Winners and losers: Picks we loved -- and picks that left us scratching our heads

The lottery picks went arsenic expected. Then came a fewer curveballs. After letting Monday's WNBA draught descend in, what continues to basal out?

Five overseas players who didn't vie successful assemblage successful the United States were selected, including 3 successful the archetypal round. That trio -- the Seattle Storm's Dominique Malonga (France) astatine No. 2, Golden State Valkyries' Justė Jocytė (Lithuania) astatine No. 5 and Chicago Sky's Ajša Sivka (Slovenia) astatine No. 10 -- each were calved successful November 2005 and volition beryllium 19 during this WNBA season. They are the equivalent of assemblage freshmen oregon sophomores successful age, but their nonrecreational acquisition appealed to these WNBA teams.

The SEC led each conferences with 10 players drafted. The Big Ten had seven, the ACC six and the Big 12 five. But halfway Sedona Prince of Big 12 champion TCU wasn't selected.

Being drafted -- adjacent successful the archetypal circular -- is nary warrant of making a team, adjacent with much jobs disposable present arsenic enlargement squad Golden State prepares for its inaugural season. That's particularly the lawsuit for teams that had the astir picks: the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics with 5 each. It mightiness payment immoderate draftees to beryllium chopped sooner than later, truthful they get a accidental with different team. Rookies person to marque an content successful campy to unafraid a spot earlier the play starts May 16.

Here are takeaways from the 2025 draught and however it volition interaction this WNBA season.

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Juste Jocyte selected No. 5 with Valkyries' first-ever draught pick

The Golden State Valkyries instrumentality Juste Jocyte from Lithuania with the franchise's archetypal WNBA draught pick.

The Valkyries scored our worst draught people Monday (C-minus), this aft an underwhelming enlargement draught and escaped agency. What are your expectations for Golden State this season?

Michael Voepel: Every year, I vacillate connected grades: Too harsh? Too soft? With Golden State, Jocytė could extremity up becoming a WNBA prima and our draught people could yet get an F. But for present she's little of a known quantity to WNBA fans than immoderate of the assemblage players Golden State mightiness person selected.

The Valkyries' roster operation frankincense acold indicates they are looking for circumstantial accomplishment sets and past volition fig retired however to mesh them together. That's however it mostly goes for enlargement teams. It's doubtful anyone externally has expectations of overmuch occurrence for the Valkyries this play arsenic they effort to get established and enactment connected being an appealing escaped cause destination starting successful 2026.

Kendra Andrews: Valkyries proprietor Joe Lacob acceptable the aforesaid expectations for his WNBA squad that helium did erstwhile helium purchased his NBA squad implicit 10 years ago: triumph a title successful the archetypal fewer years. So let's springiness the Valkyries a fewer years to get up and running. It's intolerable for them to pinpoint holes they request to capable oregon chemistry adjustments they request to make; they don't yet cognize however their radical volition look connected the court. General manager Ohemaa Nyanin is stressing the value of grooming campy for piecing her squad together.

Kevin Pelton: The anticipation should beryllium to person the champion likelihood of winning the 2026 draught lottery. The WNBA did the Valkyries nary favour by giving them the 5th pick, aft each 4 of past year's non-playoff teams. The past clip the league expanded, the Atlanta Dream got the 4th prime retired of what was past 14 teams, up of 2 teams successful the lottery. With the 2026 draught looking deeper than this year's radical aft Lauren Betts, Flau'jae Johnson and Olivia Miles decided to instrumentality to college, Golden State should beryllium capable to adhd a bigger prima adjacent April.

Do you envision Sedona Prince, who wasn't drafted Monday, ending up successful the WNBA? Will she beryllium invited to a grooming camp? What mightiness beryllium adjacent for her hoops career?

Voepel: Prince's property (she turns 25 conscionable earlier this play starts), lengthy clip successful assemblage (she archetypal enrolled successful 2018) and wounded past are concerns. But WNBA teams' biggest contented regarding Prince are allegations of intersexual battle and intimate spouse violence, which Prince has denied and for which she has not been charged. However, she could inactive beryllium invited to a camp. Prince is 6-foot-7 and successful her 2 seasons astatine TCU averaged 18.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks portion shooting 57.1% from the field. We volition spot whether immoderate WNBA squad believes successful her endowment and is consenting to motion her. If not, she volition person to look to play overseas and past perchance get a accidental successful the WNBA.

Katie Barnes: Prince not being selected successful the WNBA draught connected Monday was 1 of the astir astonishing things to hap that night. She could beryllium invited to grooming campy by immoderate WNBA team, but I americium dubious that an invitation volition beryllium extended. The information that she wasn't drafted created further sum and societal media attention; it seems doubtful that a squad is consenting to sorb that. Prince removed her draught announcement from her Instagram, which underscores the uncertainty astir her future. She could spell overseas to play professionally successful an effort to amusement WNBA GMs that her on-court worth is worthy consideration. I would beryllium amazed if she is successful the WNBA this season.

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Seattle Storm prime Dominique Malonga 2nd overall

The Seattle Storm prime Dominique Malonga from France with the 2nd prime of the WNBA draft.

What was your favourite prime Monday?

Jonathan Givony: I went to ticker Malonga enactment retired successful New York connected Tuesday morning. While I'm acold from an adept connected women's basketball, I person covered a batch of hoops workouts successful 20-plus years and person seen a batch of truly talented players up close.

I was blown distant by what I saw from Malonga. First, with her carnal profile: the size, wingspan, immense hands and framework that tin transportation weight. She moves truthful fluidly, gets disconnected her feet truthful easy for dunks and has morganatic accomplishment connected the perimeter with her ballhandling and perimeter shooting. She was shooting from the NBA 3-point line, which isn't rather her scope yet, but Malonga has large mechanics, interaction and quality to get her jumper disconnected connected the move.

That's truly intriguing astatine 19 years aged with each the things she tin already bash connected the antiaircraft extremity with her carnal tools. She told maine she primitively planned connected going to Harvard until an accidental successful France came up that she couldn't crook down. She said she'll beryllium successful Seattle successful the adjacent 2-3 weeks, erstwhile her play ends.

It's going to beryllium breathtaking to travel her progress. Everyone says she's the adjacent Victor Wembanyama; she really reminded maine a small spot of the archetypal clip I went to spot Giannis Antetokounmpo backmost erstwhile helium was successful Greece.

Went to ticker Dominique Malonga -- the No. 2 prime successful the WNBA Draft -- enactment retired successful NYC. Blown distant by however talented she is. 6'6, 7'1 wingspan, immense hands. Dunks with ease. Makes NBA-range pullup 3s effortlessly. Only 19 years old. The Seattle Storm got a bully one. pic.twitter.com/boLNV49uQ1

Voepel: LSU's Aneesah Morrow astatine No. 7 to Connecticut. History could repetition itself: LSU's Angel Reese went seventh past twelvemonth to Chicago and had a historical rookie play with double-doubles and arsenic a rebounder. The Sun are reestablishing their individuality aft losing Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. Morrow (and No. 8 prime Saniya Rivers) tin beryllium a large portion of that.

Andrews: I similar the summation of Aziaha James to the Wings. Paige Bueckers volition marque much of the headlines for Dallas, but successful James the Wings are getting a subordinate who tin detonate offensively astatine immoderate moment. She tin springiness the squad immoderate much-needed accumulation disconnected the seat and assistance the franchise physique a much implicit squad that could marque a propulsion backmost into the playoffs.

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Te-Hina Paopao is acceptable to bring Samoan civilization to Atlanta

New Atlanta Dream prima Te-Hina Paopao talks astir bringing her Samoan practice to the WNBA.

Pelton: The Atlanta Dream taking South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao with the 18th pick. Holly Winterburn being ruled retired for 2025 due to the fact that of wounded near the Dream with a void down Jordin Canada astatine constituent guard, which Paopao could fill. New Atlanta manager Karl Smesko is going to privation shooting connected the perimeter, and Paopao fits the measure arsenic a vocation 40% 3-point shooter who led Division I astatine 47% successful 2023-24.

Barnes: Hailey Van Lith going to Chicago got maine excited. Seeing Van Lith play successful this year's NCAA tourney for TCU aft spending truthful overmuch clip astir LSU past play showed maine however overmuch of a opposition determination was betwixt those experiences for her. Chicago offers an accidental with small pressure. There's a acquainted look successful Reese -- who shared her ain excitement connected societal media -- and the accidental to larn from Courtney Vandersloot. Plus, caller manager Tyler Marsh is known for subordinate development. It's a large acceptable for Van Lith and gives her an accidental to scope her ceiling arsenic a pro.

Which prime near you scratching your head?

Andrews: I was amazed Golden State opted to draught 3 guards with each of its picks. The Valkyries inactive deficiency a ascendant large inside, and determination were immoderate coagulated options successful this draught class. An electrifying defender was 1 of their different needs, but adding lone astatine that presumption leaves them with much needs heading into camp.

Voepel: Draft prognosticators astir apt weren't amazed that Malonga, Jocytė and Sivka went successful the archetypal round, but they apt thought lone Malonga would beryllium successful the apical five. College players who were eligible but opted not to participate this draught -- Miles, Betts and Johnson, arsenic Pelton mentioned, but besides Ta'Niya Latson -- changed the draught board.

Alexa Philippou: A fewer players dropped little than I expected: Shyanne Sellers, Paopao and Serena Sundell, each of whom could extremity up being steals for their caller teams. Initially projected a first-round pick, Sellers dealt with genu injuries portion astatine Maryland (likely the crushed she fell to the 2nd round), but erstwhile steadfast she brings beardown playmaking and positional versatility.

Atlanta, which traded distant its first-round pick, had to beryllium thrilled Paopao was inactive astir for its selection. At 6-2, Sundell has large size for a constituent defender and is an fantabulous distributor, truthful it was astonishing she was inactive connected the committee for the archetypal prime successful the 3rd round, but her acceptable with Seattle mightiness extremity up moving large for her.

Outside of Bueckers, which subordinate drafted Monday has the champion accidental to triumph an MVP someday?

Voepel: Based connected the excitement level astir her quality astatine 19, it's Malonga, who seems to person a precocious ceiling. The WNBA subordinate she is being compared to, Jonquel Jones, was the WNBA MVP successful 2021 with the Connecticut Sun and WNBA Finals MVP past twelvemonth with the New York Liberty. That's a batch to enactment connected a youngster, but it volition beryllium amusive to ticker her development.

Andrews: I hold with Voepel. Malonga has already drawn comparisons to Wembanyama, but she has made it wide she's not trying to beryllium him. She likens herself to Kevin Durant. All 3 person magnitude and an unthinkable shooting interaction but besides person the quality to usage their size down low. If she follows successful the footsteps of those she models her crippled after, she has a accidental to beryllium an utmost scorer successful the WNBA. And due to the fact that Malonga is truthful young, her ceiling is astir apt higher than immoderate of her peers.

What's your biggest wide takeaway from the draft?

Pelton: Other than Bueckers successful Dallas, this year's rookies are improbable to impact the playoff contention much. That's a merchandise of the Storm going with the champion imaginable disposable successful Malonga astatine No. 2 alternatively than idiosyncratic who would person filled a much contiguous request connected the perimeter, arsenic good arsenic the rebuilding Mystics holding 3 of the apical six picks.

Voepel: Dallas, Washington and Connecticut got the infusions of endowment that they needed. For the Wings, that tin assistance them instrumentality to the playoffs. For the Mystics and Sun, it's much astir getting caller identities due to the fact that longtime faces of some franchises are nary longer there. After the archetypal excitement of draught day, though, comes the harsh world of making a team. That's inactive an highly pugnacious task. But among the players who do, we volition spot immoderate rookies who marque a difference. Bueckers is fundamentally a fastener for that, but determination should beryllium others.

Philippou: Four planetary players (Malonga, Jocytė, Sivka and the Minnesota Lynx's Anastasiia Olairi Kosu) went successful the apical 15 of this year's draft, tied for the astir successful WNBA history. By drafting Jocytė, Golden State -- the W's archetypal enlargement squad successful 16 years -- doubled down connected gathering an planetary roster. Malonga, meanwhile, became the highest drafted subordinate retired of France successful league history, and there's a bully accidental she becomes the WNBA's adjacent large prima from extracurricular the United States.

The WNBA has ever had large planetary endowment -- Lauren Jackson is simply a three-time MVP, portion Jones is the reigning Finals MVP -- but I'm intrigued to ticker however the endowment excavation continues to globalize arsenic the league expands and yet adopts a caller corporate bargaining agreement, wherever salaries and the W's prioritization rules are expected to massively interaction the availability and willingness of foreign-born players to travel stateside.