2025 WNBA Draft: Sky GM says Ariel Atkins trade had nothing to do with this year’s class

Ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft, numerous general managers joined the media for a conference call Thursday to discuss their own teams, top prospects and what might happen come Monday night. While the executives obviously did not want to give away all their secrets, there were still some illuminating quotes. 

Here’s a quick roundup of what we learned from Chicago Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca, Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller, Seattle Storm GM Talisa Rhea and Washington Mystics GM Jamila Wideman. 

One of the biggest moves of the offseason, particularly in how it relates to the upcoming draft, was the Chicago Sky’s decision to trade the No. 3 overall pick, as well as future draft capital, to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Ariel Atkins. 

Pagliocca and the Sky have received plenty of criticism for the deal, especially the inclusion of a 2027 first-round pick swap. While there are still many who disagree with the trade, the move has looked better for the Sky after a number of top prospects in this year’s class decided to return to school, incluidng projected lottery pick Olivia Miles. 

During the call, Pagliocca was asked if the team had an inkling that some players would forgo the draft, and whether that had any impact on deciding to get out of the lottery. He made it clear that they were more focused on acquiring Atkins. 

“Good question, been waiting for this one,” Pagliocca said. “The decision to try to go get Ariel Atkins was an Ariel Atkins decision, not due to the strength of the draft. If anything, it just shows how, how much we’re dedicated and how much we believe in her to move such a strong pick.

“We probably didn’t know any more than anybody else and obviously we made that deal quite a bit ago, before some of these players made decisions. But, again, when we have an opportunity to add somebody that checks the boxes that we’re looking for to get us closer to not only in the playoffs, but closer to a championship again, that’s why we did what we did with Ariel.”

Combine benefits

Last week, there was a special event down in Tampa, the site of the Women’s Final Four, titled the “Lilly Women’s College All-Star combine.” Players such as Shyanne Sellers, Madison Scott, Lucy Olsen and Makayla Timpson were among those in attendance. 

Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not operate an official pre-draft combine, largely due to the logistical challenges presented by the women’s basketball calendar. This year, though, Joe Abunassar, the president of Impact Basketball, put one together to help prospects showcase their skills. He told SB Nation that, “this is the largest scale it’s ever been done.” 

To little surprise, the event was a major hit with WNBA officials. 

“Certainly appreciated the turnout at this year’s combine All-Star game,” Miller said. “Thought it was well represented by, numerous players that will hear their names on Monday night. I personally love the fact that we could look at data, you know, simple heights, but their reach and their wingspan and their hand size, a lot of metrics that we don’t always get or have to ask specifically, to athletic trainers of individual teams.

“I think that information is all very, very valuable as GMs across our league. The more and more data, the more and more opportunity that we have with these players it is a benefit to all of our franchises. So we appreciate that it continues to grow and I personally hope that it continues to be an evolving, developing part of our game going into drafts.”

Teams learning from Fever, Clark

Caitlin Clark’s arrival changed the WNBA forever, both on and off the court. While so much of her impact is obvious, there are some unique ways that eams are learning from Clark and how the Indiana Fever handled her incredible rookie season. 

One of those franchises is the Wings, who have the No. 1 pick and are widely expected to select UConn star Paige Bueckers. While no one may be able to match Clark’s popularity and impact, Bueckers is right up there. Miller explained that they’ve studied the Fever’s approach

“I think the other thing that we all took notice of around our league is something as simple as security for our players and how to navigate the increased viewership, the increased fandom and how our players deserve to be protected and amplified at the same time,” Miller said. 

“When I got in the league, you had to be a six-year veteran or you were still sharing a hotel room,” Miller continued. “So to watch the improvement on how we handle the players and try to create these incredible experiences for them, we just keep looking at best practices. And Caitlin’s arrival in the league, we can look at a lot of best practices to Indiana’s credit that they did, and we will all be implementing with our own players.”