WNBA mock draft: Who will go after UConn’s Paige Bueckers?

When the Los Angeles Sparks traded out of the WNBA Draft lottery to acquire Kelsey Plum, part of the organization’s stated rationale was skepticism about who would be available to select with the No. 2 pick. A similar thought process informed Chicago’s decision to trade No. 3 for Ariel Atkins. Both of the projected top-two picks, Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles, had additional years of collegiate eligibility, as did several other highly ranked prospects.

With the draft less than a week away, on Monday, and the declaration deadline behind us, that uncertainty was well-founded. Although Bueckers will be joining the WNBA in 2025, Miles elected to return to college and transfer from Notre Dame. Azzi Fudd, Bueckers’ teammate, will be back at UConn next season. Other potential early entry candidates decided to stay put, including LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Janiah Barker, and South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, who just transferred from Florida State.

As a result, this draft isn’t as deep as the one that preceded it. There is still significant talent, however, if not full-on star power beyond Bueckers.

1. Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers | 6-0 guard | UConn

19.9 ppg, 4.9 apg, 2.1 spg

Bueckers capped her college career with a sterling final postseason run, leading UConn to its first title since 2016. She set a Huskies record for points in an NCAA Tournament game with 40 against Oklahoma and was aggressive throughout, averaging 24.8 points per game. Her efficiency didn’t waver, as she made 54.5 percent of her 2s on a midrange-heavy diet and 48.3 percent of her 3s. Bueckers also had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.0 during the tournament.

There were no doubts about Bueckers’ capabilities heading into March, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to close the book on her UConn tenure with such a spectacular finish. She enters the WNBA as an elite scorer and playmaker who can defend multiple positions. She is already a superstar who will bring new fans to the Wings. And the rest of the Huskies in the league, of which there are many, can’t make fun of her for failing to win a championship in a UConn uniform.

2. Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles)

Dominique Malonga | 6-6 center | ASVEL Lyon (France)

15.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg

Miles’ return to college allows Malonga to move up to the second spot. League executives are enamored with her talent and productivity at a young age, and there is a growing subset of talent evaluators who think she could eventually be better than Bueckers. Dallas won’t take that chance, especially since Malonga, 19, is a member of the French national team and will regularly have international commitments during the summers. However, Seattle will be thrilled for Malonga to fall into its lap without having to risk passing over a college star.

The Storm don’t have any frontcourt needs. Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor return, and new signees Alysha Clark and Katie Lou Samuelson can play power forward. Seattle also acquired 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru in the Jewell Loyd trade. However, fit is the least concern when considering a player with Malonga’s tools. She is a great athlete with strong defensive instincts, especially as a rim protector. She has already stretched her shooting range beyond the paint.

The Storm have historically been accommodating of the French national team schedule with Gabby Williams, and her presence should make Malonga more comfortable. Seattle can afford to have a long runway with Malonga, as it did with Magbegor, and reap the rewards in years to come.

3. Washington Mystics (from Chicago)

Sonia Citron | 6-1 wing | Notre Dame

14.1 ppg, 1.9 spg, 37.2 3-pt%

Even if Citron isn’t an All-Star in the WNBA, it’s hard not to like everything she brings to the table. For a rebuilding team, the Mystics can use high-character players who don’t really have weaknesses. She is an easy player to fit into any context.

Citron is a capable shooter and secondary player. She routinely takes the best perimeter assignment and has been particularly good against wings like Bueckers and JuJu Watkins. She makes good decisions on both ends and reads the floor well. With all the talent on Notre Dame’s roster in 2024-25, it was Citron who had the best on-off differential; the Irish were 8.6 points per 100 possessions better with her on the court.

The No. 3 pick would ideally come with more upside — think of Kamilla Cardoso a year ago — but Citron is almost universally beloved in WNBA circles. Every front office wants a player like her on the roster, which makes her worth selecting at this spot.

4. Washington Mystics

Justė Jocytė | 6-2 wing | ASVEL Lyon (France)

11.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg

If Citron is a safe pick, then this is where Washington swings for the fences. Jocytė has been playing professionally since she was 14, leading Lithuania to a silver medal at the U-16 European championship and a gold medal at the U-18 level.

At 19, even if she isn’t a fully realized WNBA prospect, she has so much time to grow into that. She is already an excellent ballhandler and has a smooth pull-up. She can create out of the pick-and-roll. Jocytė has a long way to go defensively — anyone searching for the next Leonie Fiebich will be sorely disappointed on that end — but her ability to score and run offense against European pros is special. If the Mystics really want her, they need to take her at this spot and not wait until the sixth pick, because the Valkyries absolutely will scoop up a top international player.

5. Golden State Valkyries

Kiki Iriafen | 6-3 forward | USC

18.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 81.1 FT%

Since the other international prospects project as second-round draftees, the Valkyries will likely stick with the local star at No. 5. Iriafen is a Stanford graduate and California native who will be easy to market — she is one of the three athletes in the second season of ESPN’s “Full Court Press” and just signed a shoe deal with Skechers.

Iriafen is probably overtaxed as a No. 1 option. Although she scored 36 points the night that Watkins tore her ACL, once opponents scouted Iriafen as USC’s best player, she struggled in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, shooting 6 of 28 from the field. However, there aren’t any more top scorers at this point in the draft, and Iriafen is a fantastic complementary player.

She creates a lot of her offense on second chances and can attack quickly off the catch after another action has already bent the defense. She has an outstanding second jump and is hard to box out. Iriafen is also a good wing defender who moves her feet well on the perimeter.

There are already a lot of power forward types on the Valkyries, and it would help if Iriafen could play center. That hasn’t proven to be the case in college, especially not defensively. If Golden State is willing to let 2025 be a development season, testing Iriafen’s positional versatility would be a good use of its time.

6. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta via Dallas)

Saniya Rivers | 6-1 guard | NC State

11.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.3 bpg

Another high-upside pick for the Mystics. Rivers is potentially the best pure athlete in this draft. She defended four positions at NC State and is adept on the ball and in help. Her outlet passing is a thing of beauty, and she is a great rebounder, putting her in position to lead the break.

Rivers needs some help refining her game. Her decision-making isn’t always the best on offense; for instance, she has the bounce to blow by any defender in front of her, but often settles for jumpers rather than getting into the paint. Her touch around the rim is suboptimal as well. Then, there is her shooting form. She shot 22.9 percent from 3-point range and 67.9 percent on free throws in college, so her jumper may have to be completely reworked.

The beauty is the Mystics have time. They can fix Rivers’ jumper without worrying about winning right away. If that part of her game becomes even passable, Rivers will be a quality point guard for years to come.

7. Connecticut Sun (from Phoenix via New York)

Aneesah Morrow | 6-1 forward | LSU

18.7 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 2.5 spg

This franchise has historically thrived on disrespect. It has a perpetual chip on its shoulder. So does Aneesah Morrow. As Flau’jae Johnson said during the NCAA Tournament, Morrow was always telling her LSU teammates to take things personally.

Beyond the temperamental fit between Morrow and Connecticut, the Sun like players who are a little unconventional but still productive. Alyssa Thomas was a point guard in a center’s body, and Connecticut was successful building around her. Morrow may not be the average size for a WNBA power forward, but she can get rebounds no matter who is on the floor. She has a high-level motor, especially on offense. The Sun roster isn’t exactly dripping with bucket getters, and Morrow fills that need.

8. Connecticut Sun (from Indiana)

Shyanne Sellers | 6-2 wing | Maryland

14.4 ppg, 4.1 apg, 40.8 3-pt%

Sellers helped her stock in the NCAA Tournament, showing that she was healthy enough to compete and produce against the best teams in the country. She had 28 points in Maryland’s double-overtime win over Alabama and nearly helped the Terrapins upset South Carolina in the Sweet 16.

What the postseason reiterated is that Sellers is not a primary ballhandler, a role that Maryland too often forced upon her, especially once Bri McDaniel went down with a season-ending injury. Connecticut has enough lead guards (Lindsay Allen, Yvonne Anderson and Leila Laçan) to allow Sellers to be more of a scorer and play-finisher. She has the size and physicality of a WNBA player, and the Sun can give her the minutes to develop consistency.

9. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)

Serena Sundell | 6-1 guard | Kansas State

14.1 ppg | 7.3 apg | 1.1 spg

The Sparks need a wing more than anything, unless they are committed to Rickea Jackson having a long-term future as a three instead of a four. However, there aren’t a lot of good options at this spot. They could go with South Carolina’s Bree Hall or Slovenia’s Ajša Sivka (two extremes at the position), or they could eschew need and take a talented player who acquitted herself well in March.

Sundell led the country in assists per game and became a more capable scorer as the season progressed. Kansas State put the ball in her hands when the Wildcats needed a game-tying score against Kentucky, and Sundell repeatedly got to the line against a stout USC defense in the Sweet 16. She is efficient at the rim, in the midrange and on corner 3s. She has great size for her position, which would allow her to toggle between the one and two positions and play next to ballhandling scoring guards, such as Kelsey Plum.

As the lead guard for Kansas State, Sundell hasn’t had a ton of catch-and-shoot opportunities, and her free-throw percentage is a little low for a pure shooter. However, she has been very efficient on offense inside the arc, and coach Lynne Roberts would find a way to optimize her strengths.

10. Chicago (from Connecticut)

Te-Hina Paopao | 5-9 guard | South Carolina

9.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.0 3-pt%

I love the fit of Paopao in Chicago, which is why she remains in this spot after the last mock draft. A movement shooter who knows how to play off of high-usage frontcourt players is exactly what the Sky require. Paopao was a little hot and cold during the NCAA Tournament, and her only big game came during the Final Four against Texas. The hope for Chicago is that she was so good playing next to Cardoso during her senior year (the combo had a plus-40.0 net rating), and similarly excellent when Ashlyn Watkins was healthy, that Paopao simply needs better bigs to perform at a high level.

11. Minnesota Lynx

Georgia Amoore | 5-6 guard | Kentucky

19.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 36.7 mpg

The Lynx need additional playmaking, and Amoore is an exceptionally good point guard. Her size will make it challenging to play her deep into the playoffs, but if she can run the offense as a backup, keeping the rest of the rotation fresh during the regular season will be a useful role. Other than Bueckers, no other player in this class makes better reads in the half court. Amoore is also a capable spot-up shooter who is crafty at creating space. Minnesota hasn’t played its rookies much in recent years, but Amoore has more specific, definable skills than either Diamond Miller or Alissa Pili.

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