2025 WNBA Draft Grades: Assessing every first-round pick as Paige Bueckers goes to Dallas, Hailey Van Lith joins Angel Reese and Sky

The 2025 WNBA Draft fell largely as expected, with mock drafts predicting the general direction of the picks. Let’s dive into immediate draft grades and analysis for each pick.

2025 WNBA Draft Grades

1. Dallas Wings - Paige Bueckers, G, UConn

No surprises here, as the Wings cement Paige Bueckers as their next franchise star. She’s a consummate lead initiator, capable of running a team’s offense and scoring at all levels with high efficiency. Bueckers will fit snugly next to Arike Ogunbowale because of her off-ball moving brilliance and high defensive potential. She’ll help vault Dallas back into playoff contention as soon as he first WNBA season.

Grade: A

2. Seattle Storm - Dominique Malonga, C, Lyon

Few prospects to enter the WNBA sport a fraction of Dominique Malonga’s center. The 6-foot-6, 19-year-old center excelled in the French first division and should translate her dominance to the WNBA. Aside from her elite size and paint protection, Malonga’s shooting, driving and passing flashes, and perimeter defense give her the upside to rival the best players in the WNBA.

The fit in Seattle might take some tinkering, as they already roster two excellent non-spacing bigs in Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor. A guard may have fit better, but teams selecting as high as Seattle should always prioritize talent. This one is a home run.

Grade: A

3. Washington Mystics - Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame

The Mystics missed out on a blue chip, superstar prospect by no fault of their own, but Citron will be an excellent consolation prize. Even without star-level creation traits, Citron’s versatility will help her stand out in the WNBA. She’s a phenomenal off-ball player, capable of shooting off of the bounce and setting up her teammates.

Citron will thrive on the defensive end, weaponizing her high feel defending off of the ball and guarding multiple positions with size and length. She’s an ideal fit next to Washington’s collection of bigs — Aaliyah Edwards, Shakira Austin and now Kiki Iriafen. Washington picked the best player on the board who also happens to fit their roster snugly.

Grade: A

4. Washington Mystics - Kiki Iriafen, F, USC

Washington made the expected pick here, drafting a high-upside scoring forward in Iriafen. She wasn’t as productive this season at USC, but Iriafen has proven herself a potent face-up and post-up scorer. She’ll need to improve her jumper if she wants to move to the wing, but Iriafen’s slashing and defensive prowess are high-level traits.

Iriafen may have trouble fitting with Washington’s current roster because neither she, Austin or Edwards space the floor. It’s still worth prioritizing talent over fit, even if the Mystics will have to shift some pieces to maximize Iriafen.

Grade: B+

5. Golden State Valkyries - Juste Jocyte, G, Lyon

Golden State’s first-ever draft pick is the second international player off the board. The Valkyries constructed their roster around shooting and Jocyte adds another dynamic off-dribble shotmaking talent. She’s an excellent live dribble playmaker, capable of throwing high-level reads off the bounce.

Jocyte’s explosion and athletic tools limit her driving and defensive capacity, but she’ll have time to develop those aspects of her game on a rebuilding Golden State team. She’s an understandable swing on a strong on-ball talent for a franchise hoping to find future cornerstones.

Grade: B

6. Washington Mystics - Georgia Amoore, G, Kentucky

Amoore has a case as the most electric player in the class with the ball in her hands. Despite standing at 5-foot-6, Amoore is an elite off-dribble scoring talent who wins as a dynamic shotmaker, driver and live dribble playmaker.

Opposing offenses will challenge her size on defense, but the Mystics have plenty of bigs to insulate her. She’s a perfect fit next to their existing players, as well as Citron and Iriafen, as the Mystics complete their rookie trio and bolster their young core.

Grade: A

7. Connecticut Sun - Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU

Morrow was one of the nation’s most productive players this past season. She’s a prolific paint scorer, capable of finishing in traffic, cleaning the offensive glass and scoring in the intermediate. Her athletic tools also help her shine on defense, where she can guard multiple positions.

Her lack of high-end feel for the game and perimeter shooting could limit her upside and a rebuilding Sun team could have swung for a loftier ceiling here. Morrow could develop into a rock-solid rotation wing, offering the Sun a foundational building block to rely on for the future.

Grade: C+

8. Connecticut Sun - Saniyah Rivers, G, NC State

Aside from the top few players in the class, nobody’s potential is more enticing than Rivers’s. She’s an elite athletic talent who weaponizes those tools to wreck shop on the defensive end. Despite some rawness on offense, Rivers’ playmaking and slashing present an extremely high ceiling.

Rivers has plenty of growing to do as a scorer, especially from the outside. She’ll have plenty of room to grow in Connecticut, ironing out her mechanics and sharpening her offensive approach. For a Sun team starting from the ground floor, drafting a player with a ceiling as high as Rivers’s is a wise choice.

Grade: A+

9. Los Angeles Sparks - Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Alabama

After a dominant final season in Tuscaloosa, Barker will bolster the Sparks’ backcourt rotation. Even after trading for Kelsey Plum, LA will want more energetic two-way players there. Barker is a versatile offensive piece, living at the basket with explosive drives and improved 3-point shooting.

Barker should immediately add value on the defensive end, where she excels as an on-ball stopper and pass lane jumper. The Sparks add another excellent role-player prospect to pair with Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. She’ll add value with and without the basketball, making her an ideal fit for this LA team.

Grade: A-

10. Chicago Sky - Ajsa Sivka, F, Slovenia

The Sky spent their first 2025 draft pick on a shooter as expected, adding a much-needed floor spacer for Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. At 6-foot-4, Sivka displays rare shotmaking talent capable of spacing the floor and drawing bigger players out of the paint to drive past them to the rim.

Sivka likely won’t be able to contribute much immediately, as she’ll need to improve physically and sharpen her decision-making on both ends of the floor. If she does develop into a WNBA contributor, Sivka will allow Chicago to run some enormous lineups and improve their wing shotmaking.

Grade: B-

11. Chicago Sky - Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU

Van Lith reconstructed her draft stock this season at TCU, taking notable strides as a playmaker and driver. She’ll add much-needed shotmaking for a Chicago team that still needs plenty of floor spacing, even after drafting Sivka with the pick prior. Van Lith proved herself as a primary creator at the college level and will scale down at the WNBA level.

Despite her height, standing 5-foot-9, Van Lith doesn’t have the feel to play point guard and teams may pick on her on the defensive end. Adding guard depth makes sense for this Chicago team, even after adding Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot this offseason.

Grade: C

12. Dallas Wings - Aziaha James, G, NC State

James is one of the class’s premier bucket-getters, capable of catching on fire and scoring at will. She’s a potent off-dribble creator who can pressure the rum, spray 3-pointers and excels as a mid-range shotmaker. James isn’t much of a playmaker or defender, but she’ll slot in smoothly as a scorer at the WNBA level.

After drafting a special floor general atop the draft, adding a scorer like James makes sense. She’ll have no problem playing with Paige Bueckers, who should feed James easy buckets. Bueckers, James and Ogunbowale will immediately form a guard trio that will give defenses headaches.

Grade: B