2024 WNBA Redraft: Caitlin Clark Still No. 1, but How High Does Angel Reese Rise?
We are just days away from the top collegiate players in the country fulfilling a dream of hearing their name in the 2025 WNBA draft. Before Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron and Co. make their way to Manhattan over the weekend, let's flip the page back to the 2024 draft.
Knowing what we know now a year later, what would a potential redraft look like? What could have been different?
1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark
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Original No. 1 Pick: Caitlin Clark
There's not one person in the Indiana Fever front office who would do anything different than taking Clark with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Iowa superstar was named 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA after helping to lead the Fever back to the playoffs and averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Clark set a WNBA rookie scoring record with 769 points, a regular-season record for assists with 337 and the rookie three-point field goals mark with 122.
She has become the face of the Fever and one of the biggest names in all of sports, and the organization is selling out arenas left and right, even on the road.
The generational guard continues to make generational moves, and the Fever are no doubt excited to see what she can do in year two.
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink
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Original No. 2 Pick: Cameron Brink
Brink was the top target for the Los Angeles Sparks from the start, and there's no reason for them to do anything differently.
Unfortunately, we only witnessed 15 games before she went down with an ACL injury. During that time, the 6'4" Stanford grad averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals. Brink put up a career-high 21 points in a loss to the Dallas Wings just five games into her pro career.
Before Caitlin Clark ran away with the Rookie of the Year honor, Brink was in the conversation alongside the Fever star and Angel Reese. As unfortunate as it was to see Brink's rookie year cut short, the projection remains the same: She is a cornerstone the Sparks intend on building around, developing and investing in for years to come.
3. Chicago Sky: Kamilla Cardoso
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Original No. 3 Pick: Kamilla Cardoso
The Chicago Sky entered the 2024 draft with a specific plan to establish one of the younger, more dominant future frontcourts in the league. They saw it from the jump when they took Cardoso with their initial first-round selection and traded up to increase their chances at Angel Reese with their No. 7 pick.
Cardoso's intangibles can't be taught or developed. The 6'7" center has unique length, power and mobility that add to a complete rarity to add to your franchise. Her offensive skill set continues to be developed, and her ceiling is through the roof.
Defensively, she provides elite paint protection but can defend in different ball-screen defenses and drop coverage. We saw a strong, steady rookie season in which she averaged a near double-double at 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game to go along with 1.7 assists. She has been dominant overseas this offseason, posting 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 32 games for the Shanghai Sharks.
Cardoso easily could have been—and should have been—utilized more in her first year in the WNBA, although starting 29 of 32 games and averaging 27 minutes per night is great for any rookie.
It will be interesting to see how new head coach Tyler Marsh utilizes Cardoso and her dominance on both ends of the floor.
4. Los Angeles Sparks: Rickea Jackson
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Original No. 4 Pick: Rickea Jackson
The circumstances in Los Angeles last season may have been challenging amid a rebuild and following the unfortunate injury to Cameron Brink early in the year. One of the best silver linings from all of last season was the emergence of Jackson.
The 6'2" forward seized her opportunity to become one of the top performing rookies in the league, and the Sparks needed her contributions. Jackson looked comfortable and adapted well to the pro game in averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while starting 35 of 40 contests and averaging 29.0 minutes.
The Sparks needed her to play a major role, and she ended up finishing second on the team in scoring behind Dearica Hamby (13.4). Jackson's rookie year would go down as one of the best in franchise history, and those valuable minutes will surely propel her in her second season.
The Sparks now see Jackson as a key figure and vital asset they can continue to build around.
5. Dallas Wings: Angel Reese
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Original No. 5 Pick: Jacy Sheldon
Angel Reese's Original Slot: No. 7, Chicago Sky
Given how Angel Reese's rookie season played out, it's clear Dallas should've gone with a best-player-available approach and taken the LSU standout forward.
The 2023 national champion briefly set the the WNBA season record for rebounds with 446 before a wrist injury cut short her campaign and A'ja Wilson passed her to take the record with 451. She was also a double-double machine with a record 15 straight.
Sheldon had a solid rookie campaign for the Dallas Wings, starting 26 of 40 games and averaging 23.3 minutes. She filled a hole in 2024.
The Wings roster makeup wasn't great, and they had a need for a rookie impact guard. They were post-heavy on the interior with Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan and Kalani Brown, and they were attempting to remain in a win-now mindset.
But the season was a total disaster, as Dallas finished second-to-last in the standings at 9-31. The team would go on to restructure in the offseason, hiring a general manager in Curt Miller and a new head coach in Chris Koclanes.
The Wings eventually retooled the entire roster and traded Sheldon to the Connecticut Sun in a blockbuster four-team deal to acquire DiJonai Carrington, Ty Harris, NaLyssa Smith and the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Knowing what we know now and how things shook out in 2024, Reese should've been the pick, regardless of their needs at the time. Just go get the best player on the board—everything was about to change anyway.
Reese averaged a double-double at 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds with 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals while starting 34-of-34 games.
6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards
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Original No. 6 Pick: Aaliyah Edwards
Edwards was a major bright spot for the lottery-bound Washington Mystics last season. It's hard for a rookie to be consistent in their first year, but that wasn't a problem for the 6'3" forward, as she averaged 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per night and shot 49 percent from the field while starting 17 of 34 games.
Edwards played consistently poised throughout the season, going toe-to-toe against All-Star-level veterans and proving to the WNBA world how impactful she can be in the league as one of the most skilled forwards to come out of this class.
Edwards would go on in the offseason to have a successful Unrivaled debut, finishing runner-up to Napheesa Collier in the 1v1 competition—further turning heads and proving her' versatility and skill set as a pro.
The Mystics retooled their front office and coaching staff during the offseason and barely made any free-agency moves. While the new regime may take time to implement their vision for the future, it's fair to say Edwards should be seen as an impact player.
7. Chicago Sky: Alissa Pili
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Original No. 7 Pick: Angel Reese
Alissa Pili's Original Slot: No. 8, Minnesota Lynx
With Reese off the board, and knowing what we know now about the Sky's roster, Pili moves up a spot.
In mid-July, the Sky traded their second-leading scorer, Marina Mabrey, after she requested a trade. Mabrey was a massive loss as a veteran guard who could really stretch the defense. While the Sky received Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson in the deal, they still could use scoring threat on the wing.
The 6'2" Pili is listed as a forward but owns more perimeter skills as a tweener who can play a lot of different positions depending on the makeup of a roster. In her senior year at Utah, she averaged 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, and shot 40 percent from the three-point line.
Pili likely would have had more opportunity with the Sky than what she had with the Lynx her rookie season. She averaged only 6.3 minutes per game while appearing in just 22 contests for a veteran Minnesota team that made a deep playoff run.
If this was how the draft shook out, Chicago would have a need for someone at the 4 spot to take on a role similar to what Angel Reese had for them in year one in terms of minutes and scoring.
8. Minnesota Lynx: Jacy Sheldon
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Original No. 8 Pick: Alissa Pili
Jacy Sheldon's Original Slot: No. 5, Dallas Wings
The Minnesota Lynx had the privilege of taking Pili, a slightly long-term project and developmental piece in 2024 because they didn't have glaring needs at the time.
She was a tremendous fit as far as adding a player who has all the potential in the world to have a long-term WNBA career to learn behind a veteran roster. Now that Pili is off the board, we're going need-based.
Jacy Sheldon originally went to the Dallas Wings, where there was a major need for a young point guard. The 5'10" rookie averaged 5.4 points, 2.5 assists and 23.3 minutes in 40 games.
The Lynx could add Sheldon here as a backup point guard to Courtney Williams and to provide younger backcourt depth. Sheldon brought five years of collegiate experience from Ohio State and averaged 17.8 points and 3.8 assists per game and shot a career-best 37 percent from the perimeter for the Buckeyes in her final season.
9. Dallas Wings: Kate Martin
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Original No. 9 Pick: Carla Leite
Kate Martin's Original Slot: No. 18, Las Vegas Aces
Given that Leite remained overseas for the 2024 season and that Martin became an instant WNBA hit and fan favorite, why not have Dallas take her in the first round?
To her own surprise, Martin originally went to the Las Vegas Aces in the second round. She carved out a role with the defending champs, appearing in 34 games and averaging 11.5 minutes and 2.6 points per game and shot 36 percent from the three-point line.
She increased her value and earned respect, and would go on to be selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft.
The Wings struggled from the three-point line at times, finishing eighth in three point percentage. Martin would have been a great addition to a Dallas Wings team that struggled to compete last season.
She could have helped carved out a role as an off-ball, efficient shooter who could stretch the defense and help create space for the Wings posts to operate in the interior.
10. Connecticut Sun: Carla Leite
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Original No. 10 Pick: Leïla Lacan
Carla Leite's Original Slot: No. 9, Dallas Wings
A year ago, the Sun selected French guard Leïla Lacan with this pick, and she opted to remain in France to focus on the 2024 Olympics.
Carla Leite was not on the board as she went one pick earlier. With the opportunity to choose between two great, young and promising guards, we are taking Leite in this exercise.
The Sun organization looks completely different from top to bottom from a year ago. With a gutted roster and a new head coach from France in Rachid Meziane, the opportunity for a young international guard to come in and impact is at an all-time high.
We are keeping the French connection alive.
While we have yet to see Lecan or Leite make their WNBA debuts, both have signed their rookie-scale contracts for the 2025 season.
What we do know is Leite had a phenomenal 2024-25 campaign overseas. The 20-year-old guard was named EuroCup Finals MVP—making her the youngest to win it in the last 10 years—after averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game while leading Villeneuve d'Ascq to a EuroCup Championship.
You could make a great argument for Lecan or Leite with this pick, but due to her recent massive success, we're going Leite.
11. New York Liberty: Leila Lacan
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Original No. 11 Pick: Marquesha Davis
Leila Lacan's Original Slot: No. 10, Connecticut Sun
When New York took Davis last year, it looked to increase its length and athleticism and was willing to take a chance on a player with a major upside in the late first round. She remains a player the Liberty are extremely high on and is set to return for the 2025 season.
But what if in a different world, French guard Leila Lecan was still on the board?
The 20-year-old guard was drafted by the Sun at No. 10 and chose not to come over to focus on playing with France in the Olympics.
Lecan played alongside Liberty guard Marine Johannes in the games averaging 4.2 points and 15 minutes per game as one of the youngest players on the roster. She's a dynamic, versatile combo guard who can impact the game as a multi-level scorer, decision-maker out of the pick-and-roll and solid defender.
We know the Liberty have deep international scouting ties and love to add young, promising global players. If Lecan was on the board still, it would be a tough choice between her and Davis.
12. Atlanta Dream: Marquesha Davis
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Original No. 12 Pick: Nyadiew Puoch
Marquesha Davis' Original Slot: No. 11, New York Liberty
With the Liberty selecting Lecan at No. 11, it makes Davis available for the last pick in the first round.
The Dream originally selected 6'3" forward Nyadiew Puoch with this pick out of Australia. We have yet to see Puoch make her WNBA debut, and she has not signed with the Dream for this coming season. With Karl Smesko coming in as head coach, this roster needs to redefine its positioning in the WNBA.
Last year's team was wing-heavy, but it's hard to identify what its needs were, which is likely why Atlanta went with an international draft-and-stash option in Puoch.
But understanding the makeup of this roster would shift drastically, the competition for spots and opportunity was high, Davis would be a no-brainer if she were on the board knowing what we know now.
Davis brings great size and elite athleticism on the wing, her speed and strength make her a matchup problem as a pro and she can get deep into the paint and downhill in traffic. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense in the way she plays in the full court and half court, able to create her own shot and provide instant offense. Her ability to impact the defensive end of the floor in multiple ways stands out as well.
She has a great ceiling as a pro, continues to get better and would have been a promising young player who could have helped a Dream roster that was looking for answers.
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