The WNBA Draft is 48 hours away, and the anticipation is building! Let's break down the prospects and draft order.
On Friday, the league announced the 16 attendees who were cordially invited and will attend the 2025 WNBA Draft. Set to take place at The Shed in New York City, UConn's Paige Bueckers headlines the prospects. Of the participants expected to arrive, there are sleeper draft picks that won't attend in the Big Apple.
That includes USC forward/center Rayah Marshall and TCU center, Sedona Prince. In addition, underrated players such as West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly and Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens will be noticeably absent.
That doesn't mean there won't be mayhem in this year's WNBA Draft. Aside from Paige Bueckers, the entirety of the draft is unknown. Even then, could Dallas do the unthinkable and trade the No. 1 overall pick? It's unlikely according to Rebecca Lobo.
A Full-List of 16 Prospects To Attend The 2025 WNBA Draft
- Georgia Amoore, Guard, Kentucky
- Sarah Ashlee Barker, Guard, Alabama
- Paige Bueckers, Guard, UConn
- Sonia Citron, Guard, Notre Dame
- Sania Feagin, Forward, South Carolina
- Kiki Iriafen, Forward, USC
- Aziaha James, Guard, NC State
- Dominique Malonga, Forward/Center, Lyon ASVEL / France
- Aneesah Morrow, Forward, LSU
- Te-Hina Paopao, Guard, South Carolina
- Saniya Rivers, Guard, NC State
- Madison Scott, Guard, Ole Miss
- Shyanne Sellers, Guard, Maryland
- Ajša Sivka, Forward, Tarbes Gespe Bigorre / Slovenia
- Serena Sundell, Guard, Kansas State
- Hailey Van Lith, Guard, TCU
The presence of international players continues to be a surging topic in women's basketball. In addition to Dominique Malonga and Ajša Sivka, other international WNBA draft prospects include: Yvonne Ejim (Gonzaga), Marine Dursus (France), Annika Soltau (Germany), Lea Bartelme (Slovenia), and Juste Jocyte (Lithuania) just to name a few.
Player such as Kamilla Cardoso, Ezi Magbegor, and Aaliyah Edwards headline some of the most popular international players. However, there's a need for more representation. The 2025 WNBA Draft class indeed includes immense talent internationally. This past week, Seattle General Manager Talisa Rhea spoke on the important of international visibility. Moreover, the Storm drafted Croatian sensation and fashionista Nika Mühl in the 2024 Draft.
"I think there are a quite a few really talented international players in this draft," said Seattle Storm GM Talisa Rhea. "I think what has been clear with a lot of these international players is they do want to play. They want to make the W [WNBA] a priority. We're excited for some of those changes. I think it's an ongoing conversation with them-in their time and availability for the WNBA."
In the pre-draft presser, Rhea praised the WNBA for their efforts to bringing talent from oversees. However, the Storm GM expressed uncertainty as the league continues to grow and evolve over the years. As the WNBA continues to expands, more roster spots will open up. Included in the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft included seven international players alone.
The 29th annual WNBA Draft will feature three rounds and 38 total picks including the new expansion Golden State Valkyries. The Las Vegas Aces had their first-round pick rescinded by the WNBA for violating league rules.
Complete 2025 WNBA Draft Order
First Round
1. Dallas Wings
2. Seattle Storm (Via Los Angeles Sparks)
3. Washington Mystics (Via Chicago Sky)
4. Washington Mystics
5. Golden State Valkyries
6. Washington Mystics (Via Atlanta Dream)
7. Connecticut Sun (Via Phoenix Mercury)
8. Connecticut Sun (Via Indiana Fever)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (Via Seattle Storm)
10. Chicago Sky (Via Connecticut Sun)
11. Minnesota Lynx
12. Dallas Wings (Via New York Liberty)
Second Round
13. Las Vegas Aces (Via Los Angeles Sparks)
14. Dallas Wings
15. Minnesota Lynx (Via Chicago Sky)
16. Chicago Sky (Via Washington Mystics)
17. Golden State Valkyries
18. Atlanta Dream
19. Indiana Fever (Via Phoenix Mercury)
20. Indiana Fever
21. Los Angeles Sparks (Via Seattle Storm)
22. Chicago Sky (Via Las Vegas Aces)
23. Washington Mystics (Via Connecticut Sun)
24. Minnesota Lynx
25. Connecticut Sun (Via New York Liberty)
Third Round
26. Seattle Storm (Via Los Angeles Sparks)
27. Dallas Wings
28. Los Angeles Sparks (Via Chicago Sky)
29. Seattle Storm (Via Washington Mystics)
30. Golden State Valkyries
31. Dallas Wings (Via Atlanta Dream)
32. Washington Mystics (Via Phoenix Mercury)
33. Indiana Fever
34. Seattle Storm
35. Las Vegas Aces
36. Atlanta Dream (Via Connecticut Sun)
37. Minnesota Lynx
38. New York Liberty
Set to air on ESPN, the 2025 WNBA Draft will take place on Monday, April 14. With WNBA Countdown scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET, the draft will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Furthermore, the WNBA Orange Carpet with a 360 camera will take place at The Shed, located in New York City.
To view our 2025 WNBA Mock Draft, click here!
Stay tuned for more NCAA and WNBA related articles.
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Writer, Content Creator, Managing Editor, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
