NEW YORK (AP) — There's no doubt who's going first in the WNBA draft on Monday with UConn's Paige Bueckers the consensus top pick. After that it gets interesting with Olivia Miles' decision to leave Notre Dame and enter the NCAA transfer portal instead of the draft. The Washington Mystics, with a new coach and general manager, control the direction of the draft with the third, fourth and sixth pick. Six teams don't have picks in the opening round as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta all traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its pick following an investigation by the league in 2023 that found the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.
Here's a look at how the first round could look:
1. Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, UConn
A generational player who averaged 20.0 points and shot 42.4% from behind the 3-point line this season. Bueckers is one of the most efficient players in college basketball and will pair with Arike Ogunbowale in the Wings' backcourt.
2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, France
The 6-foot-6 center played for the French Olympic team last year and has a bright future in the WNBA. She averaged 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds so far this season while playing for Lyon. While Seattle has a solid frontcourt with Ezi Magbegor and Nneka Ogwumike, it's hard to pass up on this talented 19-year-old.
3. Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, Southern California
Was a star at Stanford before heading to USC for her last season. She’s raised her game since JuJu Watkins went down with an ACL tear and helped get the team to the Elite Eight. She averaged 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds this season and will be a nice addition to a rebuilding Mystics team.
4. Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
She averaged 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds during her career at Notre Dame and also improved her defense to become one of the top defenders on the team. She would be another good pick for a rebuilding Washington team in need of a solid wing. Citron has shot over 90% from the free-throw line the past two seasons, one of the best percentages in the country.
5. Golden State Valkyries: Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Morrow led the nation in double-doubles, averaging 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds a game. She is second in that category for a career, behind only Oklahoma great Courtney Paris, having more than 100 in her career at LSU and DePaul. The 6-foot-1 Morrow has a toughness and nose for the basketball.
6. Washington Mystics: Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
The Mystics had a lot of chances to see Sellers play in college with the Terrapins right up the road. She has size at 6-foot-2, but also plays the guard and wing spot. Her versatility makes her an attractive pick for the Mystics. She was the first player in Maryland history to have 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in her career.
7. Connecticut Sun: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania
Jocyte showcased her scoring skills with a 22-point effort against Belgium in the EuroBasket qualifiers. She’s a versatile player who can play any of the guard positions and is really effective on the pick and roll. Has a toughness about her and is fundamentally sound. Sun coach Rachid Meziane, who has spent time coaching in the French league, is well aware of her talents.
8. Connecticut Sun: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
The Sun could use a solid young guard to lead the offense. Amoore averaged 19.6 points and 6.9 assists for Kentucky this season after transferring from Virginia Tech to play for Kenny Brooks, her former Hokies coach before he took the job in Lexington.
9. Los Angeles Sparks: Saniya Rivers, N.C. State
The 6-1 forward provides some more depth for the Sparks, who are pretty solid all around with young talent. She helped lead the Wolfpack to the Final Four last season and was part of South Carolina's national championship team her freshman year before transferring. She averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists this past year. She also is a good defender averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.6 steals.
10. Chicago Sky: Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Van Lith became the first player to play on three different teams in the Elite Eight after seeing her college career revitalized at TCU. Going to Chicago would reunite her with her former LSU teammate Angel Reese. She averaged 17.7 points and 5.5 assists to help the Horned Frogs reach the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. She also has some pro experience helping the U.S. win a bronze medal in 3-on-3 at last year’s Paris Olympics.
11. Chicago Sky: Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame
The Sky acquired the pick from Minnesota on Sunday night and could use it on Westbeld. She missed the first half of this season while recovering from a foot injury, and with Miles and Hannah Hidalgo getting the majority of the shots, it was difficult for the 6-3 forward to get back to the numbers she put up the year before. Westbeld averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 2023-24.
12. Dallas Wings: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia
Sivka is a multilevel scoring forward with efficient shot-making ability. She made over 42% from the 3-point line. At 6-4, she is a difficult matchup to defend.
Other players to watch out for who could be taken in the first round or early in the second include: Sania Feagan and Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina; Sedona Prince, TCU; JJ Quinerly, West Virginia; Aziaha James, N.C. State and Makayla Timpson, Florida State.
___
AP's Mock WNBA Draft is an analysis on select players and their pro prospects. For more AP WNBA coverage, click here: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press
