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No rookie is the finished article, and the transition can be especially difficult in the WNBA, where the limited roster pool creates a far higher threshold for talent.
In Miles, the Seattle Storm had a reasonably sure thing, though. The Fighting Irish star has averaged 14.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists over her last three seasons. Her shooting also took a huge step forward in 2024-25. She knocked down 40.6 percent of her threes, having never before reached 30 percent.
Selecting a player who could plausibly contribute right away is a further benefit to Seattle when it figures to remain in the WNBA playoff race. The Storm traded away Jewell Loyd but maintain a veteran core of Skylar Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams.
With Miles off the board, though, general manager Talisa Rhea may veer in the opposite direction.
Bueckers aside, French center Dominique Malonga has one of the highest upsides of anybody in the 2025 draft class.
The 19-year-old averaged 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in 22 French league appearance on top of 18.5 points and 11.0 boards in the EuroCup. She also represented France in the 2024 Summer Olympics, so she has matched up against the best the world has to offer.
The Storm struck gold with Magbegor, taking her 12th overall in the 2019 draft and letting her stay abroad that year before she made the jump to the W in 2020. Maybe they can repeat that success with Malonga.
