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It’s never too early for a mock draft! The 2024 rookie class, headlined by Caitlin Clark and some exceptional depth, has already impacted the league. Let’s look ahead to the 2025 draft and the next crop of stars to enter the WNBA.
As usual, we determined the order of this mock draft via a random Tankathon sim. And we won’t be including the Golden State Valkyries in this mock just yet, as we don’t have exact details on how they will slot into the 2025 draft. There are rumors of an expansion draft but until we get clear details, they will not be a part of the mock draft.
1. Washington Mystics - Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Scouts penciled in Paige Bueckers as the top pick in whatever draft she entered for years, and it’s easy to understand why. She’s produced at an elite level throughout her career in all facets of the game, scoring, shooting, playmaking and defending at the highest possible level. Bueckers projects as an elite, all-around initiator guard, which will always return elite value and impact to winning.
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Her dynamic on and off-ball shotmaking opens up the rest of her game, where Bueckers can carve defenses as a driver, passer, or off-ball mover. She possesses a preternatural feel for basketball, locating teammates as a passer and intercepting passes on the defensive end at a star level. That feel combined with her elite scoring from all levels fuels surefire star upside.
Bueckers’ talent could change the course of Washington’s franchise, ripping them out of their rebuild and vaulting them closer to contention. Pairing Bueckers as a lead guard with talented young players like Shakira Austin and 2024 draftee Aaliyah Edwards would place the Mystics on track to contend in the near future.
2. Los Angeles Sparks - Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
After a 2024 draft that looks like it will alter the direction of the Sparks franchise, they add a third elite young talent in Kiki Iriafen in the 2025 draft. She scored at an extremely high level this past season, harboring a monster usage for Stanford’s excellent offense.
Iriafen stars as an interior scorer, doing most of her damage on the block as a back-to-the-basket and faceup scorer. She’s comfortable spinning into finishes at the rim, driving against slower bigs and feathering in mid-range jumpers over defenders who back off her. She’s a solid passer as well with good enough defensive instincts to hold up on that end, projecting her as a dynamic scorer at the next level.
Rickea Jackson has flashed impressive creation as a rookie and Iriafen’s former teammate Cam Brink should continue to dominate on defense when she returns from injury. Those two along with Iriafen would form one of the brightest young cores in the WNBA, hopefully bringing the Sparks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
3. Dallas Wings - Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU
Morrow slotted in seamlessly as LSU’s second-leading scorer after transferring from DePaul, showcasing her versatile interior creation package all season. Arike Ogunbowale is one of the league’s most potent scorers and her paired with Morrow and Satou Sabally could form a difficult-to-limit offensive trio. Morrow’s touch in the mid-range is excellent, as she’s comfortable sprinting into jumpers from that area of the floor as well as sealing in the paint and finishing through traffic. Morrow would benefit from improving her floor spacing ability to better play on the perimeter at the next level, but her playmaking skill will help that transition farther out.
She’s a dynamic defensive prospect as well, as Morrow’s excellent strength and lateral quickness help her defend the ball well. Boasting excellent block and steal numbers, Morrow is an opportunistic defensive playmaker, disrupting offense with quick hands digging at the nail and rotating to block and contest shots on the interior. Her two-way presence on the wing would bolster the Wings' rotation, making Morrow a logical pick here.
4. Washington Mystics - Olivia Miles, PG, Notre Dame
Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury, but we shouldn’t ignore her obvious talent. Outside of Bueckers, Miles might be the best passer in the class. She’s a pick-and-roll maestro, maintaining a live dribble to knife through defenses and pick out passes to the perimeter and the inside. Miles passes with both hands and drives to her left and right, opening up a versatile advantage creation package. She’s incredibly quick, weaponizing her speed and active hands on both ends to score on the inside and generate steals on the defensive end.
As a sub-six-foot guard, Miles will likely need to improve her jumper to a point where it becomes threatening enough to draw closeouts at the very least, but the rest of her package profiles like a pro point guard. Pairing Miles with Bueckers, who is comfortable playing on and off ball, makes sense. Building a high-ceiling guard room in Washington will be key to success in the near and far future.
5. Chicago Sky - Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
The Sky drafted two non-shooting bigs early in the 2024 draft in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, so pairing them with an excellent off-ball shotmaker in Citron makes sense. She’s a high-volume off-ball shooter, comfortable spotting up and roaring around screens to find space for jumpers. Though Citron is most comfortable hitting these movement jumpers in the mid-range, expanding that range to beyond the arc could be a source of real offensive upside.
She’s not a dynamic on-ball creator with overwhelming burst or explosion, but Citron has enough handling craft to operate pick and rolls and attack as a secondary option. That helps mold her ideal off-ball skillset, which would pair beautifully with Chicago’s bigs and the blinding Chennedy Carter. Citron’s fluidity defending the ball and general team defensive smarts make her an effective defender, rounding out her two-way profile.
6. Indiana Fever - Rori Harmon, PG, Texas
Harmon generated turnovers at an elite level last season during her shortened junior campaign, posting an absurd 6.2% steal rate. She plucks ballhandlers with regularity, firing her lightning-quick hands to create transition opportunities. For a Fever team that struggles mightily to rack up steals and a star in Caitlin Clark who thrives in transition, Harmon’s defensive skillset makes sense in Indiana.
Harmon’s size at just 5’6 and lack of a reliable three-point shot will limit her some on the offensive end, though her passing is excellent. She’s a high-volume passer with the change of pace to manipulate defenses and pry open passing windows. With Kelsey Mitchell’s free agency looming after this season, it would make sense to add an electric guard like Harmon to add depth to Indiana’s backcourt behind Caitlin Clark.
7. New York Liberty - Yvonne Ejim, F, Gonzaga
For a Liberty roster without any obvious holes, drafting a sturdy, two-way big in Ejim would be a strong option in the back half of the first round. Ejim stars as an interior scorer in college, cooking defenders with her back to the basket. She rounds defenders with a quick first step, backs them down with strength and scores with great touch. Ejim isn’t a floor spacer but she does provide basic passing value on high-low actions.
Ejim won’t garner the same offensive responsibility she did in college on the Liberty. She’ll likely lean into her defense to provide value early in her career, as Ejim is an excellent lateral mover with strong hands, nabbing steals while defending the ball, digging at the nail and helping from the weak side. Even if her WNBA role won’t reflect her college role, it makes sense to bet on talented, productive players nonetheless.
8. Seattle Storm - Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
Fudd has experience working as an elite off-ball offensive option next to Bueckers and co in Connecticut, making her an ideal fit for a Seattle team that struggles mightily from the three-point line. She missed almost her entire junior season with injury but shot the lights out as a freshman and sophomore, draining threes at a high volume and scoring efficiently in the mid-range and the paint.
She’s an excellent cutter and a sharp off-ball mover. That’s a skillset that often goes unnoticed but brings real value, as Fudd times her cuts to the rims and changes speeds and directions seamlessly to find creases without the basketball. On a team like the Storm with talented players like Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike, her complementary skillset could help Fudd earn minutes early in her career and impact winning at a high level.
9. Minnesota Lynx - Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Playing on a juggernaut South Carolina team has prepared Paopao for a complementary role at the pro level. Paopao’s skills all coalesce into an ideal off-ball guard, adding value without hogging the basketball with her shooting and smart decision-making. She’s a capable shooter pulling up out of a ball screen and shooting off of the catch. When defenses chase Paopao off of the line, she couples her outside shooting with a soft floater game.
She’s not a standout athlete or physical talent, but Paopao excels at the minutiae of basketball, throwing solid entry passes, spacing the floor and competing hard on defense, especially with her off-ball positioning. The Lynx will look for a complementary piece that won’t need high usage to add value. Pairing Paopao with an elite defender in Napheesa Collier will only bolster Minnesota’s excellent defense.
10. Chicago Sky - Georgia Amoore, G, Kentucky
The Sky continue to add shooting with their second pick of the first round, selecting one of the highest volume creators in college basketball. Though Amoore isn’t the most efficient player, she creates loads of advantages for herself and teammates. She won’t see the same kind of defensive attention in the WNBA and her elite volume and free-throw shooting indicate Amoore could transition to an off-ball sniper role at the next level.
Her size could limit her transition to the league, as she can struggle with intense ball pressure from bigger and taller defenders. Playing next to strong defensive bigs in Reese and Cardoso should help Amoore focus on her offensive prowess and protect the interior of Chicago’s defense.
11. Phoenix Mercury - Raven Johnson, PG, South Carolina
Phoenix has struggled on the defensive this season, especially in the backcourt. Johnson might be the draft’s best point of attack defender, locking up potent ballhandlers with aggression, lateral quickness, strength and quick hands. We’ve seen Johnson bother elite college initiators like Caitlin Clark, providing some proof of her ability to translate smoothly to the WNBA on the defensive end.
Johnson isn’t a standout offensive prospect and adding a three-point shot to her arsenal would help her translation on the offensive end. South Carolina prospects know how to win and play next to other talented players and Johnson should excel as a table-setting guard for Britney Griner, Kahleah Copper and Diana Taurasi.
2025 WNBA mock draft
