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The UConn Huskies have ended their unfathomable decade-long titleless drought, wrapping up another exciting college season. And, as always, there’s little time to breathe before we turn to the W, with this year’s crop of prospects having just eight days from that title game to the WNBA Draft. On April 14, draft picks will be attending the third venue in as many years around New York City, with this year’s introduction to the league taking place at The Shed in Hudson Yards. For the second straight year, fans will be in attendance, and tickets to the event sold out immediately once again.
The Dallas Wings find themselves in the pole position, a year after the poorly kept secret of Caitlin Clark to the Indiana Fever. The Wings, similarly, have zeroed in on a prospect they feel stands above the rest of the field in newly minted champion Paige Bueckers, who may very well still be wearing the championship net earned last week.
As is always the case, several big names that had the option to declare instead decided to return to college for another year, headlined by Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd, and Flau’jae Johnson. This year’s decision has an extra major variable thrown in, with the W and the WNBPA currently in negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement that’s projected to significantly increase salaries. Plus, with the Toronto Tempo and the as-of-now still unnamed Portland expansion franchise joining on to bring the league to 15 teams in 2026, there will be lots to be celebrated the next time the Draft cycles around. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
This annual exercise is very special to me. It was my first major collaborative idea I worked on when I joined Winsidr, and it remains my favorite. Somehow, this is the fifth iteration of the Mock GM Draft, whew. We even had enough interest internally that the only writing you’re getting from me is this intro! This year, eight writers participated, representing the eight GMs that will make first-round decisions Monday night. (A special shoutout to Michael and his three picks, and both Melissa and Antonia’s pair of selections – thanks for taking on some extra work, y’all!)
This is also a cool opportunity for us to roll out several of our new additions to the Winsidr squad, where we’ve made upgrades to our staff across writing, socials, and graphics. Keep an eye out across our platforms to watch videos of how this draft went down, alongside the bonus content Patreon members will have access to. If you’d like to give that a watch, sign up for one of our three Patreon subscription tiers to support our work.
Here’s how the draft order worked out, with each Winsidr writer noted in a parenthetical (along with a Twitter or BlueSky handle, so you can go find and yell at them when you hate their selection):
1. Dallas Wings (Melissa Triebwasser, @TheCoachMelissa)
2. Seattle Storm (Emma Weightman, @emmaweightwoman)
3. Washington Mystics (Michael Waterloo, @michaelwaterloo.bsky.social)
4. Washington Mystics (Michael Waterloo, @michaelwaterloo.bsky.social)
5. Golden State Valkyries (Jamauri Bowles, @jamauribowles)
6. Washington Mystics (Michael Waterloo, @michaelwaterloo.bsky.social)
7. Connecticut Sun (Antonia Peresson, @antoniaperesson)
8. Connecticut Sun (Antonia Peresson, @antoniaperesson)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (Kevin Forch, @kforce1.bsky.social)
10. Chicago Sky (Ian Carter-Hamilton, @ianni_ch)
11. Minnesota Lynx (Mitchell Hansen, @M_Hansen13)
12. Dallas Wings (Melissa Triebwasser, @TheCoachMelissa)
Okay, that’s enough out of me: the Dallas Wings are on the clock.
1. Dallas Wings (Melissa) – Paige Bueckers, UConn
After a storybook ending to her storied collegiate career, Paige Bueckers leaves the frigid tundra of Storrs, Connecticut for the suffocating heat of a Texas summer.
Though Bueckers has been rumored to be less than interested in joining the Wings (although even that has been seemingly debunked), some shrewd off-season moves—which includes a brand-new coaching staff—will offer a brand new experience in Dallas. The Wings, despite the nudges from other GMs in this draft, won’t pass up the opportunity to draft the consensus top pick, especially with Bueckers already wildly popular among fans and newcomers alike.
A complete player, Bueckers can play both point and shooting guard, and should team up with Arike Ogunbowale to form one of the most entertaining backcourts in the W this season. Bueckers can score at all three levels and shot nearly 42 percent from deep this past season, overcoming an injury scare back in January to play in 38 games and lead her Huskies to their first title in nearly a decade. Though she can certainly fill it up, Bueckers is an excellent facilitator as well, something that should make her new running mates happy. She’s a capable defender that can guard multiple positions and should improve as she gains strength. On top of that, Bueckers is willing to hit the glass, offering a team that projects to be dangerous in transition another break starter.
With Bueckers, DiJonai Carrington, and NaLyssa Smith joining the returning Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan, the Wings have a reformed core, one that will have them significantly improved upon the play that landed them this no. 1 pick.
2. Seattle Storm (Emma) – Dominique Malonga, ASVEL/France
Bienvenue à Seattle, Dominique Malonga!
With the second pick in the W(insidr)NBA draft, the Seattle Storm selects the 6’6” French phenom. At just 19 years old, her ceiling in the W is going to be incredibly high (literally, she’ll need a high ceiling). While Seattle has a solid frontcourt in Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor, we’d be remiss to pass up such an incredible opportunity to bring Malonga in and hone her defensive instincts further.
Malonga averaged 18.5 points per game (PPG) and 11 rebounds per game (RPG) during her time with ASVEL Féminin of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball, while also making her presence known on the French National Team last summer as the youngest member on the squad that earned the Silver Medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
As previously mentioned, though it can’t be stated enough, her instincts are remarkable. Malonga is able to block out with just one pivot of her hips, she’s selective with where she puts her arms to get the most out of her defensive objective without getting into foul trouble, and she’s projects as someone who can switch onto smaller players. Her rim protection is promising, and with the right amount of time and development she could turn into something really special—and to do so in Seattle is icing on the cake. The mixture of her size, skill, and on-ball coordination are key ingredients in a cocktail you can’t teach, but you can mentor. Magbegor and Ogwumike are a perfect pair of vets to take on that job.
No players are without their yellow flags, but it’s a good thing our colors are yellow and green! Her age is a definite pro and con, as there’s no sure guarantee that she’d excel stateside—it can be hit or miss for some international players in the W, as we know. There’s also something to be said about visas, however, Seattle has weathered that Storm already—see what we did there? Malonga is inarguably a player to watch, and one who will no doubt develop into something great: it just depends on where.
While the front office might opt to search for guards (and we can’t blame ‘em), getting in on a young talent early, especially one who has all the markers for what might become a generational talent, is too enticing to pass up for this Seattle GM.
3. Washington Mystics (Michael) – Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
When Olivia Miles decided to return to school, everything changed for the Washington Mystics and its draft plans. But for a team that had three of the top six picks in the draft, there were plenty of ways to pivot that didn’t include Dominique Malonga.
And that first pivot was going to Sonia Citron.
Citron was linked to the Mystics ever since our team landed the no. 3 pick via trade. Though Citron was often the third wheel in Notre Dame behind Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, her game is made for today’s WNBA. Citron improved her stock as the college season went on, showing that she was a true 3-and-D player—a skill set that can translate well to the league.
During her senior year at Notre Dame, Citron averaged career-highs with 2.8 steals+blocks (STOCKs) per game and field goal percentage (48.4 percent). Her 82.5 percent player defensive rating was the lowest mark of her four years, but it ranked in the 93rd percentile, which is the highest mark of her collegiate career.
Opponents attempted 933 threes last year against the Mystics, shooting 50 percent on their effective field goal percentage (eFG%). Citron should help strengthen the perimeter defense for the Mystics, adding switchability with Brittney Sykes to avoid key mismatches. This pick came to DC in exchange for Ariel Atkins, so Citron knows exactly whose shoes she’ll be filling when she closes out to that three-point arc.
Citron should slide right into the starting lineup for the Mystics alongside last year’s first-round pick Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin, a big who is only held down by her injury history. The pair both looked strong during play this past winter in the inaugural Unrivaled season.
4. Washington Mystics (Michael) – Kiki Iriafen, USC
With back-to-back picks, the Mystics should take the best player on the board here and worry about the fit later. With Kiki Iriafen, Washington gets just that.
For this exercise, I tiered the players, with Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow in the same level, along with Shyanne Sellers and Georgia Amoore. The question for the Mystics is whether or not the gap between Amoore and Sellers is bigger than the gap between Morrow and Iriafen.
In this case, there’s a bigger difference between Iriafen and Morrow, which is why Iriafen is the pick here.
After taking some time to adjust to her new teammates, Iriafen combined a successful season after transferring to USC from Stanford, playing the Robin to Juju Watkins’ Batman. She also showed that she was capable of being the top option on a team once Watkins went down during the second round of the tournament, helping the Trojans battle to the Elite Eight.
Iriafen has developed some strong post moves, but it’s her mid-range jumper that will come into play immediately with the Mystics, given the spacing that they have with Edwards at the four and Citron and Sykes in the backcourt.
Defensively, Iriafen is the same size (6’3”) as Edwards, and the Mystics will be able to switch without having a mismatch down low or on the wing, as both are more than capable defenders.
The Mystics are in a rebuild, but starting off a draft with Citron and Iriafen to pair with Edwards helps to accelerate that rebuild in hopes of landing at least one star to pair with this young core.
5. Golden State Valkyries (Jamauri) – Aneesah Morrow, LSU
So, who to choose to be the first-ever draft pick in Golden State Valkyries history? Natalie Nakase, the head coach of the Valkyries, has stated that she wants players who possess toughness, ultra-competitiveness, and a “never-satisfied” mindset. A standout player on the draft board who has all those qualities: Aneesah Morrow. She started her college career putting up dominant numbers at DePaul for two years before transferring to LSU for the next two, where she maintained a high level of productivity on a bigger stage for a championship-contending program.
Listed at 6’1”, Morrow is a proven double-double machine with her scoring and rebounding. Something talent evaluators noted, though, is her willingness to shoot three-pointers, which is what Nakase wants her team to do and is essential for stretch bigs in the modern WNBA. Morrow will add to the team’s depth of forwards that includes veteran players like Monique Billings, Kayla Thornton, and Stephanie Talbot. Developing alongside that frontcourt, Morrow would be a great fit on Nakase’s squad as a young cornerstone player to help lay the foundation of what Valkyries basketball will look like for the future.
6. Washington Mystics (Michael) – Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
As expected, Golden State took Morrow, which played into the Mystics pre-draft plans. We would much rather choose between Sellers and Amoore than being left with Morrow.
Ultimately, the decision came down to upside here. Both are quality guards, and there’s a lot to like about Amoore’s game, but she has a higher floor than a ceiling.
We know that in the W, you have to have stars to not only win, but compete. The Mystics know this, too, so Sellers goes no. 6, after playing her college ball nearby in the DMV at College Park, MD.
Sellers is a perfect wing for the team, being able to play the two and three with ease, but also being able to be a backup ball handler in relief of Sykes and Citron with the second unit. It’s an area she’ll need to improve on, but she should be able to wrestle that role away from Sug Sutton and Jade Melbourne.
An area that Sellers will need to improve if she reaches the ceiling that the Mystics hope she will reach is being more aggressive as a scorer. She ranked No. 454 in the country last year in field goal attempts per game (10.5). The Mystics will also need to see Sellers improve her turnovers (3.3 per game) if she is going to be looked at as a facilitator for the offense.
With three of the first six picks in the draft, the Mystics are able to come away with Day 1 impact players. If Washington is going to be patient and take its time developing one of them, expect it to be Sellers.
7. Connecticut Sun (Antonia) – Ajša Sivka, Tarbes/Slovenia
The Connecticut Sun are clearly in a rebuilding phase. They are the only team to have lost their entire starting five from last season, following a hectic offseason full of roster moves. Despite this, the Sun managed to create cap space and secure their most significant draft capital since 2016, including back-to-back selections here at nos. 7 and 8. Along with these roster changes came a shift in leadership, marked by the arrival of head coach Rachid Meziane. Meziane is a well-known figure in European basketball, having led the Belgian National Team to a historic gold medal at EuroBasket 2023 and a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
With a new direction in place, Connecticut has focused on acquiring players who align with their vision and culture, individuals who can make an immediate impact. One such player making waves in Europe is 6’4” Slovenian talent Ajša Sivka. Known for her versatility, Sivka has stood out in FIBA tournaments and had a strong season with Tarbes in the EuroCup. Sivka could be an ideal fit for Coach Meziane’s system. She’s a high-IQ, positionless forward with shooting range and playmaking ability. This past season, she shot an impressive 42 percent from beyond the arc while averaging three assists per game (APG). In FIBA youth tournaments—where she earned MVP honors at the U18 European Championship in 2023—she demonstrated her ability to play from 1 to 4, create off the dribble with step-backs, and excel in pick and roll (PnR) situations—both as a scorer and facilitator.
Her maturity is equally impressive. Sivka has already earned a starting role on Slovenia’s Senior National Team, helping them qualify for EuroBasket 2025. While she will need to get stronger defensively—particularly in one-on-one situations against more physical wings—her basketball IQ and adaptability suggest she’ll quickly adjust to the WNBA level. With some seasoning, Sivka has the potential to be a key piece in Connecticut’s future.
8. Connecticut Sun (Antonia) – Justė Jocytė, ASVEL/Lithuania
With the second pick in this draft for the Connecticut Sun, I believe the team should target the international market once again. There is a “Baby-Faced Assassin” on the rise—consistently delivering accurate passes and rarely making poor decisions in PnR situations. I am referring to Justė Jocytė. If this name is not familiar to you, she was the youngest player to appear in a modern EuroLeague game at just 14 years old and was named the FIBA U18 European Championship MVP in 2022. She is currently playing in Lyon alongside Malonga (the no. 2 pick) and has contributed to the Lithuanian Senior National Team’s qualification for EuroBasket 2025, notably showcasing her full skillset in a heartbreaking loss to Belgium during the last FIBA window.
Jocytė plays with the composure and pace of an experienced and mature guard. She is an outstanding scorer—capable of making three-point shots, mid-range jumpers, and finishing in the paint with floaters. The 6’2″ left-handed guard from Lithuania excels at reading the floor in PnR situations, maintaining poise under pressure. She consistently finds teammates for open shots or creates scoring opportunities off the dribble for herself. Furthermore, she possesses an excellent understanding of game context and team needs, demonstrating leadership qualities from a young age.
Like Sivka, she will need to improve on the defensive end in order to maximize the impact of her offensive talent and rare skillset. However, her size and high basketball IQ may help her close the athleticism gap with her opponents. I look forward to seeing her enter the WNBA and impress the world with her abilities. She is poised to captivate audiences just as the player she studied under in Lyon—“The Wizard,” Marine Johannès—has done. Indeed, she is called “Magic Justė” for a reason…
9. Los Angeles Sparks (Kevin) – Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
The vibe shift in Los Angeles has been seismic since the end of the 2024 regular season. After missing the playoffs for a franchise-record fourth straight year, the team used their draft pick—no. 2 overall—to land superstar Kelsey Plum. The team also went a new direction in the coaching ranks, adding Lynne Roberts to lead the Sparks in this new era. Roberts steps up to the WNBA from the college coaching ranks, having spent years developing talent into tough scoring threats.
In that spirit, the team drafts Sarah Ashlee Barker from the University of Alabama. Barker ended her collegiate career with an awe-inspiring effort against Maryland, pouring in a program-record 45 points during an instant classic, a tough double-overtime loss in the second round of this year’s NCAA tournament. In that effort, Barker showed off what could make her dangerous on the pro level: an ability to score at every level, a toughness and nose for the ball to secure rebounds, and the length and defensive tenacity to disrupt the other team’s offense. Barker has shown off all those skills during her sensational senior season with the Crimson Tide, averaging 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.0 steals per game (SPG). She’s improved in almost every one of those categories over her collegiate career and has even more room to grow at this next level.
Barker fits a need that the Sparks have on the wing, as she has the ball handling and playmaking skills to occasionally play lead guard, the shooting prowess to play off guard, and the size to step in at small forward. That allows her to fill in around the already existing talent in Los Angeles like Rickea Jackson, and gives Barker the opportunity to lead a second unit that desperately needs the scoring help.
Barker may not be the most recognizable name at this stage in the draft, but she has the skills to shine for the Sparks.
10. Chicago Sky (Ian) – Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
The number one objective for the Sky front office with this no. 10 pick was finding a player with the potential to be the franchise’s point guard of the future, but I must admit I didn’t expect to see, not just one but, a pair of the standout collegiate guards to be left at this point. So, after weighing the options, I trusted my pre-draft scouting and took the highest-ranked player left on my big board. Amoore, of course, will always come with concerns at the defensive end on account of her small frame, but she competes hard enough on that end to remain playable. On the opposite side of the ball, she’s a dynamic offensive engine whose biggest source of value for Chicago should be her ability to attack the basket and playmake off of those drives.
With the Sky focused on adding more shooters around last year’s draft picks, a guard who can tie it all together while finding her own scores along the way is a premium option near the end of the first round. Having already added one player—Courtney Vandersloot—who can be that connective factor this offseason, Chicago now perfectly positions Amoore to grow into that same role long-term. Much has been made of Vandersloot’s capacity to help continue Reese and Cardoso’s acclimation to the professional game, but her ability to set the stage for Amoore as the Sky’s floor general of the future could be of even greater value. Of course, a more refined shot profile should also lend itself to Amoore’s efficiency from three-point land (35.6 percent across her five collegiate seasons) seeing an uptick–with any mark above the mid-thirties magnifying her already strong fit with Chicago’s exciting young frontcourt tandem.
11. Minnesota Lynx (Mitchell) – Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
The Lynx front office was down to a few prospects at No. 11 and even looked at trying to trade the pick (maybe for a disgruntled Connecticut Sun?), but truly went with the best player available at the guard position. Te-Hina Paopao out of South Carolina addresses multiple needs for Minnesota, notably by providing a threat from deep and impressing on the defensive end of the floor—two things the Lynx and the coaching staff love.
Cheryl Reeve and Dawn Staley have a good relationship, so the Lynx will trust Staley’s insight and know what kind of player they are getting, and more importantly, the type of person joining the team. At 22 years old, Paopao is an experienced collegiate talent that can attack from anywhere on the floor, notably from three even though her three-point percentage took a dip during the 2024-2025 season. She will fit nicely into the Lynx versatile bench that is flooded with players who can play multiple positions. A proven winner joining an organization that has come to expect championship runs every season? Sounds like a perfect match.
12. Dallas Wings (Melissa) – Hailey Van Lith, TCU
After putting together a season that saw her elevate not just her own personal profile, but an entire program’s, Hailey Van Lith is—as the kids say—so hot right now. The Wings will be ecstatic if Van Lith, one of the most marketable female athletes in the country, is available for them to draft at the end of round one, and in this scenario, she is there for the taking. Having spent her fifth year of eligibility just down the road in Fort Worth, Van Lith makes the short jaunt across the metroplex to provide some scoring punch off the bench. Questions about her ability to play point guard followed her from LSU, but she proved herself to be a playmaker at TCU, setting both the single-season scoring and assist records for the Horned Frogs.
As a reserve rotating in, Van Lith can play alongside both Bueckers and Agunbowale and will be the perfect combo guard to lead the second unit for a Dallas team that should be able to play an uptempo brand of basketball this summer. Her ability to create her own shot and run the pick-and-roll makes her a versatile option on offense, and her popularity, alongside Bueckers, should further elevate the brand of the Wings.
Van Lith is a winner, and that toughness, attitude, and nonstop motor will play well in her adopted home.
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That concludes the 2024 Winsidr Mock GM Draft. Think we nailed it? Got a glaring omission you’ve got to cape up for? Sound off on social media to share your thoughts!
