The whirlwind for Paige Bueckers is at full tilt and might not ease up until late in the fall.
Like the past two No. 1 WNBA draft picks, South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Bueckers will go from the Final Four to the draft with little time to reflect on her college career because the next step is right around the corner.
Bueckers is expected to be the top pick Monday in the WNBA draft (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City. Who will follow her?
Since our last mock draft, three prominent college players are out of the first round. Guard Olivia Miles, who was in the No. 2 slot previously, is staying for her fifth season in college and recently transferred to TCU.
Guard Hailey Van Lith and center Sedona Prince, who just finished their college careers helping TCU make the Elite Eight, were previously in the No. 9 and 12 spots. Current intel from around the league projects them to more likely be second-round picks, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they end up with a team that is the right fit.
Here is ESPN’s latest mock draft of the first round.
UConn Huskies | point guard | 6-foot | senior
Bueckers just added a national championship to her résumé and is the easy choice at No. 1. She finished her senior season averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 53.4% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range. She can be a franchise-changing player.
1:11
Before They Were Next: Paige Bueckers
Relive Paige Bueckers’ rise from her early days in Minnesota to becoming a national champion at UConn.
France | center | 6-6
Malonga, 19, played for France in the Olympics last summer and dunked in a game in November. She has played in France’s top professional women’s league since she was 15 and is currently averaging 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists for Lyon Asvel Feminin. Her ceiling seems high.
USC Trojans | power forward | 6-3 | senior
The Mystics, who are currently in rebuilding mode with a new coach and general manager, have three of the top six picks. Iriafen had a breakout season as a junior at Stanford. As a senior at USC, she averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists as the Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title and made the Elite Eight.
1:57
Kiki Iriafen’s 36-point game helps advance USC to Sweet 16
Kiki Iriafen finishes with 36 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks as USC defeats Mississippi State.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | shooting guard | 6-1 | senior
Citron averaged 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a senior, helping Notre Dame win a share of the ACC regular-season title and reach the Sweet 16. She was a first-team All-ACC pick and was on the league’s all-defensive team. Her defensive versatility helps her case to be a lottery pick.
LSU Tigers | small forward | 6-1 | senior
Morrow led Division I in rebounding (13.5 RPG) and double-doubles (30) this season, also averaging 18.7 points. LSU advanced to the Elite Eight in both her years there after she transferred from DePaul. Morrow made just 24 3-pointers in her two years in Baton Rouge, but the 53 she knocked down as a sophomore at DePaul show they can be part of her repertoire at the pro level.
Maryland Terrapins | point guard | 6-2 | senior
Sellers’ ability to play point guard at her size could be one of her best advantages for being picked in the first round. She shot a career-best 40.8% from 3-point range this season while averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Terps, who made the Sweet 16.
Slovenia | point forward | 6-4
The Sun are in rebuilding mode with a new coach, Rachid Meziane from France. Sivka, 19, plays for the Slovenian national team and competes professionally in France. She could either be a draft-and-stash prospect or play in the WNBA this season. Her size and shooting ability are assets.
NC State Wolfpack | shooting guard | 5-9 | senior
James is one of the most explosive perimeter scorers available in this draft. She helped NC State make the Final Four in 2024 and the Sweet 16 this year. As a senior, she averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She has become a reliable 3-point shooter her past two seasons, hitting 75 and 76 3s, respectively.
Kentucky Wildcats | point guard | 5-6 | senior
Amoore averaged 19.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists while playing an SEC-high 36.7 minutes per game this season for the Wildcats. She spent her first four seasons at Virginia Tech, which she helped lead to the 2023 Final Four. Amoore made 408 3-pointers in college, shooting 35.6% from behind the arc.
5:19
How Kenny Brooks, Georgia Amoore rebuilt Kentucky into an SEC power
Ryan McGee explores the odyssey of SEC assists leader Georgia Amoore, from Australia to Virginia Tech to the bluegrass of Kentucky.
South Carolina Gamecocks | power forward | 6-3 | senior
Feagin was a late bloomer in college, in large part because she was playing behind WNBA lottery picks Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso. This season, an injury to Ashlyn Watkins brought Feagin more to the forefront, and she responded as the Gamecocks advanced to the national championship game. Feagin might just be scratching the surface of what she can do and could join Cardoso with the Sky.
Lithuania | shooting guard | 6-1
Jocyte is Malonga’s teammate at Asvel Feminin, where she’s averaging 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. She could play in the backcourt or on the wing and has been compared to New York’s Leonie Fiebich. Jocyte would like to play in the WNBA this year, but she would be willing to sit out this season if her team wants her as a draft-and-stash.
NC State Wolfpack | small forward | 6-1 | senior
Rivers is a do-it-all type of offensive player who also could develop into a strong pro defender. She won an NCAA title with South Carolina as a freshman before transferring to NC State. She helped lead the Wolfpack to the Final Four last season and the Sweet 16 this year, when she averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks.
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