The 2025 WNBA Draft shall be headlined by UConn’s Paige Bueckers, who has been penciled in as the highest decide ever since she determined to train her fifth 12 months of eligibility. However past Bueckers, there’s a deep pool of lead guards, scorers, and wings who’re desirous to make their influence on the subsequent degree.
Bueckers and a number of other of her fellow draftees, together with the Notre Dame and NC State duos, are nonetheless competing within the NCAA Match. UConn is searching for its first nationwide championship since 2016 and first title for Bueckers. With a lot left to perform, the draft appears far-off, however the April 14 date in NY city is quick approaching, simply eight days after the nationwide championship.
Six WNBA normal managers shared their candid opinions concerning the upcoming draft class with The Athletic earlier than the NCAA Match started. They had been granted anonymity to permit them to talk overtly. On Wednesday, we’ll run one other installment that features their evaluations of frontcourt gamers equivalent to Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen and Dominique Malonga.
(Gamers are listed in alphabetical order. Statistics present by way of Monday. Asterisks point out a participant has a further 12 months of school eligibility.)
Georgia Amoore | 5-6 guard | Kentucky
19.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 36.7 mpg
“Nice faculty basketball participant. Can she do sufficient to be a rotational WNBA participant who makes it to a second contract?”
“Georgia Amoore’s recreation will translate on account of her skill to run a group and put her teammates in straightforward scoring conditions on account of her passing. She’s going to excel in pick-and-roll conditions and is a participant with a really excessive basketball IQ.”
“It’s laborious to succeed as a tiny, tiny guard, so measurement is simply the principle factor. If she might be an insane shooter off the dribble and with vary, she has an opportunity.”
“She’s heady, does a ton of the (Steve) Nash stuff. She’s fairly sensible by way of understanding her limitations from a measurement perspective.”
“There’s little doubt she’s a scorer, she will be able to shoot, she’s a playmaker. Level guards are at a premium. They’re laborious to search out.”
Georgia Amoore’s faculty profession was excellent 👏
🏀 First triple-double in VT historical past
🏀 Led Hokies to first ACC title and Ultimate 4 look
🏀 All-time assists chief for VT (656)
🏀 Tied Kentucky report for many factors in a recreation (43)
🏀 2x First-team All-ACC & 1x… pic.twitter.com/mLxsboWkSH— espnW (@espnW) March 23, 2025
Paige Bueckers* | 5-11 guard | UConn
18.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 63.4 TS%
“My solely issues with Paige are bodily. If she will be able to keep wholesome, I believe she’s an All-Star degree expertise. She will play with or with out the ball which makes her tremendous invaluable. She scores in any respect three ranges. She’s massive and tall and lengthy sufficient to outlive defensively. I believe her offense is healthier than her protection, nevertheless it’s laborious to search out issues to not like about Paige.”
“Although folks at all times need to appear to speak about some potential flaws, (she’s)
nonetheless probably the most positive factor at present on this draft.”
“The adjustment to the pace and physicality of the sport will decide her rapid influence.”
“Nice chief. She’s extremely poised. She’s ready, pro-ready and so spectacular, on and off the court docket. A franchise foundational participant.”
Sonia Citron | 6-1 wing | Notre Dame
14.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 38.1 3-PT%
“Complete package deal participant. … She’s bought three layers to her scoring, she will be able to defend a number of positions, her IQ is off the charts.”
“Laborious to not like her by way of what the sport wants, the 3-and-D. “
“Very, very poised. Clearly shoots the ball tremendously nicely. She’s bought the entire package deal. The sport appears to have slowed down for her.”
“Massive fan, don’t know the ceiling, don’t know the star energy, however by way of being a productive participant on a profitable group and elevating the ground of your group, fairly massive fan.”
Azzi Fudd* | 5-11 guard | UConn
13.2 ppg, 1.2 spg, 44.8 3-PT%
“She shoots it nicely however the pattern measurement is so small. Unsure how she impacts the sport outdoors of the specter of her taking pictures, and I don’t suppose her taking pictures numbers are off the charts both, so I’m somewhat nervous about her having a much bigger popularity than the precise influence.”
“Well being is the No. 1 factor for Azzi. She has all of the instruments to be an amazing professional. It actually comes right down to her well being. Nice taking pictures, nice defender.”
“She may very well be a very attention-grabbing complementary rotation participant who can stretch it. Three-and-D potential participant.”
Aziaha James | 5-9 guard | NC State
17.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.7 apg
“Actually dynamic. Nice finisher. Simply will get downhill. Nice defender. I believe she’s going to be a very, actually good guard on this league for a very long time.”
“I might see her turning out to have an eight-year profession. I might see her tapering off and it simply not working. I see her as a microwave scorer off the bench and people are mandatory.”
“Her skill to adapt to defensive recreation plans towards her when she will get to this subsequent degree will resolve if she makes it or not.”
“An excellent combo guard, however may have to change into extra bodily and stronger to have the ability to compete night time in and night time out within the WNBA.”
Olivia Miles* | 5-10 guard | Notre Dame
15.5 ppg, 5.9 apg, 40.1 3-PT%
“The second most secure decide after Paige.”
“She’s positively an distinctive passer. Her court docket imaginative and prescient in small areas in addition to full court docket is actually, actually particular.”
“Massive fan, particularly if the taking pictures can proceed to be the place it’s at. I really like the wiggle she has in her recreation. She’s bought nice really feel, she’s bought nice change of tempo. I really like the mixture of dribble, go, shoot. I really like her measurement at level guard. I believe she will be able to additionally most likely play on and off the ball.”
“Extremely dynamic. Top-of-the-line scorers I’ve seen in a few years. At instances, she’s taken out of the top of video games defensively, however I believe the defensive finish is the place she nonetheless has room to develop. Offensively, an absolute dynamo.”
Will Te-Hina Paopao change into the most recent Gamecocks participant to be a first-round draft decide? (Aurelien Meunier / Getty Pictures)
Te-Hina Paopao | 5-9 guard | South Carolina
9.7 ppg, 2.9 apg, 37.1 3-PT %
“Stable faculty participant. Clear 3-point shooter. Does she have sufficient to get by folks and create on the subsequent degree?”
“Paopao has the power to hit from lengthy vary. She has robust management qualities and is one other excessive IQ participant who can distribute the basketball.”
“Paopao is environment friendly offensively. Defends rather well. You realize Daybreak (Staley)’s children are going to return in and play their function, no matter they’re requested to do, regardless of how massive or how little. She actually impacts the sport on each ends of the ground.”
Saniya Rivers | 6-1 guard/wing | NC State
11.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.6 apg
“The excellent news for her is she is usually a level guard. And for those who can’t shoot, you higher be enjoying level guard trigger then you might have the ball in your arms and you’ll survive somewhat bit extra. Loads to love and quite a bit to query, however superb instruments to work with.”
“Essentially the most athletic guard-wing within the draft, however is there a spot for a non-3-point shooter guard-wing within the WNBA?”
“The athleticism is mesmerizing. At instances she will get somewhat bit uncontrolled, so it’s simply harnessing that and persevering with to get higher at simply selecting her photographs, selecting when she’s gonna drive, when she’s gonna shoot the three.”
“Nice size from the wing place and the potential of being an elite defender together with her size and athleticism.”
🚨: NC State advances to the SWEET SIXTEEN for the sixth time in seven seasons‼️
No. 2 NC State defeated No. 7 Michigan State, 83-49.
Saniya Rivers turned the primary participant in NC State program historical past to submit a point-assist double-double in an NCAA match recreation, whereas Aziaha… pic.twitter.com/EYB86AsF8I
— Posther Hoops (@postherhoops) March 24, 2025
Shyanne Sellers | 6-2 wing | Maryland
14.2 ppg, 4.2 apg, 41.8 3-pt%
“I really like her measurement, I really like her athleticism. She’s bought all of the instruments, she simply kind of at instances, comes out and in. Any child that’s enjoying for Brenda Freese for 4 years you recognize is disciplined on each ends of the ground.”
“She’s a scorer, she will be able to play most likely the 2 and the three and (stretch) 4. Availability is commonly one of the best skill, and he or she’s had somewhat little bit of a rocky 12 months with among the accidents that she’s had. However she’s additionally proven a very nice resiliency in with the ability to bounce again.”
“Is she dependable or reliable together with her scoring skill on the subsequent degree? Questions on her present well being might have her drop within the draft, and finally, what’s her finest place on the W degree?”
Hailey Van Lith | 5-7 guard | TCU
17.7 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.2 spg
“A tricky child with a excessive basketball IQ. She will rating from all three ranges and is a participant who, in clutch moments, you will get her the basketball and she will be able to make one thing occur.”
“Hailey had success being a high-usage participant. What is going to her function appear like when she will get small home windows within the W? How efficient can she be in restricted minutes early in her profession, when she doesn’t have the ball?”
“A lot grit. I really like the fireplace that she brings when she steps onto the court docket. You realize what you’re gonna get from her each single night time. The query mark continues to be on the defensive finish. She’s going to should proceed to get higher. She’s by no means going to be one of the best athlete or the quickest, so she’s bought to determine decide her spots and be strategic in a manner when she’s guarding gamers that could be somewhat bit larger and quicker than her.”
“She’s helped herself this 12 months. She’s displaying she will be able to influence the sport in several areas.”
(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photographs of Hailey Van Lith, Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles: Ron Jenkins, Michael Reaves, Joe Buglewicz / Getty Pictures)