Michael Voepel, ESPN Senior WriterNov 15, 2024, 8:00 AM ET
- Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
Which team will get the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft? The answer will come Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN) when the league holds its draft lottery.
The Indiana Fever won the top pick the past two years, and both selections — Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark — have been home runs who won the Rookie of the Year award.
Right now, the top pick for 2025 looks as certain: UConn guard Paige Bueckers. But who will be her coach? That we don’t know, as the three teams that could get the No. 1 pick — the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics — all fired their coaches after the season. The Mystics also don’t currently have a general manager.
The other lottery team, the Chicago Skyalso fired its coach but recently hired Tyler Marsh, who had been a Las Vegas Aces assistant the past three years. However, because of a trade with Dallas that allows the Wings to swap picks with the Sky in the 2025 draft, Chicago won’t get the No. 1 pick.
The Sparks have the best odds (44.2%), followed by the Wings (22.7%), Sky (22.7%) and Mystics (10.4%). Until the draft lottery is held to set the official order, we will list the top four picks in this order.
We’re also including some potential early entries — college players who aren’t seniors but meet the age requirements for the draft (they are 22 or older in 2025). The early entries included below have not definitively said if they will declare for the draft or return.
1. Los Angeles Sparks: Paige Bueckers
UConn | point guard | 6-foot-0 | senior
Bueckers is off to a strong start for UConn — she is shooting 73.7% from the field — following her averages of 21.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season. Bueckers’ efficiency and versatility make her an excellent candidate to transition seamlessly to the pro game. Bueckers has one more year of college eligibility left because of the COVID-19 waiver from 2020-21, but she has approached this as her final season with the Huskies. Might the outcome of the lottery impact her decision? We’ll wait and find out.
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Paige Bueckers scores game-high 22 points in UConn’s win over USF
Paige Bueckers drops a game-high 22 points in Connecticut’s 86-49 win over South Florida.
2. Dallas Wings: Kiki Iriafen
USC | power forward | 6-3 | senior
After a breakthrough season with Stanford as a junior (19.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG), Iriafen transferred to USC and is expected to be a huge part of the Final Four contenders. She has averaged 16.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG for the Trojans. Iriafen also has made two 3-pointers in three games — which doesn’t sound like much but is as many as she had in her three seasons at Stanford.
3. Chicago Sky: Azzi Benefit
UConn | shooting guard | 5-10 | junior
Fudd has yet to return to the court for UConn after missing last season with a knee injury; she’s expected back in December. She has played just 42 college games and has indicated she likely is leaning toward staying another season at UConn. For now, we are still including her in the mock draft. If she decides to go pro, her ability as a shooter could make her valuable to a team like the Sky.
4. Washington Mystics: Olivia Miles
Our Lady | point guard | 5-10 | junior
Miles, who missed the 2023 postseason and all of 2023-24 with a knee injury, is another possible early entry. One of the concerns for Miles, along with health, is her 3-point shooting. However, she’s off to a good start and opened the season with a triple-double. Another plus: Success among Notre Dame guards in the WNBA is well-established.
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Olivia Miles drops triple-double in Notre Dame win
Olivia Miles marks her return from long-term injury with a triple-double in Notre Dame’s blowout win over Mercyhurst.
5. Golden State Valkyries: Lauren Betts
UCLA | center | 6-7 | junior
We don’t know at this point what the Valkyries will be looking for in the 2025 draft because they don’t have any players yet; the expansion draft is Dec. 6. Betts is draft-eligible as she turns 22 next year. If she leaves early, she could be a high pick. Now in her second season at UCLA after starting at Stanford, Betts is a career 64.4% shooter.
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Lauren Betts’ 31 points paces Bruins past Colgate
Lauren Betts dominates down low for No. 5 UCLA as the Bruins get past Colgate with ease.
6. Washington Mystics (from Atlanta): Dominique Malonga
France | center | 6-6
Mike Thibault made the personnel decisions as Mystics GM for the past 12 years, but he and his son, Eric, who coached the team the past two years, were let go after the season. We don’t know what direction the Mystics are going with anything now, including the draft. Malonga, who doesn’t turn 19 until November, made the French Olympic team this year. With her size and potential, she could be a first-round pick even if she doesn’t play in the WNBA in 2025.
7. New York Liberty (from Phoenix): Aneesah Morrow
LSU | small forward | 6-1 | senior
Morrow has been an exceptional scorer and rebounder in her college career, which started at DePaul and will finish at LSU. But there is concern about her size and true position in the WNBA. Plus, she has shot just 24.3% from 3-point range in college. Still, there is a lot of potential for Morrow, which might appeal to the reigning champions.
8. Indiana Fever: Janiah Barker
UCLA | power forward | 6-4 | junior
Like Betts, Barker is a junior but turns 22 next year and could be in demand as a powerful post player. After two years at Texas A&M, she transferred to UCLA and is part of the Bruins’ strong inside attack. A key will be how much her offense develops under coach Cori Close and playing alongside all the talent at UCLA.
9. Seattle Storm: The Gray Radio
South Carolina | guard | 5-9 | senior
Paopao returned for a fifth year after winning the national championship with the Gamecocks last season. Her 3-point shooting accuracy could be appealing at the next level. In her college career (she spent the first three years at Oregon), she has shot 40.9% from behind the arc. That includes 46.8% last season. Playing for South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has improved Paopao’s defense, too.
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South Carolina’s Paopao, Fulwiley on 40-straight wins
Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley give thanks to the No. 1 Gamecocks’ coaching and talk about what makes a 40-game win streak possible after taking down No. 9 NC State.
10. Chicago Sky (from Connecticut): Harmon Road
Texas | point guard | 5-6 | senior
Harmon was granted a hardship waiver after being limited to 12 games last season by a knee injury, so she could return to college for another season. However, if she declares for the draft, her quickness, defense and playmaking are all big assets. Improving as a consistent 3-point shooter would help her draft stock.
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Texas’ Schaefer on returning Harmon’s ability: ‘It’s just her being her’
Vic Schaefer speaks on what it means to have a healthy Rori Harmon back in the lineup and how the Longhorns are looking to make an impact in the SEC.
11. Minnesota Lynx: Shyanne Sellers
Maryland | point guard | 6-2 | senior
We saw in Minnesota’s run to the WNBA Finals this season how well coach Cheryl Reeve can use players to maximize their strengths and make the whole even stronger than the sum of its parts. You could envision a player such as Sellers, with good size as a playmaker, fitting in with the Lynx.
12. Phoenix Mercury (from New York): Sonia Citron
Notre Dame | shooting guard | 6-1 | senior
With fellow guard Miles back this season for Notre Dame, Citron’s numbers might decline from last season’s 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. But her potential as a versatile guard and 3-point shooter could make her a first-round selection.