2025 WNBA Draft: Grading every team's selections as Dallas Wings impress with all 5 picks, Chicago Sky underwhelm and more 

Though a few teams dominated most of the first-round selections, every team added talent in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Let’s grade and discuss each WNBA team’s draft haul in its entirety. You can read my grades for each first-round pick here.

2025 WNBA Draft: Grading every team's selections

Atlanta Dream

Round 2, Pick 19: Te-Hina Paopao, G, South Carolina

Round 3, Pick 36: Taylor Thierry, F, Ohio State

The Dream, who shot the second-lowest 3-point percentage last season, added two efficient shooters with their second and third-round picks. Paopao’s three-and-D skillset makes her an ideal low-usage third guard, and Thierry brings wing defense on top of her efficient catching and shooting. Many experts viewed Paopao as a first-round talent, making her a possible steal.

Grade: A-

Chicago Sky

Round 1, Pick 10: Ajsa Sivka, F, Schio

Round 1, Pick 11: Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU

Round 2, Pick 16: Maddy Westbeld, F, Notre Dame

Round 2, Pick 22: Aicha Coulibaly, G/F, Texas A&M

Chicago entered the night with a glaring need for shooting and floor spacing and addressed that in a major way. The Sky, who attempted by far the fewest 3-pointers of any team last season, added three excellent shooters (Sivka, Van Lith and Westbeld) and a high-upside defensive talent in Coulibaly to compete for a roster spot.

The Sky took some risks to acquire that shooting talent, spending their first pick on a developmental prospect. Sivka’s off-ball shooting and size present quite a bit of upside, but she’ll need to improve on both ends before she’ll contribute at the WNBA level. Chicago balanced upside with two providen producers who excelled at the college level.

Though they didn’t draft any surefire WNBA starters (though Sivka has a significant upside), the Sky clearly identified a need on the roster and attacked it. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will welcome the added floor spacing next season.

Grade: C+

Connecticut Sun

Round 1, Pick 7: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU

Round 1, Pick 8: Saniya Rivers, NC State

Round 2, Pick 25: Rayah Marshall, F, USC

Connecticut hit the reset button this offseason and added a few impressive physical talents with their two first-round picks. Morrow was a bit of a reach by my big board, as her lack of shooting or playmaking talent could lower her ceiling. Rivers was a phenomenal selection, though, as her elite athletic tools and defensive impact paired with her high feel for the game give her an immense ceiling.

Marshall, like Morrow, adds another productive defender to the roster. A team like Connecticut should swing for the fences in the draft and Rivers fits that description. Her, Morrow, Leila Lacan and Jacy Sheldon form an intriguing group of young talent to nurture and develop as the Sun usher in a new era.

Grade: B-

Dallas Wings

Round 1, Pick 1: Paige Bueckers, G, UConn

Round 1, Pick 12: Aziaha James, G, NC State

Round 2, Pick 14: Madison Scott, F, Mississippi

Round 3, Pick 27: JJ Quinerly, G, West Virginia

Round 3, Pick 31: Aaronette Vonleh, C, Baylor

Nobody should be surprised that Dallas locked in their next franchise superstar with the first overall pick. Bueckers is one of the better prospects to enter the WNBA in quite some and will build on a National Championship victory in the pros this season. Beyond her elite shooting and passing, Bueckers will fit next to any other star because of her defensive chops and special basketball intelligence.

The Wings lifted their draft marks over the top with their next two picks. Aziaha James will help Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale form a dynamic guard room that opposing defenses will struggle to stop. Madison Scott graded out as a first-round talent for me as a game-changing defender on the wing with valuable passing and mid-range scoring talent.

Regardless of what happened beyond the first selection, the Wings would have been thrilled at the outcome for their draft. They made the most of their draft capital throughout the draft, setting themselves up for success down the line.

Grade: A+

Golden State Valkyries

Round 1, Pick 5: Juste Jocyte, G, Lyon

Round 2, Pick 17: Shyanne Sellers, F, Maryland

Round 3, Pick 30: Kaitlyn Chen, G, UConn

The Valkyries began their inaugural draft with a somewhat surprising selection of Juste Jocyte, adding another international player to their mix. Golden State selected a proven producer with the off-dribble shooting and passing chops to excel as a valuable offensive piece down the line, even if her athletic limitations are notable.

I viewed Shyanne Sellers, Golden State’s second-round pick, as a better prospect than Jocyte. A knee injury likely pushed Sellers down the board, but she’s a talented, versatile wing with the ceiling to create on the ball at the pro level. Even Kaitlyn Chen has the advanced feel for the game to stick in the WNBA, rounding out an excellent first draft for the club.

Grade: A

Indiana Fever

Round 2, Pick 19: Makayla Timpson, F/C, Florida State

Round 2, Pick 20: Bree Hall, G, South Carolina

Round 3 Pick 33: Yvonne Ejim, F/C, Gonzaga

After trading its first-round pick for Sophie Cunningham, the Fever stacked up on defense, motor and athleticism with its later picks. Timpson adds another shot-blocker to the mix, and her intermediate scoring could provide a path to offensive value beyond transition and rebounding. Indiana reunited Aliyah Boston with her college teammate Hall, who will bring her defensive edge, and Ejim has plenty of experience as a post scorer and paint defender.

Grade: B-

Las Vegas Aces

Round 2, Pick 13: Aaliyah Nye, G, Alabama

Round 3, Pick 35: Harmoni Turner, G, Harvard

Las Vegas drafted a prolific shooting guard in Aaliyah Nye with their second-round pick to help space the floor. Turner could end up as a hidden gem; she dominated the Ivy League as a volume 3-point shooter, efficient passer and disruptive defender. Turner, who placed in the top-five in college box plus-minus, has a chance to translate some of her impact to the pro game.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Sparks

Round 1, Pick 9: Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Alabama

Round 2, Pick 21: Sania Feagin, F, South Carolina

Round 3, Pick 28: Liatu King, F, Notre Dame

The Sparks revamped their guard room this offseason, trading a top-two pick for Kelsey Plum and spending their late first-round pick on Barker. She’s a disruptor on defense and her playmaking and on-ball stopping will boost a bottom-three defense from last season.

Barker thrived as an on-ball scorer in college, burning defenses as a driver and off-dribble shooter. Her off-ball feel will be critical for her WNBA success, as she’ll space and cut off of Plum, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. Los Angeles focused on defense and motor throughout, adding a sturdy post in Feagin and a high-motor rebounding player in King.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Lynx

Round 2, Pick 15: Anastasiia Kosu, F, UMMC

Round 2, Pick 24: Dalayah Daniels, F, Washington

Round 3, Pick 37: Aubrey Griffin, F, UConn

The Lynx stacked up athleticism, size and length with their three picks outside of the first round. They’ll likely stash Kosu overseas, but the Russian forward has the physical traits to become an impact defender. Griffin’s versatile defense is her calling card and Daniels’s size and athleticism pop on tape. A quiet but effective day at the office.

Grade: C+

New York Liberty

Round 3, Pick 38: Adja Kane, C, Landerneau

The defending champs had just one pick in this draft, adding Adja Kane, a 20-year-old center who the Liberty intend to stash overseas. They’ll likely stash Kane overseas for a few years, hoping she can develop into a reliable WNBA contributor one day.

Grade: C

Seattle Storm

Round 1, Pick 2: Dominique Malonga, C, Lyon

Round 3, Pick 26: Serena Sundell, G, Kansas State

Round 3, Pick 29: Madison Conner, G, TCU

Round 3, Pick 34: Jordan Hobbs, F, Michigan

A bulk of Seattle’s high marks stem from Dominique Malonga, who has the potential to change the course of a franchise’s path. Experts expected Seattle to draft Malonga, even considering potential fit concerns with Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor. Players like Malonga alter the geometry of the court on both ends and she has a Defensive Player of the Year ceiling.

Seattle’s three third-round picks boost this draft over the top. Both Serena Sundell and Jordan Hobbs graded out as late first-round talents for me, and Madison Conner adds a 3-point sniper to a Storm team that shot under 30% from beyond the arc last season.

Third-round picks aren’t guaranteed to make the roster, but some experts projected Sundell to land in the first round. She’s a unique player with valuable passing gifts who could add valuable guard depth. Hobbs’s shooting and smooth processer on the wing would let her slot in as a wing shooter.

The Storm landed a potential franchise superstar and a few quality pieces that could find a long-term home in Seattle. Not too shabby, if I say so myself.

Grade: A+

Washington Mystics

Round 1, Pick 3: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame

Round 1, Pick 4: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC

Round 1, Pick 6: Georgia Amoore, G, Kentucky

Round 2, Pick 23: Lucy Olsen, G, Iowa

Round 3, Pick 32: Zaay Green, G, Alabama

Washington commanded half of the first six picks and made off with multiple possible franchise cornerstones. They couldn’t do much about Olivia Miles’s withdrawal, but the Mystics stacked talented pieces that all should complement 2024 draftee Aailyah Edwards and Shakira Austin.

It’s easy to understand why Georgia Amoore said she’d always wanted to play with Sonia Citron. Citron, at her best, will raise the ceiling of already great teams, making her an invaluable contributor to winning basketball. Her high feel and shotmaking blend with great size to provide tons of flexibility on offense and defense.

Amoore will benefit from her spacing, off-ball driving and defensive coverage. Counter to Citron’s lower-usage game, Amoore’s shotmaking talent is superb, letting her create and pass off the bounce. Amoore and Citron will space the floor for Iriafen, who will enjoy added space to create and score on the inside.

Iriafen’s fit with two other non-shooting bigs could be somewhat complicated, but her talent makes it worth working around. Washington added two more guards in the third round, making sure to fill a major slot of need on the roster. The Mystics made the most of their stash of draft capital.

Grade: A