Paige Bueckers’ destiny could have simply been determined at WNBA Draft Lottery

The outcomes are in: the Dallas Wings will personal the No. 1 decide within the 2025 WNBA Draft. Which means they’ll doubtless draw Paige Bueckers, the College of Connecticut star who was named Nationwide Participant of the 12 months as a freshman, and has since solidified herself as an impressive two-way level guard. This season, Bueckers is averaging 21.3 factors per sport on 65% capturing, alongside 4 assists and three.5 rebounds.

Paige Bueckers is the present frontrunner for the No. 1 decide, however she’s not the one choice. Kiki Iriafen, the high-scoring ahead for the College of Southern California, may be within the combine for the highest spot.

The remainder of the WNBA Draft Lottery outcomes are as follows:

No. 2: Los Angeles Sparks

No. 3: Chicago Sky

No. 4: Washington Mystics

No. 5: Golden State Valkyries

No. 6: Washington Mystics (through Dream)

No. 7: New York Liberty (through Mercury)

No. 8: Indiana Fever

No. 9: Seattle Storm

No. 10: Chicago Sky (through Solar)

No. 11: Minnesota Lynx

No. 12: Phoenix Mercury (through Liberty)

The WNBA Draft is scheduled to happen on Monday, April 14, after the conclusion of the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season.

Going into the lottery, the Sparks had the very best odds (44.2%) at No. 1 as a result of that they had the worst cumulative report over the previous two seasons at 22-55. The Wings and Sky every had a 22.7% probability on the No. 1 decide, however as a result of the Wings had a decide swap with the Sky, they really had a forty five.4% probability on the high spot. The Mystics had a slim probability on the high spot, ending with a ten.4% probability. In the end, the outcomes completely mirrored lottery odds.

Every of the lottery groups have been represented by younger stars on their rosters; Rickea Jackson was there on behalf of the Sparks, Aaliyah Edwards represented the Mystics, Maddie Siegrist the Wings and Angel Reese the Sky.

The Indiana Fever had the earlier two No. 1 picks; they drafted Aliyah Boston in 2023 and Caitlin Clark in 2024. The duo helped lead the Fever to the playoffs for the primary time since 2016.

WNBA Draft Lottery Projection

ESPN’s mock 2025 draft at the moment predicts the next gamers might be drafted within the High 10:

  1. Paige Bueckers, College of Connecticut
  2. Kiki Iriafen, Dallas Wings
  3. Azzi Fudd, College of Connecticut
  4. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
  5. Lauren Betts, UCLA
  6. Dominique Malonga, Washington Mystics
  7. Aneesah Morrow, LSU
  8. Janiah Barker, UCLA
  9. Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
  10. Rori Harmon, Texas

Fudd may selected to return to UConn subsequent season, so relying on that call, she may not be coming into this 12 months’s draft. Tankathon’s mock draft initiatives Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Ajsa Sivka (Schio), Rori Harmon (Texas), and Georgia Amoore (Kentucky) all going within the first spherical.

However, this season will show telling about quite a few issues. Some gamers, like Fudd, have a further 12 months of availability resulting from COVID or accidents, and will or could not select to enter this 12 months’s draft. Different gamers, like Flau’jae Johnson of LSU, aren’t at the moment slated to enter the draft, however may select to take action early in the event that they proceed dominating this season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *