Women's Basketball

Claire Watkins | Just Women’s Sports

The New York Liberty will open the 2025 WNBA season at the top of the league’s power rankings, drumming up high expectations despite a short-staffed roster.

Trailing the reigning champions at No. 2 are 2024 runners-up Minnesota, followed by 2023 champs Las Vegas at No. 3.

Fueled by this year’s overall No. 2 draft pick Dominique Malonga, the Seattle Storm claimed No. 4 in the WNBA rankings, with the revamped Indiana Fever eyeing a 2025 turnaround at No. 5.

The betting market similarly reflects the league’s latest forecast, with sportsbook FanDuel setting the Liberty’s title odds at +210, followed by the Aces at +360, and the Lynx at +370.

The lines also support Indiana’s promise, giving the Fever the fourth-best championship odds at +390 — far higher than the fifth-best Phoenix Mercury at +1,300.

On the other hand, the Dallas Wings, LA Sparks, Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Golden State Valkyries occupy the rankings’ bottom half, as 2025’s potential lottery teams prepare to prove themselves against top-line squads this season.

The up-for-sale Sun and brand-new Valkyries have the longest title odds on FanDuel, clocking in at +50,000 each.

While preseason action has provided some quality sneak peeks, Friday’s opening tip-off represents a fresh start for the league, one where anything can — and likely will — happen.

European WNBA stars drop out of 2025 EuroBasket

Several European WNBA standouts announced they will skip out on this summer’s FIBA EuroBasket, opting to prioritize league play following a pivotal 2024 Olympics.

Reigning Olympic silver medalists Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga both confirmed they will not represent France at the European tournament in June, opting to remain with the Seattle Storm.

The duo’s France teammate Carla Leite is also forgoing the trip, instead remaining with the Golden State Valkyries for the entirety of the expansion side’s debut season.

As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA’s prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.

The 2025 regional FIBA competition between Europe’s top national teams will tip off on June 18th.

Michael Voepel | ESPN

Having the top pick in Monday’s WNBA draft virtually guaranteed the Dallas Wings an “A” in ESPN’s draft grades. And then the Wings did even better.

As expected, they selected UConn guard Paige Bueckers at No. 1. Dallas and then went guard-heavy on three of its four other picks, and at least a couple have a solid chance to make the roster.

Two teams in rebuilding mode — the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun — also had strong drafts. The league’s newest team, the expansion Golden State Valkyries, didn’t grade as well (their expansion draft also raised eyebrows). But there’s always a chance for teams to prove these grades wrong — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

The Phoenix Mercury had no picks Monday, and the defending champion New York Liberty had just one — the final selection — so there’s no grade for either franchise. But here are our initial impressions of the 2025 draft for the other 11 franchises.

Jump to: ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND | LV | LA | MIN | SEA | WAS

Dallas Wings: A+

1: Paige Bueckers, UConn Huskies, PG
12: Aziaha James, NC State Wolfpack, SG
14: Madison Scott, Ole Miss Rebels, SG
27: JJ Quinerly, West Virginia Mountaineers, SG
31: Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor Bears, C

It’s a new era for Dallas, which is under new leadership after missing the playoffs last season (the Wings reached the 2023 semifinals). New Wings GM Curt Miller is a longtime WNBA coach and general manager who excelled with defense in his time leading the Sun — and the picks in his first draft with Dallas reflect that.

Admittedly, it will be hard for James, Scott and Quinerly to all make this roster. But they are all good players who will make camp very competitive.

With veteran Arike Ogunbowale, Bueckers and James on the roster, the Wings will be hard to guard. And Dallas’ perimeter defense could be outstanding. Expect this team to play very fast and take advantage of all of Bueckers’ many talents.

Bueckers feels ‘overwhelming sense of gratitude’ after being drafted by Wings

Newly drafted Wings star Paige Bueckers expresses her emotions after being the first pick of the WNBA draft.

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Connecticut Sun: A

7: Aneesah Morrow, LSU Tigers, PF
8: Saniya Rivers, NC State Wolfpack, SF
25: Rayah Marshall, USC Trojans, PF

The Sun had to be thrilled that Morrow was still available at No. 7. Like her former LSU teammate Angel Reese (last year’s No. 7 pick) was for Chicago, Morrow could be a rebounding star right away.

After the Sun lost longtime face of the franchise Alyssa Thomas — known as “The Engine” — to Phoenix through free agency, now Morrow comes in as a new motor.

Rivers is long, quick and versatile, a player who filled up box scores for the Wolfpack. Marshall is strong and dependable as an interior defender and rebounder, with some untapped offensive potential, too.

Connecticut Sun select Aneesah Morrow 7th overall

The Connecticut Sun select Aneesah Morrow from LSU with the seventh pick of the WNBA draft.

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Washington Mystics: A-

3: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, SG
4: Kiki Iriafen, USC Trojans, PF
6: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky Wildcats, PG
23: Lucy Olsen, Iowa Hawkeyes, SG
32: Zaay Green, Alabama Crimson Tide, PG

The top three here, of course, are the most likely to make an impact for a new-look Mystics franchise. Citron is an excellent defender and dependable scorer who brings Notre Dame’s famed “Guard U” prowess to the Mystics. Iriafen turned herself into a lottery pick with her junior and senior seasons. Amoore is small, but she is an offensive force and will do whatever is needed of her on defense.

But Washington’s depth impressed, too: Olsen excited Big Ten fans with her scoring ability in her one season at Iowa, and Green also had a big impact in her one season at Alabama.

Mystics take Sonia Citron with the 3rd pick

The Washington Mystics select Notre Dame star Sonia Citron with the third pick in the WNBA draft.

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Indiana Fever: B+

19: Makayla Timpson, Florida State Seminoles, PF
20: Bree Hall, South Carolina Gamecocks, SG
33: Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga Bulldogs, PF

The Fever won the draft the past two years with two No. 1 picks who won Rookie of the Year in Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. After making the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the Fever didn’t have a first-round pick in this draft but made the most of what they had.

Timpson just might be the steal of the second round; she has averaged a double-double the past two seasons for the Seminoles and could be another good target for Clark’s passes. Hall is a lockdown defender and former teammate of Boston’s at South Carolina.

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Seattle Storm: B+

2: Dominique Malonga, France, C
26: Serena Sundell, Kansas State Wildcats, PG
29: Madison Conner, TCU Horned Frogs, SG
34: Jordan Hobbs, Michigan Wolverines, PG

We are ready to be wowed by Malonga, who could be one of the next great post players in the WNBA despite still being a teenager. She will have some excellent mentoring from players such as veteran All-Star Nneka Ogwumike with Seattle.

Malonga alone would earn a good grade for the Storm, but Sundell, a third-round pick, has a shot to make the team. She loved passing to Ayoka Lee at K-State, and now she could have another 6-foot-6 target in Malonga, along with Ogwumike and 6-foot-4 Ezi Magbegor.

Seattle Storm select Dominique Malonga 2nd overall

The Seattle Storm select Dominique Malonga from France with the second pick of the WNBA draft.

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Chicago Sky: B

10: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia, PF
11: Hailey Van Lith, TCU Horned Frogs, PG
16: Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, PF
22: Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M Aggies, SG

A lot of this grade depends on Sivka, a highly regarded teen who, like Malonga, doesn’t turn 20 until November. If she adapts well to the WNBA, the Sky could have a very good young post core, with Sivka alongside sophomores Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.

Van Lith, who played one season at LSU with Reese, reached the Elite Eight five times as a college player; we will see if she continues that success in the pro game. Westbeld might have a chance to make the roster, too.

Hailey Van Lith thanks family after being drafted by Chicago

New Chicago Sky star Hailey Van Lith tells Holly Rowe how her family has impacted her work ethic.

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Los Angeles Sparks: B-

9: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama Crimson Tide, SG
21: Sania Feagin, South Carolina Gamecocks, PF
28: Liatu King, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, SF

Barker wasn’t this high on our draft board, but she had her career-best year as a senior, shooting 56% from 2-point range and 37.5% from behind the arc.

Looking back, though, Feagin might be the most impactful player the Sparks get in this draft. She came into her own this season for the Gamecocks and could just be scratching the surface of her ability.

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Las Vegas Aces: B-

13: Aaliyah Nye, Alabama Crimson Tide, SG
35: Harmoni Turner, Harvard Crimson, SG

The Aces lost their first-round pick for league disciplinary reasons, but they made the most of these two selections, and at least one could make the roster. Nye could be a good fit for coach Becky Hammon’s offense — she made more than 100 3-pointers each of the past two seasons, shooting 41.7% behind the arc as a junior and 45.5% as a senior. Turner was one of the top scorers in the country (22.5 PPG) this season and led Harvard to the NCAA tournament.

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Atlanta Dream: C

18: Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina Gamecocks, SG
36: Taylor Thierry, Ohio State Buckeyes, SF

With picks this late, there’s no guarantee of getting someone who can make the team. But Paopao’s shooting ability might give her a chance. She wasn’t as sharp from 3-point range for South Carolina this season (37%) as she was in 2023-24 (46.8%), but we know what kind of shooter she can be.

Thierry was one of the Big Ten’s best defenders; even if she doesn’t make this roster, she could have a future in the WNBA.

Te-Hina Paopao is ready to bring Samoan culture to Atlanta

New Atlanta Dream star Te-Hina Paopao talks about bringing her Samoan heritage to the WNBA.

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Minnesota Lynx: C

15: Anastasiia Kosu, Russia, SF
24: Dalayah Daniels, Washington Huskies, PF
37: Aubrey Griffin, UConn Huskies, SF

A big part of the reason the grade is middling for the Lynx is that they didn’t really need anything from this draft. They were an eyelash from winning the WNBA title last year and bring back all those key players. They traded their first-round pick (No. 11) to Chicago.

But the player to watch is Kosu, a promising youngster who could end up at some point making this draft look quite good for Minnesota.

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Golden State Valkyries: C-

5: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania, SG
17: Shyanne Sellers, Maryland Terrapins, PG
30: Kaitlyn Chen, UConn Huskies, PG

Part of the difficulty with evaluating the Valkyries’ first draft is we really don’t know how their players will fit together since they have yet to play a game as a franchise.

Sellers dropped further than we expected; perhaps she makes an impact on this roster. As for the Valkyries’ first-round pick, we don’t want to underplay Jocyte’s potential; she is highly regarded among the young players from overseas. But the Valkyries seem to be counting on her to make an immediate impact, and it might take longer.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced this year’s inductees on Saturday, with WNBA legends Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore headlining a star-studded Class of 2025.

The Hall of Fame mandates a two-year post-retirement waiting period for eligibility, with both Bird and Fowles qualifying for the shortlist following their 2022 retirements from the WNBA.

Moore officially retired from the WNBA in early 2023, despite stepping away from professional basketball in 2018.

2025 Hall of Fame class highlights WNBA accolades

This year’s class is the first to ever feature three WNBA players, proving the iconic trio’s monumental contributions to the sport.

All three players won multiple Olympic gold medals with Team USA in addition to competing in at least three NCAA Final Fours, with UConn alums Bird and Moore counting two national championships among their accolades.

Moore is a four-time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Lynx, earning her last two titles with Fowles as her teammate, while Bird won four WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm.

Both Moore and Fowles have picked up WNBA MVP awards, while Bird retired as the league’s career assists leader.

How to attend the Hall of Fame’s 2025 Enshrinement Weekend

The Naismith Hall of Fame’s 2025 Enshrinement Weekend tips off on September 5th, with both weekend packages and single event tickets currently available for purchase online.

Claire Watkins | Just Women’s Sports

The No. 2-seed UConn Huskies are atop college basketball once again, winning a record-extending 12th NCAA championship in a 82-59 blowout victory over No. 1-seed South Carolina on Sunday.

The title ends a nine-year drought for the dynasty program — the longest stretch without hoisting the trophy since the Huskies’ first-ever national championship in 1995.

Trio of Huskies fuel UConn’s championship grab

After dominating overall No. 1-seed UCLA 85-51 on Final Four Friday, UConn earned a season finale face-off against the defending champion Gamecocks, who punched their spot in Sunday’s championship showdown by taking down No. 1-seed Texas 74-57 — South Carolina’s third win over their SEC rival this season.

The big day, however, belonged to the Huskies, as UConn’s “Big Three” of star senior Paige Bueckers, standout guard Azzi Fudd, and freshman phenom Sarah Strong posted a combined 65 points to outscore South Carolina.

Fudd and Strong led the game’s stat sheet by scoring 24 points each, helping Fudd snag the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor — and earning Strong a new NCAA record.

After finishing March Madness with 114 total points across UConn’s six-game run, the newly crowned 2024/25 Freshman of the Year broke the NCAA tournament’s freshman scoring record, as Strong surpassed 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, who posted 111 points in Tennessee’s 1998 championship run.

As for graduating superstar Bueckers, her 17 points made her the Huskies’ all-time NCAA tournament scoring leader, while Sunday’s title cements her legacy, capping her college career by adding her name to the litany of UConn greats in the Storrs rafters.

“It’s been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of overcoming adversity and just responding to life’s challenges,” said Bueckers after her last game as a Husky.

“This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I’ve been a part of since that very first one,” echoed head coach Geno Auriemma.

All in all, UConn overcame years of close calls, injury woes, and buzzer-beating heartbreak to restore their March Madness dynasty. With Fudd returning next season alongside Strong, the Huskies’ future looks brighter than ever.

Final Four teams eye 2026 return

On the other side of the championship coin, the Gamecocks never quite hit their stride on Sunday, falling one game short of a back-to-back title after snagging a spot in their third championship game in four years.

“We lost to a very, very good basketball team,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the defeat. “They beat our ass, but they didn’t make us like it. There’s a difference.”

Though Sunday’s loss stings, South Carolina’s youthful core means the Gamecocks — like the young squads from Final Four teams UCLA and Texas — will be back, packing both March Madness experience and a hefty dose of vengeance next year.

“I hope they’re crying,” Staley said of her returning players. “I hope they’re boo-hoo-ing because from crying they have emotion about losing, makes you work hard in the offseason.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by the 2024/25 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, UCLA star Lauren Betts.

“We have the same team coming next year,” Betts said of the Bruins’ underclass core after Friday’s Final Four loss. “I hope this fuels us, and I hope that we come out angry after this.”

After faltering in their own Final Four matchup on Friday, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer offered a similar silver lining.

“It won’t be easier tonight or tomorrow, but it will be easier knowing them three are around,” Schaefer said of Longhorn underclassmen Madison Booker, Bree Hall, and Jordan Lee. “They are competitors. And again, they’re kids that invest in their craft.”

The Final Four squads unable to seal the deal this season will rue an opportunity lost, but with another year of development, expect the same names to dominate the news cycle next March.

Dee Lab | Just women’s Sports

The Naismith Awards sliced their already elite 10-athlete National Player of the Year (POY) list down to four finalists on Tuesday, narrowing the race for the 2024/25 NCAA basketball season’s top individual honor.

Earning spots in the final tally are two sophomore phenoms, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, as well as UCLA junior Lauren Betts and UConn senior Paige Bueckers.

“The brilliance of these athletes and their unrelenting passion for college basketball are evident in their outstanding accomplishments,” noted Atlanta Tipoff Club president Eric Oberman, whose organization bestows the annual award.

Three of the finalists have already claimed some POY hardware for their 2024/25 performances, with Hidalgo, Bueckers, and Watkins all earning the honor for their respective conferences. Hidalgo and Betts also bagged Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards from the ACC and Big Ten, respectively.

Double-dipping on the national stage are Betts, Hidalgo, and Watkins, whose POY finalist status comes just four days after the Naismith Awards named the trio to its four-athlete DPOY final list.

Buoyed by their individual contributions, all four players have helped their programs become veritable contenders to claim the 2024/25 national championship trophy.

Betts’s Bruins entered March Madness as the overall No. 1 seed, with Watkins’s Trojans also claiming a top spot in the 2025 NCAA bracket. Behind team-leading contributions from Bueckers and Hidalgo, UConn and Notre Dame snagged No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively.

“Their efforts have been instrumental in their teams’ successes this season. Recognizing any of these extraordinary student-athletes with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy would be a fitting tribute to their excellence.”

POY race reflects parity-filled NCAA season
Unlike past seasons with arguably clear-cut frontrunners, the 2024/25 NCAA season is stacked with both parity and standout performers, giving each member of the exclusive POY finalist quartet a strong case to snag the prestigious award.

With her third time as a POY finalist, Bueckers — a playmaking guard who shoots over 54% from the field — could add a second Naismith trophy to her shelf, bookending her UConn career after becoming the only freshman winner in the award’s now 42-year history in 2021.

That said, she’ll have stiff competition from fellow 2023/24 finalist Watkins, whose prolific scoring surpassed the two-season tally notched by the all-time Division I points leader, back-to-back POY winner-turned-WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.

Star center Betts has anchored the Bruins in the paint all season, setting a UCLA record for blocks while shooting over 64% from the floor and averaging a near double-double with 9.7 rebounds per game.

As for Hidalgo, who currently sits third in the league with over 24 points per game, the Irish guard has yet to register a single collegiate appearances with less than 10 points.

The four finalists will have one final weekend of March Madness competition to impress voters before the POY winner is announced on April 2nd — two days before the NCAA tournament’s Final Four tips off.

Unfortunately, after suffering a season-ending ACL tear on Monday, Watkins’s POY bid rests on her already complete 2024/25 campaign.

How to vote for the 2024/25 National Player of the Year
While the majority of the Naismith Awards’ final counts rest with coaches, conference commissioners, journalists, and former winners, fans account for 5% of the total vote.

With POY candidates, DPOY finalists, and Coach of the Year nominees on the ballot, fans can vote once per day online for the NCAA’s top basketball personnel. Voting closes at 12 PM ET on April 1st.

The Power Four wrapped up their 2024/25 NCAA basketball seasons on Sunday, with newly minted conference tournament champions punching their tickets to the March Madness tournament.

While the Big 12’s weekend was all chalk as No. 8 TCU added their first tournament title since 2005 to their 2024/25 regular-season conference trophy on Sunday, the ACC capped their contest with chaos.

No. 11 Duke put the conference — and the NCAA selection committee — on notice, upsetting both No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 7 NC State en route to their first ACC tournament championship in 12 years.

In the SEC, No. 5 South Carolina had the last word against No. 1 Texas. After splitting their two 2024/25 meetings and sharing the regular-season title, the defending national champion Gamecocks turned the SEC tournament final into a defensive masterclass, defeating the Longhorns 64-45 to claim the conference trophy.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s Big Ten finale saw No. 4 UCLA enact revenge on their crosstown rivals, No. 2 USC. After dropping both their matchups and ceding the conference’s regular-season title to the Trojans, the Bruins held USC to just 34.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc to snag the tournament crown with a 72-67 win.

Conference winners eye NCAA tournament seeding

With their Sunday wins and their automatic entries into the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament, conference champions are now eyeing their shots at top national seedings.

While TCU and Duke each made strong cases for increasing their seeds, UCLA and South Carolina fully cemented themselves as frontrunners to top the 2024/25 bracket.

“When you win this [SEC] tournament and play the schedule that we play, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed,” remarked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. “There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we have played, that had share of the regular-season title, won this tournament and beat the No. 1 team in the country.”

The stats back up Staley’s claims. South Carolina played more Top 25 opponents this season than any other currently ranked squad, winning 12 of those games — seven against Top 10 teams. The only three losses they logged all season came against No. 1 Texas, No. 3 UConn, and No. 4 UCLA, with the Gamecocks handing the Longhorns two defeats in return.

UCLA head coach Cori Close took a more diplomatic approach when asked about top seeding after winning the Big Ten title.

“I think it would mean a lot for us [and USC] both to be No. 1 seeds,” Close told ESPN. “And I hope we do get the chance to do it [in the Final Four] in Tampa a fourth time.”

The final decisions rest with the selection committee, who will reveal their 2024/25 NCAA tournament bracket this Sunday.