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WNBA Draft takeaways: A new Paige in the book of the league
Soon after the women's college basketball season concluded, the WNBA Draft was held in New York City, and the sport's next group of stars found their new homes.
From pick No. 1 to pick No. 38, legacies have begun, and careers are underway. Here are eight takeaways from Monday's draft.
Paige Bueckers is a star
Not that anyone needed the draft to confirm that, but it was undoubtedly Bueckers who would go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings.
Her career at UConn was one of the best we've seen at the collegiate level, and she will certainly step into the WNBA and instantly become one of the best players.
WELCOME TO THE DALLAS WINGS, PAIGE BUECKERS pic.twitter.com/pREGdvalky
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 14, 2025
French basketball continues its rise
After back-to-back seasons with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft coming from France, the No. 2 pick in the WNBA is from France as well.
Dominique Malonga was selected by the Seattle Storm, and she looks to continue France's ascension in basketball.
Adja Kane from France was also selected in the draft at No. 38 overall by the New York Liberty.
Mystics instantly become playoff contenders
After a 14-26 season in 2024, the Washington Mystics selected three Day 1 starters in Monday's draft, and they are now well within reach of the playoffs.
Sonia Citron (SG), Kiki Iriafen (PF) and Georgia Amoore (PG) will be starters on a team that struggled last year and will put the Mystics back in position to reach the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons.
Good day for Chicago
After selecting Angel Reese in the first round of the 2024 draft, the Chicago Sky got another playmaker in the first round in the form of TCU point guard Hailey Van Lith.
Van Lith led TCU to its most successful season in recent memory, and she will now reunite with her former LSU teammate, Reese, in Chicago.
#talksoon pic.twitter.com/AhVHzEazdU
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) April 15, 2025
South Carolina continues to develop players
The South Carolina Gamecocks have produced some of the WNBA's best current players like Aliyah Boston and A'ja Wilson.
The Gamecocks had three more players selected on Monday (Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Sania Feagin) who were all selected in the second round of the draft.
Next season, the Gamecocks will have at least two more players selected in Ta'Niya Latson and Raven Johnson. The Gamecocks continue to compete with the likes of UConn and LSU in producing excellent WNBA players.
Guard play rules
Of the 38 players selected, 21 of those are either point guards or shooting guards.
In a game that has become more about isolation ball and shooting three-pointers, it is no surprise to see guard play become the focal point of the draft.
International stars are coming
France wasn't the only country represented in the draft on Monday, as three other countries saw players taken.
Juste Jocyte (Lithuania), Ajsa Sivka (Slovenia) and Anastasiia Kosu (Russia) were all selected in the draft. Much like the NBA, the amount of talent coming from overseas to the WNBA is a very welcome sight.
SEC talent is back on display
After just six players from the SEC were selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft, that number was almost doubled in this year's draft.
Ten players from five different schools were represented and selected in Monday's draft, once again proving that, much like men's college basketball, the SEC is the dominant conference in women's college basketball.
More must-reads:
- Paige Bueckers solidifies future with Unrivaled ahead of 2025 WNBA Draft
- Sky reunite Angel Reese with ex-LSU teammate through WNBA Draft
- The 'MLB active hits leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
David Pastrnak Makes His True Feelings Known About Not Being Named Bruins captain
The Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak made his true feelings known about not being named captain of the Boston Bruins in an interview on a Czech outlet. The 2024-25 season is one to forget for the Boston Bruins organization. Following a rough start, the team ended up trading many key players, including captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. The former Bruins captain has been celebrating all summer after winning the Stanley Cup, while the Bruins' management was hard at work to make the team better. After Marchand's departure, fans were eager to see what Don Sweeney would do to make the team better. Although many hoped a new captain would be named, it was decided to enter the season without giving away the C. In an interview, team leader and star forward David Pastrnak opened up about not being named captain. Pastrnak Opens Up After Not Being Named Captain Ahead of his 12th season in the NHL, Pastrnak, 29, revealed that it wouldn't have changed anything if he or Charlie McAvoy had been named captain: he will continue to lead the team, help the young guys develop, and work hard to improve with his teammates. In his own words: 'Nothing changes. It wouldn't change if I had the C or Charlie McAvoy. We're all in this together, we still have guys in the locker room who've won the Stanley Cup.' "I know I'm a leader and Boston's game will depend on me. We have to continue to work together, improve and help the young guys." 'Going into this year, we're both going to have A's. That's what I know. I don't think there's any fire under them to do anything with that. And guess what? That's totally fine.' Last season, the Bruins finished in the last spot of the Atlantic Division, with a 33-39-10 record. Pastrnak led the Bruins by scoring 106 points, including 43 goals, his third straight season reaching the 100-point mark.
Shedeur Sanders makes strong first impression in Browns' QB competition
There is not a more intriguing fifth-round draft pick playing in the NFL this preseason than Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He made his first appearance for the Browns on Friday night in their preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers and delivered a pretty promising performance that may have given him a nice step forward in the team's quarterback competition. Sanders played most of the Browns' 30-10 win over the Panthers, completing 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and running for 19 yards on four carries. He had the opportunity to play most of Friday's game, given the injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. It was not a perfect performance by any means, and some of the pre-draft concerns that existed with Sanders were absolutely on display on Friday, including his tendency to hold on to the ball a little too long. While he only took two sacks, there were a handful of plays where he ran around in the backfield waiting for something to develop. It did not hurt him in this game against a Carolina defense that was one of the NFL's worst a year ago and did not play its starters for more than a series. That sort of play may not work well against better defenses, and certainly not starting-caliber players. But those are some of the growing pains and learning experiences that are going to come for a rookie quarterback. And there were far more positives than negatives in his play on Friday night. The Browns didn't ask him to do a ton, and gave him a lot of safe throws, but he demonstrated strong accuracy (one of his biggest strengths in college) and led multiple scoring drives before leaving the game. He did what was asked, and he did it fairly well. Sanders' play and development are going to be one of the biggest storylines to follow in the NFL both this preseason and into the regular season. He entered the 2025 NFL Draft process as one of the supposed top quarterback prospects in the class and seemed like a lock to go somewhere in the first round. He not only did not go in the first round, but he also fell to the fifth round and was not even the first quarterback selected by the Browns (they took Gabriel ahead of him). In most cases, a fifth-round rookie would be an afterthought as part of a team's quarterback competition. But this is not a normal circumstance. The Browns have a roster full of bad quarterback options, including veterans Joe Flacco and Pickett, as well as the two rookies. That does not even get into the mess that is Deshaun Watson if he is ever healthy enough to play this season. It is as wide-open a quarterback competition as you could ever have in the NFL. The injuries to Pickett and Gabriel opened another door for Sanders to potentially walk through. On Friday, he did his part to start taking some steps toward it. There is still a long way to go, but it was at least encouraging for him. As well as the Browns.
Colts Add Former Giants OT Among 4 Free Agent Signings
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NFC Notes: Christian Watson, Jordan Addison, Packers, Vikings
Packers Packers WR Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL in last year’s season finale. Watson spoke about his recovery, saying he’s keeping a good mentality through his rehab. “It’s definitely tough. Anytime you have an injury like this, it’s definitely going to take its toll on you,” Watson said, via Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s site. “But I’ve gone through a lot of adversity. Nothing like this, but I feel like I was calloused for it a little bit and I had the right mentality going into it and it’s been keeping that the whole way through.” Fellow WR Jayden Reed said Watson has been staying positive around the team facility. “His spirit’s been great,” Reed said. “He’s always kept a smile on his face, and I really commend him for that because it’s not easy just watching every day. I know how that feels. He’s done a great job of being a great leader, coaching us up whenever we need it. He’s just been great. I’m excited for his return.” Watson said teammates like WRs Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, and Reed are motivation for him to return. “It’s easier to really get after it when you’ve got other guys getting after it, too,” Watson said. “They’ve definitely got the right mentality, as soon as they walked in, and we’ve all seen it out there, them making plays.” Vikings Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell thinks they’ve built the “foundation” for a strong team, and their new players understand that they are looking to be contenders. “As I told our team when we came back to training camp, I think the foundation has been set,” O’Connell said, via PFT. “A lot of the players we’ve been able to sign in free agency or draft, they’re here and they understand that they’re now part of building that up to even greater heights.” O’Connell added that their next step is to become “championship-worthy.” “The next step for this organization is becoming, in my opinion, championship-worthy,” O’Connell said. O’Connell isn’t paying attention to the hype or the critics, pointing out that no one expected them to go 14-3 last season. “At this point last year, people were talking about that 14-win team like we could have the first pick in the draft,” O’Connell said. Vikings Vikings WR Jordan Addison had a DUI a year ago but has remained clean since then. Minnesota HC Kevin O’Connell thinks Addison is “living up to the standard” after the incident: “We talk a lot about how I view him as an ascending player.” (Ben Goessling)
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