Bueckers headlines WNBA draft, but several players decide college pays more

• UConn star Paige Bueckers will likely be the top pick in Monday’s WNBA draft. Several top players have decided to stay in college to pursue big NIL deals.
• The Dallas Wings will likely choose Bueckers after leading the Huskies to the NCAA championship.
• The Washington Mystics have three of the top six picks in the draft. The Wings and Connecticut Sun each have two picks in the top 12.

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The WNBA draft will put UConn’s Paige Bueckers directly in the spotlight as the likely No. 1 overall pick. However, the draft may also be known by those choosing to stay in college.

Why will Bueckers likely be first overall pick?

Bueckers, fresh off a national championship win and a dominating performance in the NCAA tournament, is the odds-on favorite to be drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Wings. She’ll be counted on to lead a revival in Big D not only with her shooting and playmaking but also the attitude she’ll bring to the locker room.

“Just leading by example and how hard I work on and off the court,” Bueckers said during the Final Four. “And how much I invest myself into the game, and how much it’s my whole life and my whole being, and just giving everything I have to it.”

The Seattle Storm pick at number two after trading star Jewel Loyd in the offseason. And the Washington Mystics, in full rebuild mode, have three of the first six picks. The expansion of Golden State Valkyries will also make the first pick in franchise history.

The Connecticut Sun pick back-to-back in the bottom half of the first round, then it’s Los Angeles, Minnesota, Chicago and the Wings again, with their second pick in the first round.

2025 WNBA draft order

• 1. Dallas Wings
• 2. Seattle Storm 
• 3. Washington Mystics
• 4. Washington Mystics
• 5. Golden State Valkyries
• 6. Washington Mystics 
• 7. Connecticut Sun
• 8. Connecticut Sun
• 9. Los Angeles Sparks
• 10. Minnesota Lynx
• 11. Chicago Sky
• 12. Dallas Wings

French star Dominique Malonga is widely expected to be picked by the Storm at No. 2. She’s 6 feet, 6 inches tall, able to dunk the ball. Other players expected to go in the top 10 are USC star Kiki Iriafen, Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow.

Why are some star players opting to stay in school?

Though many top players will celebrate Monday, April 14, this may be the draft where many stars decided to stay another year in college.

Flau’jae Johnson is using name, image and likeness endorsement deals with companies like Experian, Puma, Samsung and Amazon to cash in big. According to The Sporting News, those and several other deals are worth more than $4.5 million. As a rookie in the WNBA, she’d make a maximum of $76,000. On her YouTube show, Johnson said it was an easy choice to return to school.

“I talked to Coach Mulkey, and we, just we had a real conversation, and I told her some real stuff of how I’ve been feeling,” Johnson said. “And I think that conversation really helped us and see what we both, you know what I’m saying, what we both see and how I can make this year my best year.”

The same could be said for former Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, who would likely have been a top-five pick. She’s transferring to TCU to follow in the footsteps of star Hailey Van Lith, who earned millions in endorsements before her eligibility ran out. Miles told TNT Sports that she’s taking advantage of the COVID year, which added to her eligibility.

”It’s a blessing that women have all of these options, you know, it’s just, it allows us to be more controlling over our lives and what we’re able to do; very fortunate I had this extra year,” Miles said.

Other stars are staying in school to grow their brands, get paid and chase an NCAA championship. They include UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Janiah Barker and Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson, who transferred from national runner-up South Carolina.

The WNBA draft will air on ESPN at 7:30 Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, April 14. Training camps around the league will open just two weeks later.