WNBA: With no Olivia Miles, who should the Storm select at No. 2?

The Seattle Storm likely have experienced waves of emotions about owning the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

First, the pick, while a nice prize, likely will not replicate the production of Jewell Loyd, the erstwhile franchise player whose trade to the Las Vegas Aces resulted in Seattle acquiring the selection from the Los Angeles Sparks, who brought in Kelsey Plum as part of the three-team deal. And still, considering Loyd had demanded a trade and targeted her next destination, receiving a high lottery pick in exchange represented a pretty strong return, even if the Storm also had to send the No. 9 pick to LA.

Then, as Olivia Miles was putting together an impressive senior season for Notre Dame after missing all of last year due to a knee injury, Seattle had be feeling pretty psyched about the opportunity to create a(nother) all-Irish backcourt with Miles and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Miles, shooting a career-best 40.6 percent from 3 while remaining one of the college game’s most creative playmakers, had established herself as the consensus No. 2 pick, including by our Eric Nemchock.

Yet, Miles made a decision that disrupted Seattle’s dreams, choosing to forgo the draft, return to college and enter the transfer portal, eventually committing to TCU. However, a glimmer of a more promising possibility almost instantly emerged, as LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson expressed brief indecision about her future before announcing that she will exercise her final season of college eligibility.

So, Seattle sits at No. 2, with their best options seemingly exhausted. Or maybe not. A team featuring Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams, complemented by a refreshed supporting cast of Alysha Clark, Katie Lou Samuelson, Erica Wheeler and Lexie Brown, is not lacking for talent. It’s also a versatile group without any glaring needs, giving the organization the option to prioritize different player types.

Depending on the organization’s outlook, three players could make the most sense for the Storm: Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron, USC’s Kiki Iriafen or French phenom Dominque Malonga.

Sonia Citron is a win-now, plug-and-play piece

Last season, the Storm failed to emerge as a legitimate championship contender, much less the super team it seemed they would be after the splashy signings of Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike. That said, this offseason’s loss of Loyd will not dim the championship ambitions of the veteran core, especially for the title-less Diggins-Smith.

If the Seattle brass wants to bring in a rookie who will contribute to the franchise’s championship chase, there’s not a better candidate than Citron. Diggins-Smith already has offered effusive praise for her fellow Fighting Irish, calling her a “Steady Betty.” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey referred her the “silent assassin.” Together, the nicknames encapsulate the ready-made, never-rattled “3-and-D” skillset she would offer the Storm, capable hounding opposing perimeter players on one end and able to thrive as an off-ball scorer on the other. And as Eric highlighted in his draft profile of Citron, she can exceed the “3-and-D” archetype, which she proved during her junior season, when, with Miles absent due to injury, she assumed more possessions as the Irish’s primary pick-and-roll playmaker.

As a junior, she averaged a career-high 17.3 points per game, while her career average landed at 14.3 points per game. She added 2.5 assists and 5.8 boards per game across her four seasons in South Bend, all while giving no quarter on the defensive end.

Citron may not have the star upside of an ideal No. 2 pick, but she profiles as a star in her role who will be a consistent contributor to winning teams throughout a years-long WNBA career—and, possibly, as soon as her rookie year in Seattle.

Kiki Iriafen could blossom into future All-Star

Iriafen’s star flickered during her senior season, raising questions about her professional potential.

Entering her final college season, Iriafen was the near-consensus No. 2 pick, fresh off a fantastic junior season at Stanford and expected to form a dynamic duo with JuJu Watkins at Southern Cal. Iriafen’s lone season as a Trojan was up and down, with her overall production decreasing even as she turned in some top-tier performances. None was greater than her Round of 32 masterpiece against Mississippi State, when she carried the Trojans, down the injured Watkins, into the Sweet 16 with 36 points and nine rebounds. She then struggled against Kansas State and UConn, with USC exiting the tournament short of the Final Four.

The latter performances were illustrative of the lack of improvement that Jack Bonin flagged in a feature on Iriafen published in December, when he analyzed her limitations as a rim protector and her inconsistent jump shooting. Against the Wildcats and Huskies, her jumper was not falling, leading to inefficient outings. At her best, Iriafen’s scoring prowess gives A’ja Wilson vibes. But Iriafen, in contrast to Wilson, has games where she fails to make a meaningful impact.

Yet, learning from Ogwumike and Magbegor would be a near-perfect WNBA laboratory for Iriafen, and selecting her could end up as the ideal experiment for Seattle.

Iriafen would be the in-training heir apparent for Ogwumike, eventually becoming the offensive-first frontcourt partner for the more defensively-equipped Magbegor. Until that time, Iriafen could provide off-the-bench scoring pop in the right matchups, steadily gaining the reps required to reach her still-possible All-Star upside.

Dominque Malonga might be more than worth the wait

For those of us who wear a US-centric women’s basketball lens, Malonga is a young woman of mystery, an out-of-sight intrigue who inspires imaginings of a never-before-seen, next-generation talent. That might be overstating Malonga’s potential—but not entirely.

The 19-year-old 6-foot-6 French phenom is likely not ready to contribute in 2025, and maybe for a few more seasons after that. But, she possesses the outlines of game-changing greatness that might be too enticing for Seattle to pass on. And with the Storm having a roster stocked with experienced reserves, the organization may feel secure enough to pick Malonga and wait on her promise, not matter how long it takes.

As Eric wrote of Malonga in the second edition of his 2025 mock draft, when he mocked her to the Washington Mystics at No. 4 overall, she is a “project,” yet he noted “her skills are rapidly catching up with her physical gifts,” citing the improved package of jump shots she displayed during her season with LDLC ASVEL Féminin, which competed in EuroCup Women.

Yes, Seattle might be dreaming about winning the title in 2025. But, what’s better than another championship? More championships! If they draft Malonga and she approaches her peak outcome, the Storm could own the 2030s. Although that’s not probable, the mere possibility might make it worth plucking Malonga with the No. 2 pick.