Barring a draft-day surprise, the Storm will stand pat with the second overall pick in the WNBA draft — their highest spot since selecting Breanna Stewart at No. 1 in 2016.
Seemingly, a blockbuster deal never materialized between Seattle and the Dallas Wings, who are expected to use the top pick to nab UConn superstar Paige Bueckers on Monday night.
“We’re really excited for the talent that we’re going to add, and I think we’re in a unique spot to be able to add a player that will be able to contribute to a win-now mode,” Storm general manager Talisa Rhea said last week during a pre-draft conference call. “We believe that at No. 2, we’re going to get a player that will help us this year, as well as the long term.”
Seattle also has three picks in the third round at 26, 29 and 34 overall.
It remains to be seen which draft prospect can provide immediate help to the Storm, who return starters Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams from a veteran team that finished fifth at 25-15 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Due in large part to the vacancy in the backcourt after trading All-Star guard Jewell Loyd, Seattle was initially linked to Notre Dame standout Olivia Miles before she decided to return to college and transfer to TCU.
Most mock drafts project the Storm will take 19-year-old Dominique Malonga, a 6-foot-6 French phenom who can dunk, shoot three-pointers, block shots and has been favorably compared to NBA rising star Victor Wembanyama.
ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike called her “the steal of the draft” who can “make a tremendous impact in the W.”
If Seattle drafts Malonga second, she’d be the fifth foreign player to go in the first two picks in league history.
Polish-born Margo Dydek went first in 1998 followed by Australian Lauren Jackson who the Storm nabbed at No. 1 in 2001. Fellow Aussie Liz Cambage, who was born in England, was drafted second in 2011 while Egyptian native Awak Kuier went No. 2 in 2021.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will preside over the draft, which begins at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN. There are 38 picks over three rounds due to the addition of the expansion Golden State Valkyries, the league’s 13th team.
Bueckers and Malonga headline a list of 16 prospects who are expected to attend the WNBA draft including Kiki Iriafen, Aneesah Morrow, Hailey Van Lith, Georgia Amoore, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sonia Citron, Sania Feagin, Aziaha James, Te-Hina Paopao, Saniya Rivers, Madison Scott, Shyanne Sellers, Ajša Sivka and Serena Sundell.
The draft will be held at The Shed at the Hudson Yards in New York City and will have fans in attendance for the second consecutive year.
The Storm will host a WNBA draft watch party at Queen Anne Beer Hall, which begins at 3:30 p.m.
The event features music, raffle giveaways, mascot Doppler and a guest appearance from Storm assistant Pokey Chatman.
— On Sunday, Magbegor helped lead ZVVZ USK Praha to a 66-53 victory over CIMSA CBK Mersin in Zaragoza, Spain, for the EuroLeague Women title.
Magbegor, who averaged 11.0 points and 13.0 rebounds, and Williams, who averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals with Fenerbahce Opet, were selected to the EuroLeague All-Star Five.
