WNBA mock draft: How first round will shake out after Bueckers goes No. 1

UConn’s Paige Bueckers earned her first national championship with a win over South Carolina, and she won’t have to wait long to hit the next milestone in her career.

Bueckers is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft, which is set to take place in New York City next week. If Bueckers is indeed the first player off the board, she will be the sixth Connecticut Husky to be selected first overall, joining Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), and Breanna Stewart (2016).

Although there isn’t much surprise about the No. 1 selection, the rest of the picks aren’t as straightforward, especially after Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles opted out of the draft in favor of entering the college basketball transfer portal. UConn guard Azzi Fudd also announced that she will cash in another year of collegiate eligibility.

It’s worth noting that the Las Vegas Aces don’t have a 2025 first-round draft pick after their pick was rescinded by the WNBA for violating league rules regarding player benefits. 

Let’s take a look at how the 2025 WNBA draft shakes up one day after the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball championship:

2025 WNBA mock draft

1. Dallas Wings: G Paige Bueckers (UConn)

The 2025 WNBA draft isn’t called the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes for nothing. Bueckers is a generational talent with her shot-making and playmaking abilities and is widely expected to hear her name called first in New York. She just led UConn to its first national championship since 2016, while putting up monster numbers. She scored 30+ points in three consecutive games, including a career-high 40-point performance in the Eight Eight. Bueckers dropped a total of 105 points in three games, the most by a UConn player in that three-game span. After the Wings landed the 2025 No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, Dallas All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale posted on social media, ‘I just fell to my knees. THANK YOU LORD!’ She has good reason to celebrate. 

2. Seattle Storm: G Sonia Citron (Notre Dame)

Notre Dame star Olivia Miles was expected to go second overall before her withdrawal from the draft, but the Storm will still add a Fighting Irish player to their roster. The Storm parted ways with Jewell Loyd in a three-team trade with the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks, but Seattle acquired the second overall pick from the Sparks to snag an efficient scorer and lockdown defender in Sonia Citron. The Fighting Irish didn’t have the best showing in the NCAA Tournament, but it won’t affect Citron’s draft stock too much. She averaged 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 32 games this season.

3. Washington Mystics: F/C Dominique Malonga (France)

The French takeover doesn’t just apply to the NBA. Dominique Malonga will follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Victor Wembanyama and be drafted to the pros. The 6-foot-6 center is the ultimate athlete that can do it all with her speed, length and explosiveness. She’s averaging 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 53.8% from the field, for France’s Lyon ASVEL Feminin. Did we mention that she’s only 19? She turns 20 in November. The Mystics have been quiet in free agency, but new general manager Jamila Wideman and head coach Sydney Johnson will take a step toward building their future with Malonga.

4. Washington Mystics: F Aneesah Morrow (LSU)

5. Golden State Valkyries: F Kiki Iriafen (USC)

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase told USA TODAY Sports she’s looking for an ‘ultra competitive,’ ‘high character,’ ‘never satisfied’ player that will help build the team’s culture in its inaugural season. Kiki Iriafen checks all those boxes. The 6-foot-3 forward would make an immediate impact in Golden State, not far from her playing days at Stanford before she transfered to USC. Iriafen averaged 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and shot 49% from the field for the Trojans this season. When she’s not backing up opponents in the paint or cleaning up the glass with her physicality and explosiveness, Iriafen is a midrange master. She also highlighted her leadership skills after stepping up following JuJu Watkins’ injury in the second round.

6. Washington Mystics: G Shyanne Sellers (Maryland)

The Mystics are on the board yet again. This time they will select a guard in Shyanne Sellers. She averaged 14.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while shooting 46.2% from the field and a career-high 40.8% from beyond the arc this season for the Terrapins. Sellers is the first player in Maryland history to reach 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, highlighting her ability to do it all.

7. Connecticut Sun: F Ajša Sivka (Slovenia)

The Sun have had a rough offseason so far. Not only did Connecticut lose head coach Stephanie White, they also lost Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Dijonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris and Brionna Jones — their entire playoff starting lineup. It’s not clear what direction the Sun are going as they begin their rebuild under new head coach Rachid Meziane, but Slovenian forward Ajsa Sivka is a solid draft-and-stash option who could benefit the Sun in the long run. The versatile wing is averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, while shooting 47.5% from beyond the arc for Tarbes Gespe Bigorre.

8. Connecticut Sun: G Georgia Amoore (Kentucky)

Connecticut is back on the board and will pick up up point guard Georgia Amoore. Although undersized at 5-foot-6, Amoore is an elite facilitator, leading the SEC in assists per game (6.9). She’s also a certified bucket. Amoore averaged a career-high 19.6 points, shooting a career-high 42.3% from the field, and dropped 34 points in Kentucky’s tournament opener against Liberty.

9. Los Angeles Sparks: G Hailey Van Lith (TCU)

The Sparks kicked off free agency by landing two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum, who will join Cameron Brinks, Rickea Jackson and Dearica Hamby in Los Angeles. The Sparks will add another guard to the mix with Hailey Van Lith, who dramatically increased her draft stock in the NCAA tournament by taking the TCU Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight. Van Lith averaged 17.9 points, shooting a career-high 45.2% from the field and 33.8% from three. Van Lith also brings much experience from both the 2025 Olympics and five years in college.

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

The Sky are in need of a guard after losing last season’s top scorer with the departure of Chennedy Carter. Chicago added former Sky alum Courtney Vandersloot and Kia Nurse in free agency, but the Sky will prioritize depth by drafting Te-Hina Paopao, reuniting her with former South Carolina teammate Kamilla Cardoso. Paopao averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 47.1% from the field. Paopao’s shooting from beyond the arc slightly dipped this season, but 37.1% from three is still respectable. Paopao can not only create a shot for her teammates and herself, she’s developed as a lockdown defender and has emerged as an elite 3-and-D player.

11. Minnesota Lynx: G Serena Sundell (Kansas State)

The Lynx fell just short of the 2024 WNBA championship after losing a winner-take-all Game 5 to the New York Liberty in overtime. They will return most of their roster, but will look to add depth with guard Serena Sundell. She has excellent vision and led the nation in assists per game (7.3). She can also score and averaged 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.

12. Dallas Wings: G Saniya Rivers (NC State) 

With the Wings already assured of landing Paige Bueckers with the first overall pick, they go for the best player on the board with the 12th pick. Rivers can beat anyone in one-on-one and averaged 11 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks this season. She will bring a defensive edge to the Wings, who ranked dead-last in defensive rating last year.

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