![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)
The 2025 WNBA Draft is in the books. Former UConn star Paige Bueckers went No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, and the rest of the lottery also went as expected. The Seattle Storm added Dominique Malonga at No. 2, while the Washington Mystics picked Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.
The chalk start set the tone for the evening, as there were few real surprises, and those were limited to players who weren't drafted more so than those who were.
Other notable selections included Justė Jocytė at No. 5 to the Golden State Valkyries' in the expansion franchise's first-ever draft pick, LSU star Aneesah Morrow to the Connecticut Sun at No. 7 and TCU's Hailey Van Lith to the Chicago Sky at No. 11.
Now that the action is all wrapped up, it's time for the players to start making their way to their new cities ahead of training camps, which open later this month. Soon enough, it will be time for opening night on May 16. But before the players hit the court, let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers from draft night.
Winner: Dallas Wings
This one is obvious, but that doesn't make it any less true. The Wings are the biggest winner from this year's draft after selecting Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick.
Wings president and general manager Curt Miller called this a "special day" for the franchise, saying "the addition of Paige is another huge momentum-building moment for the Wings franchise and team."
It's hard to argue with any of that. Bueckers, who recently led UConn to the national championship, is a savant on the offensive end. She was a few made free throws away from a 50/40/90 season and led college basketball in assist-to-turnover ratio. With her size and poise on the perimeter, Bueckers has all the tools to make an immediate impact for the Wings. Both on and off the court, she is a franchise-changing talent.
The Wings also did well later in the draft by adding Aziaha James from NC State at No. 12, Madison Scott from Ole Miss at No. 14 and JJ Quinerly from West Virginia at No. 27. James is a potential microwave scorer, while Scott and Quinerly both excel on the defensive end.
Draft night capped a highly successful offseason for the Wings, who will look completely different this season and could get back into the playoffs after missing out in 2024.
Loser: Sedona Prince
By far the biggest loser of the night was TCU center Sedona Prince.
Prince was one of the most divisive prospects coming into the draft due to her age, questions about whether her collegiate success would translate to the professional level and off-court concerns regarding a number of accusations from former romantic partners.
While Prince put up 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and three blocks per game this season on 58.3% shooting, she will turn 25 years old in May. For reference, that's older than Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, who is entering her fourth WNBA season. And though her 6-foot-7 frame gives her a distinct advantage in some areas, Prince struggled when facing more physical and athletic opponents, of which there would be many in the WNBA. Off the court, at least four women have accused her of sexual assault or domestic violence. Prince has denied the allegations and has not been charged with a crime, but continues to face severe backlash from fans.
It became clear over the last week that Prince would not be a first-round pick, but most expected her to be drafted at some point. Instead, her name was not called. It's unclear if any team will offer her an invite to training camp.
Winner: International growth
The WNBA has been steadily expanding its global reach in recent years, and will add its first team outside the United States when the Toronto Tempo join as an expansion franchise in 2026. Monday's draft was yet another marker for the league's international growth.
Dominique Malonga went No. 2 overall to the Seattle Storm, which made her the highest-drafted French player in a traditional draft. Isabelle Fijalkowski was selected second in the "Elite Draft" ahead of the league's inaugural season in 1997, which only featured players who had previously played professionally in other leagues. Overall, Malonga is just the sixth player in WNBA history to be selected in the top two without attending college in the U.S., per ESPN.
A few picks later, Malonga's club team teammate, Justė Jocytė (Lithuania), went No. 5 to the Golden State Valkyries to become the expansion franchise's first-ever draft pick. Then, the Chicago Sky selected Ajša Sivka (Slovenia) at No. 10. That trio tied the record for the most international picks in the top 10 of a draft. And that number doesn't even count Georgia Amoore (Australia), who went No. 6 to the Washington Mystics, because she played college ball in the States.
If you include players who played in the NCAA, there were eight international players selected from seven different countries: France, Lithuania, Australia, Slovenia, Russia, Mali and Canada.
There have always been a good number of international players selected late in the second and third rounds as draft-and-stash candidates who are unlikely to ever come over to the WNBA. This year's draft felt different in the sense that there were a number of international players who could make an immediate impact.
Loser: Shyanne Sellers
Shyanne Sellers was one of 16 players invited to the draft by the league, and ahead of Monday night, every single mainstream mock draft projected her to be a first-round pick. Most, including us here at CBS Sports, expected her to be a top-six selection.
Sellers did not go in the top six. In fact, she wasn't even a first-round pick. She fell all the way to the Valkyries at No. 17.
One potential explanation for Sellers' freefall down the board is a bad medical report on her right knee. She sprained her knee in January while playing for Maryland, and while she didn't miss any significant time, she was clearly not her usual self upon her return. If -- and again, we're speculating here -- teams are worried about the short or long-term health of her knee, that could be why they looked elsewhere for backcourt help.
Otherwise, it makes little sense that so many teams passed on a big, versatile guard like Sellers, who averaged 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 40.8% from 3-point range for the Terrapins this season.
The silver lining for Sellers is that despite getting picked much later than she would have expected, she'll have a chance to earn minutes on an expansion Valkyries team.
Winner: Hailey Van Lith
This time a year ago, Hailey Van Lith's WNBA future was in serious doubt after a frustrating season with LSU. So instead of turning pro, she decided to use her extra year of eligibility and transfer to TCU for a fifth collegiate campaign. That turned out to be a brilliant move.
Van Lith excelled in TCU coach Mark Campbell's spread pick-and-roll system. She averaged a career-high 5.4 assists per game and grew into a more polished playmaker, which made her much more viable as a professional prospect. It only helped Van Lith's cause that she had a terrific NCAA Tournament run that ended with the Horned Frogs' first trip to the Elite Eight.
Now, Van Lith is a first-round pick. She went No. 11 to the Sky, and will reunite with former LSU teammate Angel Reese. There are still questions about how Van Lith will fare in the WNBA as a smaller guard with some defensive limitations, but she is a fierce competitor and will have a chance to learn from the very best in Courtney Vandersloot.
If Van Lith can make the leap to the next level, she has a chance to be the point guard of the future for the Sky.
