The most detailed 2025 WNBA draft resource available outside a team’s actual war room.
The 2025 WNBA draft class maintains the star power of last April while adding a historic amount of depth.
Welcome to The Next’s preseason draft board, the most detailed 2025 WNBA draft resource available outside a team’s actual war room, brought to you by Em Adler, Hunter Cruse and Lincoln Shafer.
We’ve got even more names than usual this year, but we still have physicals, roles, holistic scouting reports and player comparisons! And it’s all to give you a sense of where this year’s prospects stand heading into (mostly) their final collegiate seasons.
Tiering off prospects is important, so we continue to use the baseball approach: “future value,” on a scale of 20-80. You can find a full breakdown of the the scale here, but for this board, the important numbers translate to: 20 — draftable; 30 — reserve; 40 — rotation-caliber; 45 — top-end backup or starter on a lottery team; 50 — average rotation player or starting-caliber on a true contender; 55 — above-average starter; 60 — All-Star caliber; 70 — perennial All-WNBA contender; 80 — perennial MVP candidate.
Having a 45 FV is nothing to scoff at — a median outcome as an average player is real good, given what a crapshoot most of the draft is. Players’ tiers say nothing about their ceilings or floors, just what we think their average outcome is likely to be.
The usual notes before we get to the list:
The board is as long as there are players that we’d be willing to give solid minutes to, if we were WNBA general managers. You may be wondering why some notable names that show up in others’ mock drafts are missing here; that is why.
We like players with clearly definable roles and projectable skills. Players who do a lot of things fairly well are a lot harder to give minutes to than ones who are great at a handful of things, and some skills are much harder to develop than others.
Positions listed aren’t what they play right now, but what we expect them to play in the pros. For example: Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers plays the point for the Terps, but since we don’t see much playmaking primacy at the next level, we have her as a wing in the W.
Ages reflect what age the player will be on draft night.
Wingspans with an “N/A” mean we don’t have a confirmed measurement for the player.
While the level of top-end talent in this class is pretty similar to last year’s, there is quite a bit more depth this time around: Our final 2024 board had eight players at least 45 FV and only 11 players at least 30+ FV; this year, we’ve got 13 at least 45 FV and an incredible 18 players above a 30 grade.
1. Paige Bueckers, point guard, UConn
Age: 23
Height: 5’11
Wingspan: 5’11
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Helper/wing stopper
Similar to: Faster Chelsea Gray, Chris Paul
Strengths:
One of the best live-ball processing abilities we’ve ever seen — a complete savant in proprioception, incredible court-mapping and playmaking
Might simply be the greatest midrange shot-creator in basketball history
Extraordinary off-ball scorer, between being a movement catch-and-shoot threat to excellent driving and finishing against closeouts
Possibly no one else in the game took more strides as an off-ball defender; she can do everything, from covering ground as a weakside rim protector to chasing shooters and causing chaos in passing lanes, without losing her primary assignment
Navigates screens very well defensively, with the ability to defend 1-on-1 against almost any wing and most smaller guards
Excellent rebounder
Questions:
Can Bueckers start taking and making more pull-up 3-pointers?
Can she become more assertive as a scorer in crunch time?
2. Janiah Barker, big wing, UCLA (Texas A&M transfer)
Age: 21
Height: 6’4
Wingspan: 6’7
Offensive style: Shot-creator
Defensive style: Mobile big
Similar to: Bizarro World NaLyssa Smith, Pascal Siakam
Strengths:
One of the most coverage-versatile defensive bigs in the country — has shown the ability to defend every position at a high level
Superb athlete for her size, both laterally and vertically, and very fluid
Tremendously smooth midrange isolation scorer with one of the most polished face-up games in college basketball
Has shown the ability to hit jumpers off of screens, both from the midrange and from three
Questions:
Can she translate her touch in the midrange to hitting free-throws at a higher rate?
Can Barker consistently impose her will on the game happening around her and become a more assertive player?
How does Barker translate extended flashes of brilliance into consistent, high-level production?
3. Kiki Iriafen, big, USC (Stanford transfer)
Age: 21
Height: 6’3
Wingspan: 6’8
Offensive style: Versatile big
Defensive style: Mobile big/wing stopper
Similar to: Chiney Ogwumike
Strengths:
Excellent lateral athlete with great burst
Excellent midrange jump shot, with a high, late release that makes her unblockable
Startlingly good at defending guards and wings in space
Good awareness in backline help with timely rotations
True triple threat without wasting time getting into a triple threat stance; smooth and explosive attacking off the catch while quickly reading the floor
Great at using her lower body to prevent giving up post position and disrupt finishes
Finishes through contact while drawing fouls
Excellent establishing post position and getting to the cup
Questions:
How much rim protection can Iriafen provide when she isn’t playing alongside an elite defensive center?
Can she learn an efficient power transfer to expand her range beyond the arc?
Will Iriafen translate her hip flexibility into stepping-over against drivers?
Were her struggles hedging and managing space to the handler in drop simply caused by inexperience?
What does Iriafen look like as a screen-and-roller in a pick-n-roll (PnR)-heavy offense?
4. Olivia Miles, point guard, Notre Dame
Age: 22
Height: 5’10
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Secondary point of attack
Similar to: Andre Miller
Strengths:
Excellent athlete in every direction
Mind-boggling playmaking ability: velocity from the most awkward positions, picture-perfect accuracy, mapping the court and manipulating defenders like a supercomputer
Plus-plus rebounder
Elite finisher, between using a variety of angles, drawing contact, and adjusting in midair
Smart, active team defender
Great handle, smooth bag, and advanced feel for changing speeds to get downhill
Very good downhill defender
Questions:
Is Miles willing to try completely rebuilding her jumper form?
How good of a help defender is she without so many long wings alongside her?
Can Miles stick through ball screens at the pro level?
Seriously, is there any hope for that jump shot?
5. Ajsa Sivka, combo forward, Tarbes (France)
Age: 19
Height: 6’3
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Utility wing
Defensive style: Wing stopper
Similar to: Deni Avdija, Leonie Fiebich
Strengths:
Excellent pull-up and spot-up shooting mechanics between her shoulder stability, footwork, power transfer and touch
Mind-boggling live-dribble playmaking at 6’4 — from velocity and eye manipulation to her rare ability to make off-hand whip passes and pinpoint weakside shooters out of the PnR
Very good hip flexibility defending drives and switching onto most 3s and 4s
Solid weakside helper, generally good off-ball defender
Good burst and a functional ball-handler
Questions:
Can Sivka become more confident as a driver and better handle contact at the rim?
Is her shot-creation upside limited if she can’t ever draw fouls?
Can Sivka improve her POA footwork to become a reliable ball screen defender in the W?
How does she look defending the roller in various PnR coverages?
6. Te-Hina Paopao, combo guard, South Carolina
Age: 22
Height: 5’9
Wingspan: 5’9
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Chaser
Similar to: Post-second knee surgery Sue Bird, Tyus Jones
Strengths:
One of the most consistent 3-point shooters, both on and off the ball, in recent college basketball history
Great playmaker, thanks to standout vision, superb processing speed and excellent passing ability
Extraordinary floor game and internal tempo, almost impossible to get her metronome off its rhythm
Very good at using ball screens to force offensive advantages
Greatly improved point of attack (POA) defense, both in her ability to mirror and ball screen navigation
One of, if not the best floater in the class
Good weakside helper, including digs and nail help
Questions:
How much does Paopao’s struggles to finish at the rim and draw fouls limit her potential offensive upside?
Can she consistently contain dribble penetration against WNBA guards at the POA?
7. Raven Johnson, point guard, South Carolina
Age: 22
Height: 5’8
Wingspan: 6’2.5
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Point of attack
Similar to: Natasha Cloud, Marcus Smart
Strengths:
Best POA defender in college basketball, leveraging insane physical tools, ball-pressure, cat-like reflexes and fluid lateral quickness
Standout live-dribble playmaker with steady PnR operation, a functional handle and good decision-making
Tough driver with superb burst and lower-body strength
Plus-plus rebounder
Improving scoring counters – an unblockable pull-up mid-range jumper and floater
Questions:
How reliable of a spot-up 3-point shooter can Johnson be? And can she make free-throws at an average level?
Can she become more confident as a driver in the half-court? If not, does this limit her playmaking?
Can Johnson develop into a consistently impactful off-ball defender?
8. Saniya Rivers, wing, NC State
Age: 22
Height: 6’1
Wingspan: 6’5
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Gabby5
Similar to: Los Angeles Brittney Sykes, Bilal Coulibaly
Strengths:
Outstanding athlete in every dimension possible
Potentially the most impactful non-big defender in the country as a junior, can defend on the ball, off the ball, on the perimeter and at the rim
Good playmaker with the ball in her hands, went to the Final Four as a starting point guard
Good handle plus excellent speed means nobody can really stop her from getting to her spots
Plus rebounder
Questions:
What does Rivers do on offense when she doesn’t have the ball in her hands?
Can she find a way to score efficiently, either by improving her touch inside the arc or rebuilding her jumper?
How does Rivers translate her raw athleticism to consistently creating advantages offensively?
Where does this all end up if she is merely very good defensively instead of transcendent?
9. Sonia Citron, wing, Notre Dame
Age: 21
Height: 6’1
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Utility wing
Defensive style: Wing stopper
Similar to: If Danny Green could dribble
Strengths:
Excellent core strength and verticality both on and off the ball defensively
Consistently good catch-and-shoot 3-point shot, which plays up due to her perimeter movement and ability to get the shot off from a variety of setups
Great defender in iso and on the drive against multiple positions
Very smart picking her spots to attack off the catch or pull up off screens
Plus passer for a 3
Generally good backside help defender and active communicator
Questions:
Is Citron a WNBA-caliber athlete? If so, is she a starting-caliber athlete?
Can she become more confident pulling up from deep?
How much will Citron’s driving game take a hit in the pros if she doesn’t develop dribble moves?
Does her size mitigate her issues getting over ball screens?
10. Charlisse Leger-Walker, point guard, UCLA (Wazzu transfer)
Age: 23
Height: 5’10
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Whatever James Harden used to do in Houston
Similar to: Jamierra Faulkner with an okay 3-pointer, Dallas Jason Kidd
Strengths:
Unparalleled court vision matched with audacious passing means that she creates good looks for teammates out of thin air
Very intuitive understanding of space on a basketball court, improvisational wizard in every way
Strong core and a really smart player, can defend bigger players in the post and hold her own
Excellent toggling between on- and off-ball usage, a very good catch-and-shoot player, enhanced by great off-ball movement and smart cutting
Questions:
When Leger-Walker returns from a torn ACL, likely not until late in the season, how will she look athletically?
Can she make jumpers at her 2022-23 rate and not her 2023-24 rate?
Who does Leger-Walker defend at the next level, especially when she is in a scheme that doesn’t automatically switch ball screens?
11. JJ Quinerly, off-ball guard, West Virginia
Age: 22
Height: 5’8
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Point of attack
Similar to: Miles McBride
Strengths:
Hellacious defender that never stops moving, with incredible hands, strong screen navigation and a strong base
Has developed into a legitimate threat at all three levels offensively with a wicked handle that makes creating space a breeze
Improved 3-point shooter due to some slight mechanical tweaks — has shown potential to be tremendously coachable
Steady improvement in her three seasons at WVU despite having three different coaches running three different systems
Questions:
Can Quinerly continue to improve her playmaking chops to the level of a real WNBA-level facilitator?
If she isn’t a good enough playmaker to be a lead guard, how much value does she provide off the ball?
12. Laila Phelia, off-ball guard, Texas (Michigan transfer)
Age: 22
Height: 6’0
Wingspan: 6’1
Offensive style: Utility wing
Defensive style: Wing stopper
Similar to: Karima Christmas-Kelly, Patrick Williams
Strengths:
Excellent on-ball defender with rare mirroring and screen navigation skills
Very good athletic tools and an ideal frame for a WNBA wing
Potent mid-range shot creation
Solid spot-up shooter
Confident driver with good deceleration and lives at the free-throw line
Good one-pass-away help and switching
Questions:
Can Phelia become a merely average passer?
Can she find a way to punish hard closeouts with consistent half-court finishing?
It’s seriously wild Phelia’s never hit a pull-up 3-pointer in her college career — how much does this limit her upside?
13. Aneesah Morrow, power forward, LSU
Age: 22
Height: 6’1
Wingspan: 6’4
Offensive style: Versatile big
Defensive style: Mobile big/chaser
Similar to: Precious Achiuwa
Strengths:
Elite rebounder
Plays above her height on both ends
Excellent finisher, including through tough contact and over vertical rim protectors
Incredibly explosive out of the face-up and attacks well off the catch
Sticks with drivers and contests finishes well
Great touch on midrange jumpers out to ~16 feet with smooth, WNBA-ready form
Very good defensive hands both on-ball and at the level
Good positional passer
Questions:
With the jump in athleticism from the SEC to the W, does Morrow’s usage hold up without a 3-pointer or value-added playmaking?
How much is her inability to track her defensive assignment off the ball and recover quickly due to scheme and coaching?
Can Morrow make significant strides getting open without the ball, either through paint movement or ball screens?
14. Dominique Malonga, center, ASVEL (France)
Age: 19
Height: 6’6
Wingspan: N’A
Offensive style: Versatile big
Defensive style: Mobile big
Similar to: Temi Fagbenle, Nic Claxton
Strengths:
Special vertical athleticism, foot speed and hip flexibility
Flashes driving and mid-post shot creation moves that few 6’6+ bigs have ever had
Very good interior off-ball movement
Great defender in space for her size
Willing 3-point shooter with a one-motion release and good balance
Untapped defensive upside based solely on her unique athletic tools and flashes of insane ball screen coverage versatility
Questions:
How likely is Malonga to improve her positioning in drop coverage, help rotations and overall feel for the game?
She drops more passes than any big prospect in recent draft history; can she improve her hand-eye coordination?
Will Malonga’s subpar shooting touch keep her from being a consistent shooter?
15. Georgia Amoore, point guard, Kentucky (Virginia Tech transfer)
Age: 24
Height: 5’5.5
Wingspan: 5’7
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Chaser
Similar to: Patty Mills
Strengths:
Excellent lateral athlete
Standout mental processing, reflected in both superb playmaking and picking defenses apart deciding whether to pull up, drive or relocate
Deadly mid-range scorer with a good handle and impressive bend to create space on pull-ups
Great mover without the ball and a consistently good-to-great shooter off movement and spotting-up
Good off-ball defensive instincts, occupying passing lanes and providing help rotations
Smooth floater game
Questions:
Can Amoore make pull-up 3s at a more efficient rate? (25.3% on 5.0 attempts per game in 2023-24)
Can she improve her point-of-attack footwork enough to not be a defensive sieve?
Is “getting downhill when an opening presents itself” enough at the WNBA level?
16. Bree Hall, off-ball guard, South Carolina
Age: 22
Height: 6’0
Wingspan: 6’5
Offensive style: Movement shooter
Defensive style: Wing stopper
Similar to: Lexie Hull, Aaron Wiggins
Strengths:
Impactful perimeter defender who uses her length on and off the ball to bother wings
Excellent downhill defender
Outstanding standstill shooter with very good mechanics after continually improving each season
Elite lateral athlete
Good weakside helper with a very high motor
Has shown flashes as a transition playmaker
Questions:
How do Hall’s struggles hanging with quicker guards impact her positional versatility at the WNBA level?
Is she able to apply more ball-pressure or better chase around the roller in POA defense?
Can Hall’s improvements as a shooter expand to do more than just hit open 3-pointers?
Does she have more in her bag that she hasn’t been able to show because she plays on the deepest roster in the country? Could coaches also see that as a positive sign that she is willing to fill a role?
17. Shyanne Sellers, wing, Maryland
Age: 22
Height: 6’2
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Wing stopper
Similar to: Justin Holiday
Strengths:
Extremely fluid athlete with sensational quick twitch
Advanced driving game: excels getting downhill, is comfortable pulling-up with a good jumper from most any spot on the way down and is a great finisher (especially on and-1s)
Can be an incredibly tough defender at the POA
Excellent passing velocity from any base
Solid spot-up 3-point shooter
Good screener for a backcourt player
Questions:
How much of Sellers’ struggles to achieve consistency have resulted from being overtaxed as a primary ball-handler?
Why does she lose focus and rotations when defending off the ball?
Can Sellers learn to better anticipate help defenders coming on her drives?
18. Azzi Fudd, off-ball guard, UConn
Age: 22
Height: 5’11
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Off-screen shooter
Defensive style: Low activity
Similar to: More athletic Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Sam Merrill
Strengths:
Flawless off-ball shooter between her relocation skills, immaculate power transfer and virtually no-dip jumper
Excellent lateral athlete
Solid second-side mid-range shot-creator when attacking closeouts, extraordinary pull-up jumper
Great cutter with a supreme understanding of manipulating open space
Questions:
Can Fudd, who has missed over 60% of UConn’s games during her career, play an entirely healthy season?
How much more have her injuries hampered her already poor defensive mobility?
If Fudd can’t become a passable on-ball defender, can she at least make consistent help rotations?
19. Annika Soltau, big, Gernika (Spain)
Age: 20
Height: 6’4
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Versatile big
Defensive style: Mobile big
Similar to: Trayce Jackson-Davis
Strengths:
Great off-ball player on both ends
Fluid athlete with great lateral athleticism
Very good help defender, especially for her age
Good dribble control while flashing plus deceleration for her position even through contact
Super smooth attacking off the catch, whether on the roll or against a closeout, with a good nose for getting downhill
Quality downhill defense even against wings
Questions:
Can Soltau improve her rebounding?
Does her poor 3-pointer mean she also has a poor midrange shot?
Are Soltau’s flashes of plus passing indications of potential as an impactful playmaker?
20. Anastasiia Kosu, combo forward, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)
Age: 20
Height: 6’1
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Athletic finisher
Defensive style: Helper/wing stopper
Similar to: Brandon Clarke, if Gabby Williams refused to go over a ball screen
Strengths:
Unbelievable athlete in every direction
Angel Reese-level rebounding mismatch
Can defend at least three positions at a high level
Flashes strong decel and midair finishing while already drawing fouls
Advanced help positioning, rotations and overall impact for her age
Great cutter
Questions:
Can Kosu translate her unholy athletic gifts into disruptive POA defense?
Is there any hope of a jump shot here?
Does Kosu read the floor well enough to be a playmaker?
How many grains of salt do we need to take her production with given the current quality of the Russian league?
21. Sarah Andrews, combo guard, Baylor
Age: 23
Height: 5’6
Wingspan: 5’10
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Chaser/helper
Similar to: If Rhyne Howard was 5’6, Marcus Sasser
Strengths:
Incredible athlete, both vertically and laterally
Reliable PnR craft, between advanced on-ball feel, two-player-game playmaking and the pressure she puts on a defense as a more-than-willing deep pull-up shooter
A shockingly, mind-bogglingly good rim protector for a 5’6 player
Elite moving without the ball and spotting up from 3
Great ball-denial and top-locking in chasing defense
Closes out well to spot-up shooters
Despite her size, she can and does get downhill when she sees an opening
Questions:
What does it mean for Andrews’ prospects if she is a good-but-not-great pull-up scorer in the mid-range and from 3?
Will she be able to translate her athleticism from rim protection into defending at the POA?
How much does Andrews’ limited velocity on skip passes limit PnR playmaking?
Despite her efficiency, does she have the ability to impose herself on a game?
22. Sania Feagin, center, South Carolina
Age: 22
Height: 6’3
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Roll-and-cut big
Defensive style: Anchor big
Similar to: Day’Ron Sharpe
Strengths:
Great post defender who plays really smart basketball all the time
Great screener and cutter, very intuitive feel for floor spacing
Solid post-up game
Plus positional passer with flashes of even greater
Smooth but reluctant midrange shooter
Questions:
Can Feagin develop comfort with an offensive game outside of ten feet?
Is there a world where she is able to maintain her absurd per minute production when she sees more playing time?
How coverage-versatile is Feagin really?
23. Maddie Scherr, wing, TCU (Kentucky transfer)
Age: 23
Height: 5’11
Wingspan: 5’10.5
Offensive style: Utility wing
Defensive style: Helper/wing stopper
Similar to: Keon Ellis
Strengths:
Incredible defensive event-creator, disrupts opposing offenses constantly
Plus passer and ball handler for a wing
Great free-throw shooter, which bodes well for projecting her shooting, given her 3-point form looks better than how she’s shot on paper
Defensive ground coverage, instincts and hands are all really impressive
Questions:
Does Scherr care about shooting the ball?
How does she create offensive value if she can’t up her scoring volume?
If Scherr does up her scoring volume, will she be as disruptive in every other area of the game?
24. Lucy Olsen, combo guard, Iowa (Villanova transfer)
Age: 22
Height: 5’9
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Shot-creator
Defensive style: Chaser
Similar to: Philadelphia Shake Milton
Strengths:
Excellent pull-up shooter, even from very tough setups
Superb at getting to her spots thanks to a good handle with a deep bag
Very good PnR operator and dump-off passer
Moves well without the ball, both around the arc and cutting through the midrange and paint
Solid backside rotator on defense, zones-up well
Questions:
Would a lightened offensive workload allow Olsen improved POA defense?
Is she merely a solid catch-and-shoot threat from deep, or can she be a bigger threat if she’s off the ball more often?
25. Makayla Timpson, center, Florida State
Age: 22
Height: 6’2
Wingspan: 6’7
Offensive style: Roll-and-cut big
Defensive style: Anchor big
Similar to: Jordan Bell
Strengths:
Elite vertical athlete
Far and away the best rim protector in this class with tremendous defensive range both vertically and horizontally
Historically great play-finisher within 10 feet of the rim with an infinitely deep bag of moves
Excellent feel as a roller, both in release timing and angles
Great at moving in the paint without the ball
Good dribbler for a center
Questions:
Can Timpson bulk up enough to better defend true centers in the post and be more impactful on the boards?
How much better can she get as a screener?
Is Timpson able to reign in her defensive aggression without becoming less impactful?
26. Rori Harmon, point guard, Texas
Age: 22
Height: 5’6
Wingspan: 5’7.5
Offensive style: Primary ball-handler
Defensive style: Point of attack
Similar to: Jose Alvarado without a 3-pointer
Strengths:
Explosive, explosive athlete
Stellar POA defender, applying pressure 94 feet, paired with excellent lateral athleticism, quick hands and impressive core strength to cut off drivers
Very good PnR operator, controlling the speed of the game with her decision-making and ability to create advantages out of drives
Good midrange game with a real tough pull-up jumper
Superb ball-denial
Questions:
How impactful can a small guard without a three or consistent floater be in the W?
Even with her defensive strengths, is Harmon up to a Jordin Canada-level to compensate for her height?
She does a solid job drawing fouls, but can she actually make free-throws?
27. Aziaha James, combo guard, NC State
Age: 22
Height: 5’9
Wingspan: 5’11
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Chaser
Similar to: Ben Sheppard
Strengths:
Very good floor game, picks her spots well
Super crafty finisher aided by a decent decel
Smooth, one-motion catch-and-shoot 3-point form with very good footwork
Good sticking over ball screens and disrupting drives
Very solid perimeter helper
Questions:
Is James’ defensive playmaking closer to her sophomore season or junior breakout?
Can she improve her ability to get downhill instead of having to take pull-up midrange shots?
With better play-finishing rollers, can James be a value-added passer in the PnR?
28. Maddy Westbeld, big wing, Notre Dame
Age: 23
Height: 6’3
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Versatile, playmaking big
Defensive style: Helper
Similar to: Very athletically limited Emma Meesseman, E.J. Liddell
Strengths:
Plus-plus playmaker all around
Consistent and disruptive secondary rim protector, overall plus help defender
Capable guarding ball-handling 4s and somewhat switchable
Great cutter and good screener, an all-around great off-ball skill set
Good finisher
Questions:
Can Westbeld reach another level athletically? If not, is she even a WNBA-level athlete?
With more deliberate use as a driver, can she get back to the free-throw attempt rate she had as a freshman?
29. Jewel Spear, off-ball guard, Tennessee
Age: 23
Height: 5’10
Wingspan: 5’9
Offensive style: Shot-creator/movement shooter
Defensive style: Low activity
Similar to: Roneeka Hodges, Jaden Hardy
Strengths:
Great athlete both on and off the ball
Great perimeter shot-creator and movement shooter, one of the better pull-up 3-point shooters in draft history
Excellent using ball screens to generate offense
Decent weakside help positioning
Questions:
How much can Spear reasonably be asked to improve on the defensive end?
If she can’t make significant defensive strides, how good of a shot-creator does she have to be to make a WNBA roster?
Can Spear develop a more advanced downhill scoring process?
Draft-and-stash prospects
Every draft class contains a number of young international players who are draft-eligible but still require another season or two before they’re ready for the W. Though they have a better shot of turning into a top-10 player in the class than your average second- or third-round pick, teams select these players with the intention of not yet signing them to a WNBA contract while waiting to see if they continue developing towards their potential.
Ajsa Sivka, Dominique Malonga, Annika Soltau and Anastasiia Kosu are technically in this mold as well, but they are ranked on the overall board because of how how advanced they are for their age and how high their ceilings are.
Marine Dursus, off-ball guard, Angers (France)
Age: 19
Height: 5’9
Wingspan: N/A
Offensive style: Secondary ball-handler
Defensive style: Chaser?
Similar to: Joseph Young
Strengths:
Quickly improving PnR ball-handler with good burst and feel for navigating tight spaces
Provides consistent rim pressure, can finish with either hand and plays through contact
Good spot-up shooter with repeatable mechanics
Decent help defender
Questions:
Can an undersized 2 with no value-added passing play in a W rotation?
Is she a WNBA-level athlete?
- Bueckers took a medical redshirt and has an additional year of eligibility available, though indications from her and Geno Auriemma are that this will be her final season in college. ↩︎
Despite being a junior this season, Barker has previously told The Next that she intends to declare for the coming WNBA draft. It is not known if her transferring has affected this. ↩︎
Miles took a medical redshirt and has an additional year of eligibility available. ↩︎
Jonson took a redshirt her true freshman season and has an additional year of eligibility available. ↩︎
Have you ever watched Gabby Williams defend? Well this role is named for her, because it is a wing who can basically do everything defensively and can do it better than almost anyone else on the court. ↩︎
Fudd took a medical redshirt and has an additional year of eligibility available. ↩︎
