2025 WNBA Mock Draft: Predicting Paige Bueckers, Top Prospects' Landing Spots
Caitlin Clark hasn't even put an Indiana Fever uniform on for the first time, but that isn't stopping some fans from looking ahead to the 2025 WNBA draft class.
Clark is the most hyped rookie to arrive in the league for some time and we might be talking about UConn's Paige Bueckers in the same way this time next spring.
A national player of the year in 2020-21 and a two-time first-team All-American, the Huskies star decided to return to college for one more season. As a result, she's bound to be the leading figure in every 2025 mock draft.
The rest of the lottery will be a little tougher to project with some notable stars available but a clear gap separating Bueckers from the next tier.
Note: The mock draft order is based on the over/under win projections for each team at DraftKings Sportsbook.
1. Dallas Wings (via Chicago): Paige Bueckers
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As long as she stays healthy, Bueckers will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.
In her first year back from a torn ACL, the 6'0" guard averaged 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals in 2023-24. She was also an efficient scorer, connecting on 58.9 percent of her two-pointers and 41.4 percent of her threes.
According to Her Hoop Stats, Bueckers was 10th nationally in points per play (1.16) and 62nd in effective field-goal percentage (60.0). She's an offensive dynamo who possesses a multifaceted skill set that translates nicely to the next level.
The Dallas Wings have the right to swap 2025 first-round picks with the Chicago Sky by virtue of the four-team trade that sent Marina Mabrey to the Windy City. Should the Sky wind up as one of the worst teams in the WNBA, the pick swap could go down as one of the worst transactions in recent memory.
2. Washington Mystics: Aneesah Morrow
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Aneesah Morrow's per-game production dipped in 2023-24 with LSU, but that was to be expected after she joined a much stronger supporting cast than she had in her first two years at DePaul. Her usage rate fell from 37.6 percent as a sophomore to 22.9 percent, per Her Hoop Stats.
The 6'1" guard still averaged 16.4 points on 46.6 percent shooting along with 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Playing a more secondary role at LSU could work to Morrow's benefit because that's one less adjustment she'll have to make at the next level.
3. Los Angeles Sparks: Kiki Iriafen
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Kiki Iriafen stepped up in a big way for Stanford after Haley Jones graduated and Lauren Betts transferred out.
The Cardinal forward soared past her previous career bests, averaging 19.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks. She ranked 16th in Division I in total rebounding rate (21.0 percent), per Her Hoop Stats.
Following Tara VanDerveer's retirement, Iriafen entered the transfer portal, and she has yet to select her next destination. She has the opportunity to showcase her skills in a big way depending on where she lands.
4. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles
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Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season while rehabbing the knee injury she suffered toward the end of the previous campaign. The injury obviously provides a major variable when it comes to projecting her position in the 2025 draft class.
Miles has put enough on film to warrant lottery consideration, though, assuming she can make a comeback like the one Bueckers did. As a junior, the 5'10" guard filled up the stat sheet, putting up 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.1 steals.
There's no reason why Miles can't challenge Morrow, Iriafen or anyone else for the No. 2 spot on draft boards behind Bueckers if she hits the ground running in 2024-25.
5. Dallas Wings (via Atlanta): Azzi Fudd
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Azzi Fudd is an even bigger wild card thanks to the torn ACL she suffered in November, her second occurrence after injuring her ACL in high school.
The UConn star also missed time as a freshman due to a foot injury before knee trouble sidelined her as a sophomore.
The promise is clearly there for a player who was the top-ranked recruit in the country coming out of high school. She has averaged 13.1 points and shot 38.6 percent from beyond the arc in her three years with the Huskies. But having logged only 42 appearances to this point will be a concern for WNBA teams.
6. Phoenix Mercury: Rori Harmon
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Size is one thing working against Texas guard Rori Harmon. At 5'6", she's basically limited to one position even with teams prioritizing floor-spacing and being more willing to play smaller lineups.
There's no disputing the numbers, though. Harmon has dished out seven-plus dimes per game across her last two years and was a particularly efficient playmaker in 2023-24. She had a 6.64 assist-to-turnover ratio through 12 games, per Her Hoop Stats.
Harmon is another player with questions over her health due to a torn ACL she suffered in December. A return to form should put her in the first-round conversation.
7. Washington Mystics (via Chicago): Georgia Amoore
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Georgia Amoore might have been a first-round pick this year if she had declared. Instead, she followed head coach Kenny Brooks from Virginia Tech to Kentucky.
Like Harmon, the 5'6" Amoore is a little undersized but was nonetheless effective as a scorer and playmaker as a fourth-year senior. She poured in 18.8 points (48.1 percent on twos and 33.5 percent on threes) while handing out 6.8 dimes per game.
8. Indiana Fever: Sonia Citron
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With Miles unavailable, Sonia Citron successfully shouldered a larger load on offense for Notre Dame. She averaged a career-high 17.3 points without seeing her efficiency fall too much. She knocked down 35.9 percent of her long-range attempts.
The Fighting Irish figure to be a national title contender with Miles back healthy and Hannah Hidalgo benefiting from the experienced she gained as a freshman.
Citron's draft stock could get a nice bump should she continue to play well on a team that makes the 2025 Final Four.
9. Seattle Storm: Hailey Van Lith
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No player in the 2025 draft class may have more to gain and more to lose than Hailey Van Lith.
Few were surprised to see the 5'7" guard enter the transfer portal following her one season at LSU. She got lost in the shuffle and never looked like a perfect fit in Kim Mulkey's offense.
As things stand, getting picked in the first round of the 2025 draft is no guarantee for Van Lith. But this is a player who averaged 15.4 points on 46.5 percent shooting along with 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals over three years at Louisville.
Getting back to that kind of level should ensure Van Lith remains in the first-round frame.
10. Connecticut Sun: Te-Hina Paopao
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Te-Hina Paopao is one of many players who have found the grass outside of Eugene, Oregon, to be much greener.
The 5'9" guard made a seamless transition to South Carolina and was a big reason what initially looked like a rebuilding year ended in a national championship. She was third on the team in points (11.0) and second in assists (3.7).
Perhaps most notably within a draft context, Paopao shot 46.8 percent from the perimeter, up from 42.4 percent in her final year at Oregon, and continued to show off her long-range prowess.
Ohio State's Jacy Sheldon went from being a mid-to-late first-rounder to nearly breaking into the lottery thanks to what she did with her fifth season. Paopao could easily have a similar rise as South Carolina looks to defend its title.
11. New York Liberty: Maddie Scherr
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Kentucky guard Maddie Scherr decided to enter the transfer portal and explore all of her options after Brooks came aboard.
Her move to Lexington undoubtedly helped her in a big way as her numbers improved across the board compared to her first two years at Oregon. In 55 games with the Wildcats, she averaged 12.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
A strong defender, Scherr can help herself in a big way if assumes a slightly bigger scoring role — be it at Kentucky or elsewhere — in 2024-25 and proves she can be an effective two-way wing.
12. Las Vegas Aces: Laila Phelia
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A list of her accolades sums up Laila Phelia's incremental growth at Michigan. She was a member of the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2021-22 before earning a spot on the All-Big Ten second team in 2022-23. This year saw her make the first team after she averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 boards.
Phelia's regression as a shooter was concerning. She connected on 32.1 percent of her threes, well below the standard she set as a sophomore (41.7 percent). Hovering closer to 40 percent again would obviously impress WNBA scouts.
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