WNBA Mock Draft: Who Goes After Paige Bueckers?

A full three-round WNBA mock draft. Who makes the cut? Who falls?

It’s the most beautiful time of the year. Or for women’s hoops fans, it is. The NCAA Tournament just wrapped up, and a week later, the WNBA Draft happens.

One month after that, opening night for the WNBA season takes place.

Buckle up, as there is no such thing as an offseason in women’s basketball.

The WNBA announced the players who will be attending the WNBA Draft in New York, so all that’s left is to tune in tonight to ESPN to see how it unfolds.

Well, that’s all that’s left besides reading this newsletter.

The league released a list of eligible players for the draft, so we will be picking from them, with a breakdown of each first-round pick.

Let’s get to it.

Round 1

1. Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, G, UConn

OK, so we all know this is the pick. Even if there were reports out there that Bueckers didn’t want to play in Dallas. The Wings will now have a complementary piece in the backcourt with Arike Ogunbowale to go along with newcomers Ty Harris, DiJonai Carrington, and NaLyssa Smith.

2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, C, France

This would have been Olivia Miles if she didn’t return to college. But the Storm organization loves Malonga. Not every tall French player is Victor Wembanyama, but Malonga is smooth and as Mark Schindler wrote in his fantastic breakdown at The Ringer, her fluidity is probably her best trait.

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

Here’s what I wrote about Citron for Winsidr: When Olivia Miles decided to return to school, everything changed for the Washington Mystics and its draft plans. But for a team that had three of the top six picks in the draft, there were plenty of ways to pivot that didn’t include Dominique Malonga.

And that first pivot was going to Sonia Citron.

Citron was linked to the Mystics ever since our team landed the no. 3 pick via trade. Though Citron was often the third wheel in Notre Dame behind Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, her game is made for today’s WNBA. Citron improved her stock as the college season went on, showing that she was a true 3-and-D player—a skill set that can translate well to the league.

During her senior year at Notre Dame, Citron averaged career-highs with 2.8 steals+blocks (STOCKs) per game and field goal percentage (48.4 percent). Her 82.5 percent player defensive rating was the lowest mark of her four years, but it ranked in the 93rd percentile, which is the highest mark of her collegiate career.

Opponents attempted 933 threes last year against the Mystics, shooting 50 percent on their effective field goal percentage (eFG%). Citron should help strengthen the perimeter defense for the Mystics, adding switchability with Brittney Sykes to avoid key mismatches. This pick came to DC in exchange for Ariel Atkins, so Citron knows exactly whose shoes she’ll be filling when she closes out to that three-point arc.

Citron should slide right into the starting lineup for the Mystics alongside last year’s first-round pick Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin, a big who is only held down by her injury history. The pair both looked strong during play this past winter in the inaugural Unrivaled season.

4. Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC

Here’s what I wrote about Iriafen for Winsidr: With back-to-back picks, the Mystics should take the best player on the board here and worry about the fit later. With Kiki Iriafen, Washington gets just that.

For this exercise, I tiered the players, with Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow in the same level, along with Shyanne Sellers and Georgia Amoore. The question for the Mystics is whether or not the gap between Amoore and Sellers is bigger than the gap between Morrow and Iriafen.

In this case, there’s a bigger difference between Iriafen and Morrow, which is why Iriafen is the pick here.

After taking some time to adjust to her new teammates, Iriafen combined a successful season after transferring to USC from Stanford, playing the Robin to Juju Watkins’ Batman. She also showed that she was capable of being the top option on a team once Watkins went down during the second round of the tournament, helping the Trojans battle to the Elite Eight.

Iriafen has developed some strong post moves, but it’s her mid-range jumper that will come into play immediately with the Mystics, given the spacing that they have with Edwards at the four and Citron and Sykes in the backcourt.

Defensively, Iriafen is the same size (6’3”) as Edwards, and the Mystics will be able to switch without having a mismatch down low or on the wing, as both are more than capable defenders. 

The Mystics are in a rebuild, but starting off a draft with Citron and Iriafen to pair with Edwards helps to accelerate that rebuild in hopes of landing at least one star to pair with this young core.

5. Golden State Valkyries: Justė Jocytė, G, ASVEL/Lithuania

Listen, Golden State should have the No. 1 pick. I’ll die on this hill for an expansion franchise. But they don’t. And it’s stupid, WNBA. Since they don’t, and they didn’t really do … much during free agency, the Valkyries are going to still look at that three- to five-year window to try to win a title, but not necessarily be super competitive in Year 1.

They could take Aneesah Morrow here, but I think they go with Jocytė instead to give them a franchise guard after Tiffany Hayes leaves.

6. Washington Mystics: Shyanne Sellers, G, Maryland

I should note here that this seems like the most likely pick to be traded in the first round, but we aren’t predicting trades here.

Here’s what I wrote about Sellers for Winsidr: Ultimately, the decision came down to upside here. Both Sellers and Amoore are quality guards, and there’s a lot to like about Amoore’s game, but she has a higher floor than a ceiling.

We know that in the W, you have to have stars to not only win, but compete. The Mystics know this, too, so Sellers goes no. 6, after playing her college ball nearby in the DMV at College Park, MD. 

Sellers is a perfect wing for the team, being able to play the two and three with ease, but also being able to be a backup ball handler in relief of Sykes and Citron with the second unit. It’s an area she’ll need to improve on, but she should be able to wrestle that role away from Sug Sutton and Jade Melbourne.

An area that Sellers will need to improve if she reaches the ceiling that the Mystics hope she will reach is being more aggressive as a scorer. She ranked No. 454 in the country last year in field goal attempts per game (10.5). The Mystics will also need to see Sellers improve her turnovers (3.3 per game) if she is going to be looked at as a facilitator for the offense.

With three of the first six picks in the draft, the Mystics are able to come away with Day 1 impact players. If Washington is going to be patient and take its time developing one of them, expect it to be Sellers.

7. Connecticut Sun: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU

How will Morrow’s game translate to the WNBA? If this seems familiar, it’s because we had this same exact conversation with Angel Reese last year. Her’s translated just fine, thank you. The Sun are in full rebuild, as no one wants to play for a team who shares a practice facility with a 2-year-old’s birthday party at all — let alone in the playoffs.

Morrow offers the highest upside here, even if her final form has yet to be reached. She definitely brings the hustle and the rebounding that coaches love.

8. Connecticut Sun: Ajša Sivka, F, Tarbes/Slovenia

Staying with the theme of upside and rebuild here, that leads us to Sivka. She’s able to play the three or four, offers spacing, and can extend her range as an elite pick-and-roll player.

9. Los Angeles Sparks: Georgia Amoore, G, Kentucky

Do you know who Amoore reminds me of if she can reach her absolute ceiling? Kelsey Plum. It would make sense, then, for Amoore to learn from Plum in Los Angeles. I believe in the idea of Amoore more than Amoore’s ceiling, if that makes sense. She would be a perfect guard to lead the second unit for the Sparks.

10. Chicago Sky: Te-Hina Paopao, G, South Carolina

Bring the band back together and Paopao going to Chicago would reunite her and Kamilla Cardoso.

The Sky were dead last in the WNBA last year in points from behind the arc. Paopao excels from three. It’s a great match to make up for the loss of Marina Mabrey’s outside scoring.

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

I was all set to have Serena Sundell going to Minnesota here — but then Minnesota did what Minnesota does: a pre-draft trade. Now, I could have just said fuck it — I had this post scheduled.

But you deserve better.

So we updated our board, and we now how Hailey Van Lith going to the Sky. HVL really seemed like she was going to go to Vegas, but this trade by the Sky seems to indicate that they really want HVL in Chicago.

12. Dallas Wings: Sania Feagin, F, South Carolina

Feagin remains underrated in draft circles. She’s my pick to sneak into the first round, and having her go to an organization that prioritizes bigs would be great for her development. She has the size, switchability, and lateral movement to play key minutes for the Wings.

Round 2

1. Las Vegas Aces: Serena Sundell, G, Kansas State
2. Dallas Wings: Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Alabama
3. Minnesota Lynx: Makayla Timpson, F, Florida State
4. Chicago Sky: Saniya Rivers, G, NC State
5. Golden State: Rayah Marshall, F, USC
6. Atlanta Dream: JJ Quinerly, G, West Virginia
7. Indiana Fever: Aziaha James, G, NC State
8. Indiana Fever: Anastasia Kosu, F, UMMC Ekaterinburg/Russia
9. Los Angeles Sparks: Madison Scott, G, Ole Miss
10. Chicago Sky: Temira Poindexter, G, Kansas State
11. Washington Mystics: Julia Ayrault, G, Michigan State
12. Minnesota Lynx: Bree Hall, G, South Carolina
13. Connecticut Sun: Aaronette Vonleh, C, Baylor

Round 3

1. Seattle Storm: Maddy Westbeld, F, Notre Dame
2. Dallas Wings: Harmoni Turner, G, Harvard
3. Los Angeles Sparks: Deja Kelly, G, Oregon
4. Seattle Storm: Madison Conner, G, TCU
5. Golden State Valkyries: Taylor Thierry, F, Ohio State
6. Dallas Wings: Maria Gakdeng, F, UNC
7. Washington Mystics: Kaitlyn Chen, G, UConn
8. Indiana Fever: Sedona Prince, C, TCU
9. Seattle Storm: Reigan Richardson, G, Duke
10. Las Vegas Aces: Dalayah Daniels, F, Washington
11. Atlanta Dream: Annika Soltau, F, Germany
12. Minnesota Lynx: DeYona Gaston, F, Auburn
13. New York Liberty: Lucy Olsen, G, Iowa

Speaking of Winsidr

I joined the group last week for a live mock draft. I was in charge of the Washington Mystics because I wanted to make three picks.

Sue me.

If you want to watch that playback, you can on their YouTube page or below.

Until Next Time

I love you awesome nerds.