By Lucas Camacho
It has come to that time of the year after March Madness is done for another phase of the sports calendar. Yes, there are playoffs in the NBA and NHL, and yes MLB’s new season is off and running. But I’m talking about another time of the year: Draft Time! In the next two weeks, we will see two very important drafts in two leagues: the WNBA and the NFL. The NFL Draft is next week, and I will get to that. But the WNBA Draft is tonight, and we need to go over a few things before the future of women’s basketball gets decided. Here’s what to watch for and what I’m watching for.
PAIGE BUECKERS GOING NO. 1
Like Thanos with the Infinity Stones in The Avengers movies, University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers is inevitable as the first draft pick tonight by the Dallas Wings. After leading UConn to its 12th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, it seemed like a lock that she would be drafted with the No. 1 pick. She padded her already impressive resume with an average of 24.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game during the 2025 tournament. The only question will be if she can turn things around for a lowly Dallas Wings squad.
OKAY, WE KNOW WHO IS BEING DRAFTED NO. 1, BUT WHAT ABOUT NO. 2?
Now we get to the real intrigue of the night: what does the Seattle Storm do with the No. 2 pick? There are several names that have been floated around. Several experts say the smart money is on Dominique Malonga of France. She was the youngest member of the French Olympic team that won the silver medal in the women’s basketball event (ultimately falling to the United States in the gold medal match). She’s young at only 19 and is currently averaging 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in the French leagues.
However, don’t rule out Kiki Iriafen from the Trojans of USC. The other side of the Trojans’ power duo alongside rising star JuJu Watkins, Iriafen had two impressive years in the tail end of her college career. She did help JuJu and the Trojans win the Big Ten and all the way to the Elite Eight (possibly farther if JuJu hadn’t suffered a devastating ACL tear). Ultimately, it’s the Seattle Storm’s decision on who to take: the phenom from France, or the only one in the draft who could challenge Bueckers for Rookie of the Year.
PROSPECT TO WATCH: SEDONA PRINCE
This is the most intriguing and complicated prospect going into the draft. Sedona Prince of TCU is a complicated person. She has had incredible highs and very troublesome lows. Prince stands 6-foot-7, taller than all but six players in the WNBA, but her last game left a lot to be desired: fouling out after scoring just 4 points with 6:32 left in the game. She’s got plenty of experience, but she does turn 25 later this week which makes her one of the oldest prospects in the draft. Prince is also an outspoken advocate for gender equity, having famously made the TikTok video showing the differences in amenities and helped launch a serious discussion about the inequities in men’s and women’s basketball. Despite that courageous act of valor and respect, she has one very big piece of baggage: at least four women have publicly accused Prince of sexual assault or intimate partner violence in the last few months (Prince has not been charged with any crime and there are no active investigations into any of the incidents). So, Sedona Prince has become a prime example of the phrase “high risk, high reward.” WNBA GMs are split on her: some don’t want to take a chance because of her injury history, others her baggage, and some just aren’t interested. There are a few that are under the impression that she will be drafted.
Here is my personal verdict: go for her. Yes, she has accusations against her, as well as a history of injury and former teammates who anonymously said she is difficult. However, I am personally in favor of the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.” The public court of opinion has no say in what she is or isn’t: let her actions say it. So, yes, I would take a gamble on a stud 6-foot-7 athlete who has had a long hill to climb and shoots over 70% at the free throw line. If she becomes a real diamond in the rough (and she stays out of trouble), she could be the steal of this year’s draft.
WHAT DO THE SPARKS DO?
Alright, let’s get serious. This is the question for the locals around the Hollywood area: what do the Sparks do with their draft pick? Well, the Sparks had the best chance for the No. 1 pick after a terrible two seasons, but they couldn’t even get that. Gambling on the cupboard being bare after Bueckers, the Sparks traded the No. 2 pick in a massive three team trade that gave them an impactful player right now that I mentioned in a previous article: veteran guard Kelsey Plum. Plum is reunited with former teammate Dearica Hamby, who performed brilliantly last season for the Sparks, and gets to play alongside rising stars Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. So, what does Sparks have?
My argument is that they could use a center, but they also need another guard besides Plum. So, yes, I would like to see the Sparks take a shot with Prince, but not in the first round. For their first pick, I am starting to like Georgia Amoore from the Kentucky Wildcats. Amoore averaged 19.6 points a game and is averaging around 35.6% from the three-point line. She is also the SEC assists leader and helped coach Kenny Brooks return the Kentucky women’s basketball program to its former glory. There are other names being floated, but Amoore has certainly gotten my attention. But ultimately, it is up to the Sparks to see who they can bring in to help Brink, Jackson, Hamby, and Plum turn things around for the Sparks, and add some life to “the House that Kobe Bryant Built.”
The WNBA Draft coverage starts tonight at 4:30 PM local time on ESPN. The draft can also be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN App.
