The WNBA Rookies to Watch This Season, from Paige Bueckers to Aneesah Morrow

Paige Bueckers

The Paige Bueckers hype is real, and as the No. 1 draft pick and a national title under her belt, all eyes are on her debut for the Dallas Wings.

Bueckers entered the NCAA at the same time as fellow superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but her eligibility was extended after an injury that cut her sophomore season short. The extra year in college paid off — Bueckers cinched the 2025 national championship for her alma mater, UConn.

Just a few weeks later, she was swept off to the WNBA draft and selected by Dallas as a guard. The price for Wings tickets have already soared in anticipation of Bueckers’ debut. She says she’s ready to meet the moment.

“I want to give everything I have to the organization, to the city,” Bueckers told Time. “I know Dallas is a sports city. I’m walking in there wanting to be a great leader, a great teammate, wanting to be a winner at all levels, wearing that jersey and representing that city with pride and a passion and joy for the game of basketball. I want to give to that community. I want to be invested in it. We’re all looking to do something special.”

Kiki Iriafen

Kiki Iriafen, the No. 4 pick in the draft, is on her way to play forward for the Washington Mystics.

Iriafen transferred from Stanford to USC to play with Juju Watkins, the Trojans’ star player. Though USC didn’t progress past the Elite Eight because of an injury, Iriafen’s future in the WNBA looks bright. Iriafen left Stanford as the school’s top scorer and broke USC’s record for most points scored in a single NCAA tournament game with 36 points.

Washington tore down their roster and rebuilt it with fledgling new talent. This means coaches expect Iriafen to make an impact in her rookie year, and she says she’s up for the challenge.

“I take that with a lot of pride … but I also understand that it’s nothing that’s given to me,” Iriafen told the Washington Post. “I have to keep working to kind of maintain that and help build a future that we’re looking for.”

Aneesah Morrow

Aneesah Morrow’s star is on a stratospheric risethale

After not receiving many offers to play in college, she played at DePaul before transferring to LSU two years later. Morrow said she was “overlooked” in conversations for national titles. She was passed over for SEC Player of the Year despite winning Defensive Player of the Year.

Now, Morrow is one of the most anticipated rookie players of the season. She was the No. 7 pick to the Connecticut Sun.

“That kid — she just works,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey told the Chicago Tribune. “She just is one you want on your team. She plays that hard in practice every day. Sometimes you put her on the side because it’s like, ‘Nees, this is one of those days where you can take a deep breath.’”

Hailey Van Lith

Hailey Van Lith has generated plenty of buzz — and not just for being the No. 11 draft pick. Her cult social media following and Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot have fans already enamored with the rookie Chicago Sky guard.

Van Lith joins former LSU teammate Angel Reese on the Sky. “I’m just super excited for her to be in the right place,” Reese says. “I tell players all the time, it’s about fit. I’m just really excited to play with her.”

Dominique Malonga

Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 draft pick, is a dynamic player hailing from France.

Malonga played for France in 2024 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal after losing a nail-biter game to the U.S. She says playing on an international level has strengthened her game.

“Every game was tight. We could see great players that evolve in this league, so of course it was like high-level teams,” Malonga said. “Every minute that I spent on the court there, I know that I learned something and that I improved on my game.”

At just 18, Malonga was the youngest player on the French national team. Now, at 19, she’s making the journey across the Atlantic to join the Seattle Storm.

“I’m really, really excited to step on the court in the W and to show that European basketball is something, too, and I can come here and showcase my talent,” Malonga says.

Sonia Citron

Sonia Citron, the No. 3 pick, was drafted to the Washington Mystics. The guard has the best record in Notre Dame history, her alma mater.

Along with fellow Mystics rookie Iriafen, Citron is feeling to heat to get the team into fighting shape for the season.

“It’s an honor,” Citron says. “We’ve talked about it, but big opportunity means big responsibility. And while we have a huge opportunity, again, you do feel like we’re a little bit responsible for the direction that this team goes in.”