The lottery picks went as expected. Then came a few curveballs. After letting Monday's WNBA draft sink in, what continues to stand out?
Five overseas players who didn't compete in college in the United States were selected, including three in the first round. That trio -- the Seattle Storm's Dominique Malonga (France) at No. 2, Golden State Valkyries' Justė Jocytė (Lithuania) at No. 5 and Chicago Sky's Ajša Sivka (Slovenia) at No. 10 -- all were born in November 2005 and will be 19 during this WNBA season. They are the equivalent of college freshmen or sophomores in age, but their professional experience appealed to these WNBA teams.
The SEC led all conferences with 10 players drafted. The Big Ten had seven, the ACC six and the Big 12 five. But center Sedona Prince of Big 12 champion TCU wasn't selected.
Being drafted -- even in the first round -- is no guarantee of making a team, even with more jobs available now as expansion team Golden State prepares for its inaugural season. That's especially the case for teams that had the most picks: the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics with five each. It might benefit some draftees to be cut sooner than later, so they get a chance with another team. Rookies have to make an impression in camp to secure a spot before the season starts May 16.
Here are takeaways from the 2025 draft and how it will impact this WNBA season.
The Golden State Valkyries take Juste Jocyte from Lithuania with the franchise's first WNBA draft pick.
The Valkyries scored our worst draft grade Monday (C-minus), this after an underwhelming expansion draft and free agency. What are your expectations for Golden State this season?
Michael Voepel: Every year, I vacillate on grades: Too harsh? Too soft? With Golden State, Jocytė could end up becoming a WNBA star and our draft grade could ultimately get an F. But for now she's less of a known quantity to WNBA fans than some of the college players Golden State might have selected.
The Valkyries' roster construction thus far indicates they are looking for specific skill sets and then will figure out how to mesh them together. That's how it generally goes for expansion teams. It's doubtful anyone externally has expectations of much success for the Valkyries this season as they try to get established and work on being an appealing free agent destination starting in 2026.
Kendra Andrews: Valkyries owner Joe Lacob set the same expectations for his WNBA team that he did when he purchased his NBA team over 10 years ago: win a championship in the first few years. So let's give the Valkyries a few years to get up and running. It's impossible for them to pinpoint holes they need to fill or chemistry adjustments they need to make; they don't yet know how their group will look on the court. General manager Ohemaa Nyanin is stressing the importance of training camp for piecing her team together.
Kevin Pelton: The expectation should be to have the best odds of winning the 2026 draft lottery. The WNBA did the Valkyries no favor by giving them the fifth pick, after all four of last year's non-playoff teams. The last time the league expanded, the Atlanta Dream got the fourth pick out of what was then 14 teams, ahead of two teams in the lottery. With the 2026 draft looking deeper than this year's group after Lauren Betts, Flau'jae Johnson and Olivia Miles decided to return to college, Golden State should be able to add a bigger star next April.
Do you envision Sedona Prince, who wasn't drafted Monday, ending up in the WNBA? Will she be invited to a training camp? What might be next for her basketball career?
Voepel: Prince's age (she turns 25 just before this season starts), lengthy time in college (she first enrolled in 2018) and injury history are concerns. But WNBA teams' biggest issue regarding Prince are allegations of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, which Prince has denied and for which she has not been charged. However, she could still be invited to a camp. Prince is 6-foot-7 and in her two seasons at TCU averaged 18.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while shooting 57.1% from the field. We will see whether any WNBA team believes in her talent and is willing to sign her. If not, she will have to look to play overseas and then possibly get a chance in the WNBA.
Katie Barnes: Prince not being selected in the WNBA draft on Monday was one of the most surprising things to happen that night. She could be invited to training camp by any WNBA team, but I am dubious that an invite will be extended. The fact that she wasn't drafted created additional coverage and social media attention; it seems doubtful that a team is willing to absorb that. Prince removed her draft announcement from her Instagram, which underscores the doubt about her future. She could go overseas to play professionally in an effort to show WNBA GMs that her on-court value is worth consideration. I would be surprised if she is in the WNBA this season.
The Seattle Storm select Dominique Malonga from France with the second pick of the WNBA draft.
What was your favorite pick Monday?
Jonathan Givony: I went to watch Malonga work out in New York on Tuesday morning. While I'm far from an expert on women's basketball, I have covered a lot of basketball workouts in 20-plus years and have seen a lot of really talented players up close.
I was blown away by what I saw from Malonga. First, with her physical profile: the size, wingspan, huge hands and frame that can carry weight. She moves so fluidly, gets off her feet so easily for dunks and has legitimate skill on the perimeter with her ballhandling and perimeter shooting. She was shooting from the NBA 3-point line, which isn't quite her range yet, but Malonga has great mechanics, touch and ability to get her jumper off on the move.
That's really intriguing at 19 years old with all the things she can already do on the defensive end with her physical tools. She told me she originally planned on going to Harvard until an opportunity in France came up that she couldn't turn down. She said she'll be in Seattle in the next 2-3 weeks, once her season ends.
It's going to be exciting to follow her progress. Everyone says she's the next Victor Wembanyama; she actually reminded me a little bit of the first time I went to see Giannis Antetokounmpo back when he was in Greece.
Went to watch Dominique Malonga -- the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft -- work out in NYC. Blown away by how talented she is. 6'6, 7'1 wingspan, huge hands. Dunks with ease. Makes NBA-range pullup 3s effortlessly. Only 19 years old. The Seattle Storm got a good one. pic.twitter.com/boLNV49uQ1
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 15, 2025
Voepel: LSU's Aneesah Morrow at No. 7 to Connecticut. History could repeat itself: LSU's Angel Reese went seventh last year to Chicago and had a historic rookie season with double-doubles and as a rebounder. The Sun are reestablishing their identity after losing Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. Morrow (and No. 8 pick Saniya Rivers) can be a big part of that.
Andrews: I like the addition of Aziaha James to the Wings. Paige Bueckers will make more of the headlines for Dallas, but in James the Wings are getting a player who can explode offensively at any moment. She can give the team some much-needed production off the bench and help the franchise build a more complete team that could make a push back into the playoffs.
New Atlanta Dream star Te-Hina Paopao talks about bringing her Samoan heritage to the WNBA.
Pelton: The Atlanta Dream taking South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao with the 18th pick. Holly Winterburn being ruled out for 2025 because of injury left the Dream with a void behind Jordin Canada at point guard, which Paopao could fill. New Atlanta coach Karl Smesko is going to want shooting on the perimeter, and Paopao fits the bill as a career 40% 3-point shooter who led Division I at 47% in 2023-24.
Barnes: Hailey Van Lith going to Chicago got me excited. Seeing Van Lith play in this year's NCAA tournament for TCU after spending so much time around LSU last season showed me how much of a contrast there was between those experiences for her. Chicago offers an opportunity with little pressure. There's a familiar face in Reese -- who shared her own excitement on social media -- and the opportunity to learn from Courtney Vandersloot. Plus, new coach Tyler Marsh is known for player development. It's a great fit for Van Lith and gives her an opportunity to reach her ceiling as a pro.
Which pick left you scratching your head?
Andrews: I was surprised Golden State opted to draft three guards with all of its picks. The Valkyries still lack a dominant big inside, and there were some solid options in this draft class. An electrifying guard was one of their other needs, but adding only at that position leaves them with more needs heading into camp.
Voepel: Draft prognosticators probably weren't surprised that Malonga, Jocytė and Sivka went in the first round, but they likely thought only Malonga would be in the top five. College players who were eligible but opted not to enter this draft -- Miles, Betts and Johnson, as Pelton mentioned, but also Ta'Niya Latson -- changed the draft board.
Alexa Philippou: A few players dropped lower than I expected: Shyanne Sellers, Paopao and Serena Sundell, all of whom could end up being steals for their new teams. Initially projected a first-round pick, Sellers dealt with knee injuries while at Maryland (likely the reason she fell to the second round), but when healthy she brings strong playmaking and positional versatility.
Atlanta, which traded away its first-round pick, had to be thrilled Paopao was still around for its selection. At 6-2, Sundell has great size for a point guard and is an excellent distributor, so it was surprising she was still on the board for the first pick in the third round, but her fit with Seattle might end up working great for her.
Outside of Bueckers, which player drafted Monday has the best chance to win an MVP someday?
Voepel: Based on the excitement level around her ability at 19, it's Malonga, who seems to have a high ceiling. The WNBA player she is being compared to, Jonquel Jones, was the WNBA MVP in 2021 with the Connecticut Sun and WNBA Finals MVP last year with the New York Liberty. That's a lot to put on a youngster, but it will be fun to watch her development.
Andrews: I agree with Voepel. Malonga has already drawn comparisons to Wembanyama, but she has made it clear she's not trying to be him. She likens herself to Kevin Durant. All three have length and an incredible shooting touch but also have the ability to use their size down low. If she follows in the footsteps of those she models her game after, she has a chance to be an extreme scorer in the WNBA. And because Malonga is so young, her ceiling is probably higher than some of her peers.
What's your biggest overall takeaway from the draft?
Pelton: Other than Bueckers in Dallas, this year's rookies are unlikely to affect the playoff race much. That's a product of the Storm going with the best prospect available in Malonga at No. 2 rather than someone who would have filled a more immediate need on the perimeter, as well as the rebuilding Mystics holding three of the top six picks.
Voepel: Dallas, Washington and Connecticut got the infusions of talent that they needed. For the Wings, that can help them return to the playoffs. For the Mystics and Sun, it's more about getting new identities because longtime faces of both franchises are no longer there. After the initial excitement of draft day, though, comes the harsh reality of making a team. That's still an extremely tough task. But among the players who do, we will see some rookies who make a difference. Bueckers is essentially a lock for that, but there should be others.
Philippou: Four international players (Malonga, Jocytė, Sivka and the Minnesota Lynx's Anastasiia Olairi Kosu) went in the top 15 of this year's draft, tied for the most in WNBA history. By drafting Jocytė, Golden State -- the W's first expansion team in 16 years -- doubled down on building an international roster. Malonga, meanwhile, became the highest drafted player out of France in league history, and there's a good chance she becomes the WNBA's next big star from outside the United States.
The WNBA has always had great international talent -- Lauren Jackson is a three-time MVP, while Jones is the reigning Finals MVP -- but I'm intrigued to watch how the talent pool continues to globalize as the league expands and eventually adopts a new collective bargaining agreement, where salaries and the W's prioritization rules are expected to massively impact the availability and willingness of foreign-born players to come stateside.