The 2025 WNBA Draft will be headlined by UConn’s Paige Bueckers, who has been regarded as top pick since she decided to execute her qualifications for the fifth year. But, besides the Bueckers, there are plenty of lead guards, scorers and wings eager to make an impact at the new level.
The Bueckers and several of her draft picks, including Notre Dame and NC State Duos, are still in the NCAA Championship. UConn is seeking its first national title since 2016 and seeking its first title for the Bueckers. The rest is about to be finished, and the draft seems far away, but just eight days after the national championship, the April 14 date for New York City is approaching.
Six WNBA general managers and sports Before the NCAA Championship begins. They were allowed to speak publicly anonymously. We will have another issue before Sweet 16, which includes their assessment of frontcourt players such as Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen and Dominique Malonga.
(Players are listed in alphabetical order. Statistics are currently through Monday. The asterisk indicates that the player also has additional college qualifications.)
Georgia Amoore | 5-6 guard | Kentucky
19.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 36.7 mpg
“Great college basketball player. Can she do enough to be a spinning WNBA player and get a second contract?”
“Georgia Amoore’s game will be transformed as she is able to run for a team and make teammates easy to score due to death. She will perform well in catch situations and is a player with a high basketball IQ.”
“It’s hard to succeed as a little guard, so size is just the main thing. If she can be a crazy shooter on the dribble and has range, she has a chance.”
“She was happy and did a lot of things about (Steve) Nash. She was smart in terms of understanding her limitations from a big perspective.”
“No doubt she is a scorer, she can shoot, she is a organizer. The command guard is high. They are hard to find.”
Amore, Georgia has a great college career👏
🏀The first and third pairs in VT history
🏀Training Hokies to their first ACC title and a quarter of appearances
🏀Assisted Leader of VT (656)
🏀Trick Kentucky’s record for most points in the game (43)
🏀2x one-line full ACC and 1X… pic.twitter.com/mlxsbowksh-ESPNW (@epnw) March 23, 2025
Paige Bueckers* | 5-11 Defender | UCONN
18.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 63.4 TS%
“My only concern for Paige is physical. If she can stay healthy, I think she’s an All-Star talent. She can play all of it, which makes her super valuable. She scores in all three levels. She’s big and high enough for defense. I think her offense is better than her defense, but it’s hard to find a victory against Paige.”
“Although people always want to talk about some potential flaws, (she is)
Today’s draft is still the most certain thing today. ”
“The adjustment to the speed and physics of the game will determine her direct impact.”
“Great leader. Her balance is incredible. She is ready, supported and impressive.
Sonia Citron | 6-1 Wings | Notre Dame Cathedral
14.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 38.1 3-PT%
“Total package player. … She has three levels of score, she can defend multiple positions, and her IQ is not on the list.”
“It’s hard to say that you don’t like her about the 3 and-D you need for the game.”
“It’s very, very good. Obviously, the ball shot very well. She has the whole package. The game seems to slow her down.”
“Big fans, don’t know the ceiling, don’t know the power of the stars, but as far as the productive players of the victory team and improve the floor of the team, very big fans.”
azzi benefits* | 5-11 defender UConn
13.2 PPG, 1.2 SPG, 44.8 3-PT%
“She has a good shot, but the sample size is small. Not sure how she can affect the game outside of shooting threats, and I don’t think her shooting numbers are on the rankings, so I’m a little worried that her reputation will have a greater impact than it actually is.”
“Health is the first thing Azzi has. She has all the tools to be a great professional. It really depends on her health. The shooting is great, great defender.”
“She could be a very interesting complementary rotation player that can stretch it out. Three potential players.”
Aziaha James | 5-9 defender | NC status
17.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.7 APG
“It’s really full of energy. Great terminator. Just downhill. Great defender. I think she’s going to be a really good defender in this league.”
“I can see her eight years in her career. I can see her being frustrated, which doesn’t work. I think she’s a microwave scorer on the bench, which is necessary.”
“When she reaches the next level, she is able to adapt to the defensive game plan and will determine whether she has succeeded.”
“A good combo defender, but may need to be more physical and strong to play in the WNBA night.”
Olivia Miles* | 5-10 defender | Notre Dame Cathedral
15.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, 40.1 3-PT%
“The second safest option after Page.”
“She is definitely a great passer. Her vision for court in small spaces and all courts is really special.”
“Big fans, especially if the shooting can continue to be its position. I love her swing in the game. She feels big and her pace changes a lot. I love dribbling, passing, shooting. I love her at point guard.
“Incredible dynamics. One of the best scorers I’ve seen in years. Sometimes, she’s knocked out on the defensive side, but I think the defensive side is still there’s room for her to grow. Offensively, it’s a generator.”
Will Te-Hina Paopao become the latest Gamecocks player for the first round draft pick? (Aurelien Meunier / Getty Images)
Grey Colors | 5-9 Defender | South Carolina
9.7 PPG, 2.9 APG, 37.1 3-PT%
“Solid college player. Clear three-point shooter. Is she enough people to get people and create at the next level?”
“Paopao has the ability to hit from a distance. She has strong leadership skills and is another senior IQ player who can assign basketball.”
“Paopao is effective offensively. The defense is very good. You know Dawn (Staley) kids will come in and play their role, no matter what they ask for, no matter how big or how old they are. She really affects the game at both ends of the floor.”
Saniya Rivers | 6-1 Defender/Wings | NC Status
11.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.6 APG
“The good news for her is that she can be a point guard. If you can’t shoot, it’s better to play a point guard, then you have the ball in your hand and you can survive a little bit. There are a lot of things to like, there are a lot of questions, but the tools that can be used are great.”
“The most athletic defender in the draft, but are there any non-3-point shooter guards in the WNBA?”
“The athleticism is fascinating. Sometimes she’s a little out of control, so it’s just taking advantage of that and continuing to get better, just picking her own shots, when to drive, when she’s going to shoot 3.
“From the wing’s position, his length and the possibility of becoming an elite defender with her length and athleticism.”
🚨: NC State has advanced to a sweet sixteen for the sixth time in seven seasons.
No. 2 NC State beat Michigan No. 7 83-49.
Saniya Rivers became the first player in NC State program history to release point assist doubles in NCAA Championship games, and Aziaha… pic.twitter.com/eyb86asf8i
– Poster Hoops (@posttherhoops) March 24, 2025
Shyanne Seller | 6-2 Wings | Maryland
14.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, 41.8 3-PT%
“I love her figure, I love her athleticism. She has all the tools and sometimes she just goes in and out. Any kid who played for Brenda Freese for four years, you know that she was disciplined at both ends of the floor.”
“She is a scorer and she can play both, three (stretch) four. Usability is usually the best ability, and some of her injuries have been a bit tough year. But she also showed great resilience to bounce back.”
“Is her scoring ability at the next level reliable or reliable? Questions about her current health may cause her to drop in the draft, and ultimately, what is her best position at the W level?”
Hailey van Lith | 5-7 defender | TCU
17.7 ppg, 5.5 APG, 1.2 SPG
“A strong basketball IQ. She can score points from all three levels and is a player, and in the clutch moment, you can give her the basketball, she can do something.”
“Hailey’s success as a high USAGE player. What would her role look like when she gets a small window in W? How effective is it for her limited minutes early in her career when she doesn’t have the ball?”
“So much courage. I love the fire she brings when she stepped on the court. You know what you get from her every night. The question mark continues to be on the defensive end. She will have to keep getting better. She will never be the best athlete or the fastest athlete or the fastest athlete, so she is challenging her situation and strategy that makes her work harder than the smarter players who are getting harder.
“She helped herself this year. She showed she could influence the game in different regions.”
(Illustration: Tullos / sports; Photos of Hailey van Lith, Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles: Ron Jenkins, Michael Reaves, Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
