2025 WNBA Draft: Paige Bueckers goes 1st, Hailey Van Lith joins Angel Reese in Chicago

April 15, 2025

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2025 WNBA Draft: Paige Bueckers goes 1st, Hailey Van Lith joins Angel Reese in Chicago

The 2025 WNBA draft occurred on Monday and, as anticipated, former UConn Huskies star and NCAA champion Paige Bueckers went No. 1 general to the Dallas Mavericks.

However how did the remainder of the primary spherical of the draft shake out? Here is a take a look at the first-round picks within the WNBA draft, so as of choice, adopted by the remainder of the draft.

1 — Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, UConn

The 5-foot-11 guard from Hopkins, Minnesota, is taken into account a generational participant. Bueckers averaged 19.9 factors and shot 41.9% from behind the 3-point line this season. Bueckers was one of the vital environment friendly gamers in faculty basketball, enjoying 38 video games this season for the nationwide champion Huskies and 123 in her profession. She’s going to pair with Arike Ogunbowale within the Wings’ backcourt. Bueckers was the 2021 AP participant of the yr and a three-time AP All-American.

2 — Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, France

The 6-foot-6 middle performed for the French Olympic workforce final yr and has a shiny future within the WNBA. She averaged 15.0 factors and 10.3 rebounds thus far this season whereas enjoying for Lyon. She is nineteen and will not flip 20 till November. However Malonga gave a glimpse of her dazzling athleticism final fall, dunking for Lyon.

3 — Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame

Citron is a 6-foot-1 guard. She averaged 14.1 factors and 5.4 rebounds throughout her profession at Notre Dame, the place she labored arduous sufficient on her protection to grow to be one of many high defenders on the workforce. She additionally shot over 90% from the free throw line the previous two seasons, among the finest percentages within the nation. Citron began 107 of 124 video games performed over 4 seasons at Notre Dame.

4 — Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, Southern California

The 6-foot-3 ahead was a star at Stanford earlier than spending her final season at USC. She averaged 18.0 factors and eight.4 rebounds with the Trojans. Iriafen then raised her sport when JuJu Watkins went down with an ACL tear, serving to USC get to the Elite Eight.

5 — Golden State Valkyries: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania

The 6-foot Jocyte showcased her scoring expertise with a 22-point effort in opposition to Belgium within the EuroBasket qualifiers. She’s a flexible participant who can play any guard place. She is actually efficient on the pick-and-roll with a toughness and basic expertise which might be spectacular for somebody who turns 20 on Nov. 19.

6 — Washington Mystics: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

Amoore is a 5-foot-6 guard with numerous expertise, beginning 155 of 157 video games over 5 faculty seasons. Amoore averaged 19.6 factors and 6.9 assists for Kentucky this season after transferring from Virginia Tech, the place she spent her first 4 seasons. She is from Ballarat, Victoria, in Australia.

7 — Connecticut Solar: Aneesah Morrow, LSU

The 6-foot-1 ahead led the nation in double-doubles as she averaged 18.7 factors and 13.5 rebounds a sport. She is second in that class for a profession, behind solely Oklahoma nice Courtney Paris, having greater than 100 in her profession together with her final two seasons at LSU after enjoying her first two at DePaul. The native of Chicago has a toughness and nostril for the basketball.

8 — Connecticut Solar: Saniya Rivers, N.C. State

The 6-foot-1 ahead is coming off a season the place she was All-ACC first workforce and likewise Atlantic Coast Convention All-Defensive Group for a second straight yr. She helped lead the Wolfpack to the Closing 4 final season. Rivers helped South Carolina win the 2022 nationwide championship her freshman yr earlier than transferring. Rivers averaged 11.9 factors, 6.6 rebounds and three.8 assists this previous season, beginning all 35 video games. She additionally is an efficient defender averaging, 1.3 blocks and 1.6 steals.

9 — Los Angeles Sparks: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama

Completed her faculty profession by scoring a school-record 45 factors in Alabama‘s 111-108 double-overtime loss to Maryland within the second spherical of the NCAA Match. Was first-team All-SEC choice within the final two of her three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Spent her first two seasons at Georgia. The 6-foot guard, a local of Birmingham, is the daughter of Jay Barker, who quarterbacked Alabama to the 1992 faculty soccer championship.

10 — Chicago Sky: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia

Sivka has dimension at 6-foot-4 that makes her a tough matchup. She is also one other European who will not flip 20 till Nov. 23. Sivka is a multilevel scoring ahead with environment friendly shot-making capacity. She revamped 42% from the 3-point line.

11 — Chicago Sky: Hailey Van Lith, TCU

Van Lith is a 5-foot-9 guard who turned the primary participant to play on three completely different groups within the Elite Eight after revitalizing her personal faculty profession at TCU. Van Lith averaged 17.9 factors and 5.4 assists this season as TCU attain the Elite Eight for the primary time at school historical past. Van Lith additionally has some professional expertise serving to the U.S. win a bronze medal in 3-on-3 finally yr’s Paris Olympics.

12 — Dallas Wings: Aziaha James, N.C. State

The 5-foot-10 native of Virginia Seaside, Virginia, is a two-time All-ACC first workforce participant. James performed in 105 straight video games to complete her profession at N.C. State. She capped her profession averaging a career-high 17.9 factors a sport. She additionally grabbed a median of 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals, beginning 34 of 35 video games. James shot a median of 44.5% from the ground, 33.3% from 3-point vary and 75% on the free throw line.