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The 2025 WNBA Draft is guard-heavy, with the top two picks expected to be backcourt players. The frontcourt pool might be a little shallower, but it has huge upside, even if that potential could take a little longer to realize. Perimeter players in this draft are primarily collegians, but many of the bigs are international, which means they’re younger and have longer runways to develop or even get to the WNBA.
Nevertheless, expect players such as Dominique Malonga to become household names sooner rather than later. How Malonga and her international cohorts stack up against NCAA stars such as USC’s Kiki Iriafen and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow is the subject of today’s scouting exercise.
In anticipation of the WNBA Draft on April 14, six WNBA general managers shared their candid opinions about the upcoming draft class with The Athletic before the NCAA Tournament. They were granted anonymity to allow them to speak openly. Tuesday, we published the evaluations of the 2025 draft-eligible guards and wings, including Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles and Te-Hina Paopao.
(Players are listed in alphabetical order. Statistics current through Tuesday.)
Sania Feagin | 6-3 forward | South Carolina
8.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 61.6 FG%
“I like Feagin a lot. I think Feagin is a really good basketball player. She makes good decisions. I think she’s a very underrated passer. She plays her role. She doesn’t try to do too much. I just think she is really, really solid and she’s a real key to (South Carolina’s) success.”
“She has grown in her confidence, which seems to be an X factor for her and her team. Her potential is limitless in particular if she expands her range.”
Kiki Iriafen | 6-3 forward | USC
18.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 50.6 FG%
“Kiki Iriafen will translate into the next level with her athleticism and her scoring ability. She’s also a strong rebounder.”
“True rim-running post. Relentless to the glass and therefore can create offense without it being run through her. Capable driver from the elbows, midrange capable shooter.”
“It seems like the back half of the season, we’ve seen more of what I think we saw previously from Kiki (at Stanford). Her footwork is great. Her size is great. The more you can face up and shoot, whether it’s (from) 3 or 18 feet, you’re gonna be more impactful and harder to guard.”
“Aaliyah Edwards is a good comp. Iriafen’s bigger, but Edwards is probably a little more skilled.”
KIKI IRIAFEN THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE.
10-0 RUN FROM KIKS ‼️
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/YAnxfRUPrw
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 25, 2025
Justė Jocytė | 6-0 forward | ASVEL Feminin (France)
12.1 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.6 apg
“Her ability to handle and create for others will translate well. She’s a playmaker who is versatile in her scoring. She’s a positionless talent.”
“Great shooter. Great size. Defensively is where both her and (forward Ajsa) Sivka need to continue to improve. But you’re not gonna go wrong if you take a chance on either one of (Jocytė or Sivka). The upside is tremendous.”
Ayoka Lee | 6-6 center | Kansas State
15.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 64.1 FG%
“Someone still may believe in a traditional big, so she gets drafted, but I think the majority of teams have passed on that style of player.”
“The injury causes a little bit of uncertainty there, but a good player, obviously. Somebody that we’re talking about.”
Dominique Malonga | 6-6 center | ASVEL Feminin (France)
18.5 ppg, 11 rpg, 53.1 FG%
“Malonga is going to be able to dominate in the paint, she’s very mobile and has elite size. She’s also going to be able to be a rim protector.”
“An elite international young prospect with tremendous size and athleticism. She has unlimited ability offensively to not only score around the basket but is already comfortable from the 3-point line. Arguably could be the most talented player in this draft class, but questions remain over the desire and dependability of her playing year after year in the W.”
“The most intriguing prospect from an upside perspective. We could look back and say she was the clear No. 1 in this draft.”
What a statline?! 🫠
Dominique Malonga did E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G for @ASVEL_Feminin this week in #EuroCupWomen 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/zsWVNvrCd6
— EuroCup Women (@EuroCupWomen) March 15, 2025
Aneesah Morrow | 6-1 forward | LSU
18.5 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 2.5 spg
“She’s probably a little undersized to play the four, so she’s going to have to continue to develop an outside shot if she’s going to step out and play the three some. She seems very motivated to continue to improve her game, but she’s gonna have to develop a bit more of an outside shot.”
“A hard-working, elite rebounder. She’s physical, she can dominate the boards and will be able to defend multiple positions.”
“In no way is she like Angel Reese, but her rebounding numbers, she’s an unbelievable rebounder, and at some point, you can’t discount that. She’s gonna go get the ball, and you need that. I don’t know where she goes in the draft. I don’t know if she’s ever a starter in the WNBA. I like her just because of her tenacity and her ability to just go get that thing.”
“She is willing to do what the system needs her to do. The question mark is what is her archetype as far as the type of player she’s gonna be.”
Sedona Prince | 6-7 center | TCU
17.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3 bpg
“I think she’s very intriguing. Does her style fit with the current WNBA? Unclear, but I think she’s extremely intriguing.”
“Defensively is probably the challenge there for her. She’s got so much experience. Obviously, has done great things for TCU this year, I just think it has to be the right system and right fit for her.”
“If she’s gonna succeed, the shooting is gonna have to continue to be there, be consistent, be a threat. The way the game’s headed, can she stay on the floor from a speed and athleticism standpoint? Can she stay healthy? Obviously, there’s the off-court stuff. I think there’s a place for her just because she impacts the game so much and her size and her skill, but the age (24) makes it a really hard thing to kind of figure out.”
Ajsa Sivka | 6-3 forward | Tarbes (France)
11 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.9 apg
“Ajsa Sivka’s game will translate in her size, her skill and high basketball IQ. She also has strong shooting ability.”
“There’s another step in her development she needs to take. The defensive end of the floor is a space that I have concerns about.”
“Three-point shooting wing with great size, in the mold of Katie Lou Samuelson. Questions remain about her ability to create her own shot, her ballhandling or ability to compromise the paint off the dribble, but her size and ability to shoot 3s can’t be ignored.”
“The size, the sheer size, and the way she shoots the ball and the things she’s doing at her age (19). You’ve got somebody there you can build on for 15 years.”
(llustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos of Dominique Malonga, Aneesah Morrow and Kiki Iriafen: Gregory Shamus, Andy Lyons, Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
