WNBA draft live picks, grades: Paige Bueckers selected No. 1 by Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers led the UConn women’s basketball team to its 12th national title last week and has been on a worldwide tour ever since. Now the 2025 WNBA draft awaits.

Bueckers brought the NCAA championship trophy back home to Storrs, Connecticut, caught up with Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist on the “Today” show and crashed Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” in New York City.

Next stop, the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Just eight days after the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season concluded with the Huskies defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks, the next generation of superstars are set to enter the league and eagerly await to hear their name called.

Bueckers shouldn’t have to wait long. Much like Caitlin Clark was the presumed top pick last year, Bueckers is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick held by the Dallas Wings. If Bueckers is off the board first, she will become 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).

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USA TODAY Sports is here to bring you every pick for the 2025 WNBA draft with updates and analysis.

2025 WNBA draft selections — First round

This section will be updated after each pick is announced.

No. 1 Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers, guard, UConn

The 23-year-old guard, who overcame two serious knee injuries and led the Huskies to their first national championship in eight years, is the sixth UConn player to be drafted No. 1 overall in the draft’s 30th edition, following Sue Bird (2002, Seattle), Diana Taurasi (2004, Phoenix), Tina Charles (2010, Connecticut), Maya Moore (2011, Minnesota) and Breanna Stewart (2016, Seattle).

Bueckers, a three-time first-team AP All-American, is not only a walking bucket — she averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists last season — but she is a walking advertisement with some of the nation’s most recognizable brand names vying for her services. — Scooby Axon

Click here to read more about Paige Bueckers.

No. 2 Seattle Storm

Dominique Malonga, forward/center, France

The 6-foot-6 center is the ultimate athlete — or unicorn, as some say — that can do it all with her speed, length and explosiveness. Malonga averaged a double-double for France’s Lyon ASVEL Feminin during the 2024-25 season, with 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, all while shooting 53.8% from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc. Did we mention that she’s only 19?

Malonga says her “versatility” is her superpower. “The fact that I can play in and outside and sometimes I can be really disruptive on defense,” she said leading up to the WNBA Draft.

She only the fifth player from France selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft. — Cydney Henderson

Click here to read more about Malonga.

No. 3 Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron, guard, Notre Dame

The 6-foot-1 New York native was the only player in Notre Dame history with 1700 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. She ended her career in South Bend with the fifth-best shooting percentage in program history. Additionally, her 173 made career 3-pointers was eighth in Notre Dame history. — Meghan Hall

Click here to read more about Citron.

No. 4 Washington Mystics

Kiki Iriafen, forward, USC

After four years as one of the best post players in the West Coast, Kiki Iriafen heads into the WNBA as one of the best forwards in the 2025 draft class. The Los Angeles native started her college career at Stanford and burst on the scene in her junior year, winning most improved player in the Pac-12. She decided to return home for her final season and joined a talented Southern California team. At USC, Iriafen and JuJu Watkins were a force as the two led the Trojans to a Big Ten regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. — Jordan Mendoza

Click here to read more about Iriafen.

No. 5 Golden State Valkyries

Justė Jocytė, forward, Lithuania

No. 6 Washington Mystics

Georgia Amoore, guard, Kentucky

The 5-foot-6 Australian point guard started her collegiate career at Virginia Tech, where she played four seasons from 2020 to 2024. She led Virginia Tech to its first Final Four in 2023. Amoore followed head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky for her fifth and final year and put up career-highs in points per game (19.6), assists per game (6.9) and field goal percentage (42.3%) in 2025. She scored double digits in all but one game this season and earned first-team All-SEC honors, joining her first-team All-ACC selections in 2023 and 2024. Amoore joined Clark and Sabrina Ionescu as the only D-I players to record 2,300+ points and 800+ assists in their career.

— Cydney Henderson

Click here to read more about Amoore.

No. 7 Connecticut Sun

Aneesah Morrow, forward, LSU

Angel Reese’s departure from LSU left Barbie-sized shoes to fill in Baton Rouge, and Morrow stepped up to the plate. The 6-foot-1 forward is a double-double machine who led the nation in not only double-doubles (30), but rebounds per game (13.5). Morrow scored a double-double in three of four NCAA tournament games, including a 30-point, 19-rebound performance in LSU’s Sweet Sixteen 16 win over NC State. Morrow’s versatility, rebounding abilities and relentless attitude will translate well to the league. — Cydney Henderson

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2025 WNBA draft: Team-by-team picks

What time is the WNBA draft?

The 2025 WNBA draft is on Monday, April 14. Coverage begins with “WNBA Countdown” at 7 p.m. with the draft following at 7:30 p.m. ET from The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.

What channel is the WNBA draft? TV, stream and how to watch

TV coverage of the event will be on ESPN with streaming avaiable on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.

Date: Monday, April 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the WNBA draft with Fubo

WNBA first-round draft order

Here’s the current draft order for Monday’s first round:

Dallas Wings
Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Washington Mystics (from Chicago Sky)
Washington Mystics
Golden State Valkyries
Washington Mystics (from Atlanta Dream)
Connecticut Sun (from New York Liberty)
Connecticut Sun (from Indiana Fever)
Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm)
Chicago Sky (from Connecticut Sun)
Chicago Sky (from Minnesota Lynx)
Dallas Wings (from New York Liberty)

How many picks are in the WNBA draft?

The WNBA draft, which kicks off Monday night, will see nearly 40 players enter the league. The first round starts at 7:30 p.m. ET, continuing through three rounds and 38 total picks.

Players invited to Monday’s WNBA draft

Paige Bueckers, guard, UConn
Kiki Iriafen, forward, USC
Aneesah Morrow, guard, LSU
Hailey Van Lith, guard, TCU
Georgia Amoore, guard, Kentucky
Sarah Ashlee Barker, guard, Alabama
Sonia Citron, guard, Notre Dame
Sania Feagin, forward, South Carolina
Aziaha James, guard, NC State
Dominique Malonga, center, Lyon ASVEL/France)
Te-Hina Paopao, guard, South Carolina
Saniya Rivers, guard, NC State
Madison Scott, guard/forward, Ole Miss
Shyanne Sellers, guard, Maryland
Ajša Sivka, forward, Tarbes Gespe Bigorre/Slovenia
Serena Sundell, guard, Kansas State

WNBA draft predictions

Here is how experts see the draft going in the first five selections:

1. Dallas Wings

USA Today (Cydney Henderson): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
The Athletic (Sabreena Merchant): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Sports Illustrated (Blake Silverman): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Yahoo (Maggie Hendricks): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn

2. Seattle Storm (via Sparks)

USA Today: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
The Athletic: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Sports Illustrated: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Yahoo: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)

3. Washington Mystics (via Sky)

USA Today: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
The Athletic: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
Sports Illustrated: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
Yahoo: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC

4. Washington Mystics

USA Today: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU
The Athletic: Justė Jocytė, F/G, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Sports Illustrated
: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
Yahoo: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame

5. Golden State Valkyries

USA Today: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
The Athletic: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
Sports Illustrated: Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU
Yahoo: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU

Paige Bueckers is her own star player in the making

Let’s hope the WNBA, and its new fans, learned something from the debacle of last season.

Barring some shocking turn or a kidnapping by aliens, Paige Bueckers is going to be the first pick of Monday night’s WNBA draft. She is a transformational player, one who will help drive attendance and attention to the Dallas Wings and the league overall.

What Bueckers is not is a “rival” of Caitlin Clark. Or Angel Reese. Or any other player, for that matter. (Not yet, anyway.) Nor is Bueckers some shrinking violet who needs protecting or hand-holding. She’s a hooper, and should be treated as such. — Nancy Armour

Click here to read Armour’s full column on Paigie Bueckers.

WNBA draft: Second- and third-round order

Here is the selection order for the second and third round of the 2025 WNBA draft:

Second round

Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Dallas Wings
Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago Sky)
Chicago Sky (from Washington Mystics)
Golden State Valkyries
Atlanta Dream
Indiana Fever (from Phoenix Mercury)
Indiana Fever
Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm)
Chicago Sky (from Las Vegas Aces)
Washington Mystics (from Connecticut Sun)
Minnesota Lynx
Connecticut Sun (from New York Liberty)

Third round

Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Dallas Wings
Los Angeles Sparks (from Chicago Sky)
Seattle Storm (from Washington Mystics)
Golden State Valkyries
Dallas Wings (from Atlanta Dream)
Washington Mystics (from Phoenix Mercury)
Indiana Fever
Seattle Storm
Las Vegas Aces
Atlanta Dream (from Connecticut Sun)
Minnesota Lynx
New York Liberty

WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year

There was no doubt who would be taken with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever had their sights set on Caitlin Cark for months before making it official and taking the former Iowa star and NCAA career scoring leader with the No. 1 overall pick last year. It marked the second consecutive year that the Fever had the first selection in the draft; in 2023 Indiana picked former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the top pick. Clark and Boston joined an esteemed list of top draft picks that includes a number of future WNBA MVPs and Olympians. Here are the top five most recent No. 1 overall picks (with college team in parentheses):

2024: Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark (Iowa)
2023: Indiana Fever, Aliyah Boston (South Carolina)
2022: Atlanta Dream, Rhyne Howard (Kentucky)
2021: Dallas Wings, Charli Collier (Texas)
2020: New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon)
Click here to see every WNBA No. 1 overall pick by year, dating back to the first draft in 1997.

Gannett launches USA TODAY Studio IX, a new women’s sports vertical

For more than four decades, USA TODAY has provided our audience a front-row seat for some of the biggest moments in women’s sports – from the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, March Madness and beyond.

Now we’re kicking it up a notch with today’s launch of USA TODAY Studio IX presented by Cisco, our new content vertical that will highlight the power of women’s sports through in-depth and unique storytelling, dynamic events and expanded multimedia content. This new community for women’s sports draws upon the power of the USA TODAY Network, which includes USA TODAY and more than 200 local publications throughout the country.

USA TODAY Studio IX: A new women’s sports vertical

WNBA Rookies of the Year

Sometimes, the top overall pick in the WNBA draft seems preordained to win Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the season, but there have been some surprises over the years. While the three most recent Rookie of the Year winners were, in fact, No. 1 picks, the 2021 winner was the No. 6 overall pick, and the 2020 winner was the fourth pick in the second round (and 16th overall). Here are the top five most recent WNBA Rookie of the Year winners (with draft selection in parentheses):

2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (No. 1 overall)
2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (No. 1 overall)
2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (No. 1 overall)
2021: Michaela Onyenwere, New York Liberty (No. 6 overall)
2020: Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota Lynx (No. 16 overall)
Click here to see every WNBA Rookie of the Year, dating back to the first winner in 1998.

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