly won back-to-back Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards playing in a headache-inducing West Virginia fullcourt press, and her relentless energy carried over to the other side of the ball, too, where her downhill scoring ability translated to 20.4 points and 5.1 free throw attempts per game. While she’ll need to prove she can hit 3-pointers at a respectable clip, Quinerly’s defense would go a long way for an Aces team in search of someone who can do the dirty work.

14. Dallas Wings: Makayla Timpson, F (Florida State)

There weren’t many more prolific shot-blockers in the country last season than Timpson, whose 3.1 blocks per game ranked third in Division I. A Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist, Timpson is mobile for her size, gets off the floor quickly, and has a massive wingspan, allowing her to take more risks defensively than most other bigs. While that aggression will probably need to be reigned in a bit at the pro level, Timpson’s build and physical gifts would be a welcome addition to a Wings roster that doesn’t have much defensive playmaking in its frontcourt.

15. Minnesota Lynx: Georgia Amoore, G (Kentucky)

Amoore followed former Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky for a fifth collegiate season and proved that she could play just as well in the SEC, earning Second Team All-American honors. A point guard who plays with flair, Amoore should be considered a value-added passer, ranking fourth in Division I in assists per game (6.9). Her true value, though, lies in her jumpshooting; Amoore got up a whopping 828 3-pointers in her last three seasons, many of them coming from well beyond the arc. Granted, that 3-point shot may not be as consistently accurate as WNBA teams would like, and there may also be concern about Amoore’s size (5-foot-6). She’d fit well in Minnesota playing behind Courtney Williams, however.

16. Chicago Sky: Ajsa Sivka, F (Slovenia)

If the Sky get who they want in the first round, they’ll already have most of their opening-day roster set, so they may consider drafting and stashing here. Sivka is a good example of an international talent with a valuable theoretical skillset who isn’t quite ready for the WNBA yet; she’s had an up-and-down winter playing for Tarbes in France, but she’s only 19 years old, and at 6-foot-3, her potential as a 3-point shooting combo forward is going to make her a sought-after asset for whichever team ends up with her rights.

17. Golden State Valkyries: Hailey Van Lith, G (TCU)

Van Lith was one of the bigger stories in college basketball this past season, leading TCU to a program-best finish in the Big 12 and bouncing back herself from a disappointing prior season at LSU. As a fifth-year player, Van Lith put up career-bests in several key areas, most notably two-point field goal percentage (52.2 percent) and assists per game (5.4); she also remained one of the country’s most dependable free throw shooters, surpassing 82 percent from the line for the fourth time. There may still be some doubt among WNBA teams as to whether Van Lith can handle WNBA physicality, but there wouldn’t be much downside to Golden State selecting her here if she’s still available, as none of the team’s primary ball handlers seem to be locks to make its final roster.

18. Atlanta Dream: Serena Sundell, G (Kansas State)

The Dream made some big splashes in free agency, acquiring centers Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, but they’re still a bit thin at guard, especially with projected backup Holly Winterburn suffering an injury overseas. If Sundell is still on the board here, she’d be a good choice to slot into that backup spot behind Jordin Canada. Sundell averaged a Division I-best 7.3 assists per game as a senior, and she has plenty of experience playing in an offense that emphasizes low-post play, having played her entire collegiate career with the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer, center Ayoka Lee.

19. Indiana Fever: Madison Scott, G/F (Ole Miss)

The Fever traded away the best of their draft capital as part of a big offseason that included the additions of veterans DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham, but they’ll still probably end up with a roster-worthy player at pick No. 19. Scott, a 6-foot-2 wing, is best known for her physicality and defense on the perimeter, having spent her collegiate career at an Ole Miss program that strongly preached those traits. Scott has also become more and more comfortable with the ball in her hands, recording an assist rate of at least 23 percent in each of her last two seasons, according to Her Hoop Stats. In this case, though, Scott’s value would lie almost entirely in her defense, where she’d join Lexie Hull as the Fever’s top perimeter stoppers.

20. Indiana Fever: Anastasiia Kosu, F (Russia)

The Fever are still going to have several spots open on their training camp roster, but if Kosu is on the board at No. 20, they might want to consider drafting and stashing her. The 19-year old forward is a natural athlete whose offense has yet to catch up with her defense; she’s currently averaging 9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 defensive stats per game for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg, though it should be noted that those are coming in just 18.7 minutes played. We don’t know when Kosu will be able to play in the United States, but a player with her athletic upside shouldn’t make it out of the second round regardless.

21. Los Angeles Sparks: Temira Poindexter, G/F (Kansas State)

Poindexter sacrificed the large role she once had at Tulsa when she transferred to Kansas State, but her scoring efficiency skyrocketed as a result. The 6-foot-2 wing shot an even 40 percent on 3-pointers and ranked in the 94th percentile in spot-up situations, according to Synergy Sports, while her length on the perimeter was crucial for the Wildcats’ defense. Wing players who can shoot and defend are a hot commodity, and if the Sparks are looking for another such player to compete for a roster spot behind Rickea Jackson, Poindexter should still be available at pick No. 21.

22. Chicago Sky: DeYona Gaston, F (Auburn)

After four modest seasons at Texas, Gaston showed what she was truly capable of at Auburn, averaging 21.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and earning All-SEC Second Team honors. A physical offensive rebounder whose elevation allows her to effectively shoot over most defenders, Gaston certainly has the strength and build to be a WNBA power forward, and she would, at the very least, be a good addition to Chicago’s training camp, with an outside chance to make the final roster depending on how many true bigs the Sky want to carry.

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - First Round - Raleigh — Harmoni Turner

23. Washington Mystics: Harmoni Turner, G (Harvard)

Every year, there are a select few mid-major players who distinguish themselves among draft probables. Turner is likely to be one of those players in 2025. Named the Mid-Major Player of the Year by Her Hoop Stats,Turner averaged 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Crimson while also recording over two assists per game for the fourth consecutive season. Despite taking 18.6 shots per game, Turner was decently efficient, ranking in the 93rd percentile among pick-and-roll ball handler scorers, according to Synergy Sports; if a team like the Mystics thinks that pick-and-roll play will translate to the WNBA, Turner will be worth a later-round selection.

24. Minnesota Lynx: Annika Soltau, F (Germany)

By the time the Lynx make their third draft pick, their training camp roster will already stand at 15 players, so it would be logical for them to draft and stash an international prospect at No. 24. Soltau is an interesting case, having originally committed to play college ball at Washington but ultimately playing professionally in Switzerland instead. At 6-foot-4, Soltau is lighting up the Swiss league, averaging 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 defensive stats per game, though it’s fair to wonder if she’d be as productive in a more competitive environment. In any case, Soltau just turned 19 years old last December, so there’s plenty of time for her to grow.

25. Connecticut Sun: Sedona Prince, C (TCU)

Statistically, Prince was one of the most productive centers in the country in her final collegiate season, averaging 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and three blocks per game for the Horned Frogs. WNBA teams may be hesitant to draft her, however, due to numerous off-court incidents including allegations of abuse and assault. Prince will also be 25 years old by the time the season begins, so it’s much more likely that she’s already reached her potential compared to most other players in the class.

26. Seattle Storm: Jewel Spear, G (Tennessee)

Unfortunate offseason injuries to Nika Mühl and Jordan Horston mean that Seattle will probably want to draft at least one more guard for 2025. Spear is a trigger-happy combo guard who thrived in Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell’s pace-and-space system, though much of that had to do with Spear herself – she has a quick release and versatility to her jumpshot that makes her a threat coming off screens, and there aren’t usually many players like that in any given draft class. Spear wouldn’t necessarily solve the Storm’s need for another ball handler, but there would nevertheless be a spot on Seattle’s roster for her if they draft her and she plays well enough in training camp.

27. Dallas Wings: Bree Hall, F (South Carolina)

Dallas is going to have plenty of players on its roster who will have the ball in their hands, so don’t be surprised if at least one of its later-round picks is used on a low-usage player. Hall won a pair of national championships at South Carolina, the most recent as the Gamecocks’ primary perimeter defender, and though her overall offensive numbers haven’t been impressive, she was a consistently reliable shooter as an upperclassman, knocking down 38.3 percent of her 3-point attempts. If the Wings want someone who competes hard on defense and doesn’t need the ball on offense, Hall would be a good addition.

28. Los Angeles Sparks: Taylor Thierry, F (Ohio State)

Thierry is one of the better defensive players in this class, especially when it comes to making plays off the ball. She averaged 2.3 steals per game in her final season at Ohio State, often fueling her team’s offense by creating plays in transition, and her own offense has been steady and efficient. Thierry shot just under 60 percent from the field during her time as a Buckeye, and she turned herself into a reliable — albeit low-volume — outside shooter as a senior, going 26-for-56 (46.4 percent) on 3-pointers. While Thierry lacks a way to consistently create her own shot, her athletic profile and nose for the basketball should be enough to get her drafted.

29. Seattle Storm: Zaay Green, G/F (Alabama)

Green has had quite the collegiate career, playing six seasons at four different schools, but she finished things on a high note, averaging 15.7 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Crimson Tide. Green is a gifted athlete and an above average distributor for a player of her size (6-foot-2), though her age compared to other draft prospects will probably dissuade WNBA teams from picking her. The Storm, who are in win-now mode, might be an exception.

30. Golden State Valkyries: Rayah Marshall, C (USC)

Marshall’s role at USC diminished when the team added Iriafen in the transfer portal, but she remained important to the Trojans as their defensive anchor. According to Her Hoop Stats, Marshall ranked in the 99th percentile in block rate (8.3 percent) and in the 98th percentile in defensive rebounding rate (24.6 percent); she’s not going to be much of a scoring threat wherever she goes, but for a team that has plenty of offense elsewhere like Golden State, that won’t matter much.

31. Dallas Wings: Lea Bartelme, G (Slovenia)

The Wings will have already made four picks at this point, so if there are any remaining international prospects they like who can be stashed, they’ll probably want to do so. The 19-year old Bartelme has been playing well for ŽKK Cinkarna Celje in Slovenia, averaging 10.6 points and 6.2 assists per game and shooting 39.1 percent on 3-pointers, though she has yet to earn a significant role on the Slovenian national team as of the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket qualifiers. Bartelme isn’t ready for the WNBA yet, but she may grow into a useful asset in the future, and there’s little else the Wings will be able to do with this pick.

32. Washington Mystics: Sarah Andrews, G (Baylor)

Andrews has had an up-and-down career at Baylor, showing great promise early but plateauing as a senior and grad student. She is, however, talented enough to get drafted, especially when it comes to shooting the ball: Andrews got up at least six 3-pointers per game in each of her last three seasons, and as a grad student, she ranked in the 97th percentile on spot-ups, according to Synergy Sports. Andrews also recorded a career-best 5.1 assists per game for a Baylor team that ran much of its offense through its backcourt. If a team is willing to overlook her poor finishing at the rim, Andrews will be worth a late-round selection.

33. Indiana Fever: Lucy Olsen, G (Iowa)

With the way the Fever’s offseason has gone, there’s a chance whichever player they choose this late in the draft can still make the team — especially if it’s a guard. In her lone season at Iowa, Olsen led the Hawkeyes in both points (17.9) and assists per game (5.1), shooting 35 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game. If she’s still around at pick No. 33, Indiana could draft her to add depth behind Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson.

34. Seattle Storm: Lauren Jensen, G (Creighton)

Seattle will get yet another bite at the apple with pick No. 34, which will be their third pick in the third round. Jensen, a career 37.6 percent 3-point shooter on 5.5 attempts per game, could be a late-round target for the Storm, among other teams. According to Synergy Sports, Jensen ranked in the 97th percentile among pick-and-roll ball handler scorers last season, and while she may or may not have the athleticism to hang in the WNBA, she’d be a welcome training camp addition for a Storm team that still needs help at guard.

35. Las Vegas Aces: Dalayah Daniels, F (Washington)

The 6-foot-4 Daniels enjoyed life in her first and only season in the Big Ten, taking a huge leap in scoring efficiency (60.6 percent on 2-pointers) while averaging 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Daniels’ offensive improvement — especially at the rim, where she shot 68.2 percent — may be enough to get her drafted, especially by a team looking for more depth in its frontcourt; with recent free agent signee Cheyenne Parker-Tyus announcing that she’s pregnant with her second child, Las Vegas could be looking to add another forward for training camp via the draft, and Daniels would be a good theoretical fit at this pick.

36. Atlanta Dream: Maria Gakdeng, C (North Carolina)

Griner and Jones make for an imposing center duo, but the Dream don’t have much backing them up, save for fourth-year forward Naz Hillmon. Atlanta may choose to address this deficiency by picking a player such as Gakdeng. Gakdeng doesn’t offer much in the way of ball skills, but her own offense has always been efficient (58.7 percent shooting as a senior) thanks to a large portion of her possessions coming on putbacks. Gakdeng’s physicality and activity on the glass (3.1 offensive rebounds per game) might get her a training camp invite if she doesn’t get drafted.

37. Minnesota Lynx: Deja Kelly, G (Oregon)

Kelly’s decision to transfer to Oregon for her fifth and final collegiate season turned out to be a beneficial one for all parties. The Ducks bounced back from a miserable 2023-24 season with Kelly as their go-to player, and Kelly herself ranked in the 93rd percentile as a pick-and-roll scorer, according to Synergy Sports. Whoever the Lynx pick here probably won’t make the team, but if they go with Kelly, she’ll have a good opportunity to begin her professional career by competing against the group of veteran wing players Minnesota has already signed to camp contracts.

38. New York Liberty: Jada Walker, G (Baylor)

It’s fitting, in a way, that the defending champion Liberty have only one pick in the 2025 draft – and that it’s the last one. There’s nothing that New York needs that will be addressed with this pick, though the number of forwards the Liberty have already signed to training camp contracts hints that they might want to draft a guard. Walker averaged 11.3 points and a career-best 5.3 assists per game as a senior, and according to Synergy Sports, over 40 percent of her offensive possessions came as the pick-and-roll ball handler, so she’d be comfortable setting up the rest of the Liberty’s star-studded roster.