2023 WNBA Draft: Aliyah Boston headlines top prospects, plus 3-round draft order, how to watch
NEW YORK — The WNBA Draft will welcome a new crew of talent on the heels of one of the most exciting March Madness tournaments in history and a record-smashing 9.9 million viewership number for the title game. South Carolina leads the Final Four participants with four players entered into the draft and projected by many mock drafts to be taken in the first or second rounds.
Yahoo Sports compiled a big board of the most likely first-round candidates, though there is always a surprise or two come draft night.
2023 WNBA Draft
When: 7-9 p.m. ET Monday
Where: Spring Studios, New York City
TV: ESPN (Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson and Holly Rowe)
Draft order: First round — 1. Indiana Fever, 2. Minnesota Lynx, 3. Dallas Wings, 4. Washington Mystics, 5. Wings, 6. Atlanta Dream, 7. Fever, 8. Dream, 9. Seattle Storm, 10. Los Angeles Sparks, 11. Wings, 12. Lynx
Second round — 1. Fever, 2. Sparks, 3. Dream, 4. Lynx, 5. Fever, 6. Storm, 7. Wings, 8. Mystics, 9. Storm, 10. Connecticut Sun, 11. Chicago Sky, 12. Lynx
Third round — 1. Fever, 2. Sparks, 3. Phoenix Mercury, 4. Lynx, 5. Mercury, 6. New York Liberty, 7. Wings, 8. Mystics, 9. Storm, 10. Sun, 11. Sky, 12. Las Vegas Aces
WNBA Draft top prospects
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Boston, a 6-foot-5 center, is the program’s most decorated player and led the Gamecocks to a 129-9 record in her four-year career. She’s the 2022 National Player of the Year and earned Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading South Carolina to its second title in program history. Her numbers dropped off in her senior year while facing double- and triple-teams, and with the aid of Gamecocks players stepping up. Boston is lauded for her footwork and defense as the two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year winner.
Career statistics: 14.1 ppg, 54.6 FG%, 10.8 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 1.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 27.2 mpg
Mock draft projections: Consensus No. 1 pick (Indiana Fever)
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Miller, a 6-3 guard, led Maryland to the Elite Eight (where the Terps lost to South Carolina) behind a career-best 19.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.1 spg this season. She was a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for best shooting guard, a top-20 candidate for the Wooden Award and ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring. Miller is able to get up the floor quickly and has looked like a draft prospect since she showed up in Maryland.
Career statistics: 14.6 ppg, 45.9 FG%, 30.3 3FG%, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 25.7 mpg
Mock draft projections: No. 2 (Minnesota Lynx)
Stephanie Soares, Iowa State
Soares, a 6-6 forward/center, showed up on WNBA radars playing at Iowa State this season after transferring from The Master’s University, an NAIA program where she was named the NAIA Player of the Year twice. She tore her ACL in January and was denied a waiver for an additional year of eligibility, but is still a highly rated prospect given her size, length, skill and ability to hit from 3.
Career statistics (13 games at Iowa St.): 14.4 ppg, 63 FG%, 30.6 3FG%, 9.9 rpg, 3 bpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 22.6 mpg
Mock draft projections: Lottery pick (Dallas Wings or Washington Mystics)
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
Siegrist, a 6-2 forward, is one of the more dominant scorers in the draft class and soared into lottery contention with a strong senior season at Villanova. She was one of the four finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award alongside Boston, Caitlin Clark and Elizabeth Kitley. She led the nation in scoring (29.2 ppg), is a strong 3-point shooter and nearly pulled the Wildcats into the Elite Eight. Her lowest point total of the season was 21 and she scored 50 against Seton Hall in February. Siegrist was one of the most used players in Division I (37.8% usage rate ranks fifth), yet she rarely turned the ball over (5.2% turnover rate ranks fourth).
Career statistics: 24.3 ppg, 48.7 FG%, 34.7 3FG%, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.1 bpg, 35.3 mpg
Mock draft projections: Lottery pick (Wings or Mystics)
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Horston, a 6-2 shooting guard, has long been a first-round projection, but upped her stock with a strong postseason run. She averaged 19 ppg during the Lady Vols’ SEC tournament run to runners-up behind South Carolina and 16 ppg in the NCAA tournament. The WBCA and AP awarded her All-American honorable mention. She has the most career double-doubles (21) of any true guard to play at Tennessee. Eight of those were this season.
Career statistics: 12.7 ppg, 39.8 FG%, 28.5 3FG%, 6.4 rpg, 4 apg, 1.4 spg, 1 bpg, 27.3 mpg
Mock draft projections: Mid-first round (majority projected at No. 5 to Wings)
Haley Jones, Stanford
Jones, a 6-1 guard, was a projected lottery pick until late in the season and Stanford’s second-round loss did not help her stock. She would often run the offense as a point forward, showcasing her “unicorn” ability to play and guard nearly every position, and had career highs in assists (4) and rebounds (9) per game this season. Her 3-point attempts have been almost nonexistent, making three total this season and 23 over her entire four-year career. Jones won the 2021 national championship with Stanford and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She was a 2022 Naismith Award finalist and a three-time Cheryl Miller Award finalist for small forwards.
Career statistics: 13 ppg, 49.1 FG%, 21.9 3FG%, 7.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 29.7 mpg
Mock draft projections: Mid-first round (majority No. 6 to Atlanta Dream)
Grace Berger, Indiana
Berger, a 6-foot point guard, finished her Hoosiers career ranked first in wins (118), seventh in scoring (1,841 points) and second in assists (573). Fever general manager Lin Dunn praised Berger’s ability to play the 1, 2 and 3 positions. She’s a focused, hard-working player known for leadership and the midrange shot. She isn’t one of the stronger 3-point shooters.
Career statistics (five seasons): 12.4 ppg, 46.8 FG%, 30.6 3FG%, 5.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 31.1 mpg
Mock draft projections: Mid-to-late-first round
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Cooke, a 5-9 guard, reached the Final Four all three seasons she could and won the 2022 national championship. She stepped up in a big way her senior season, shooting a career-best 40.5% to help when defenses collapsed on center Boston. She’s a three-time All-America honorable mention and was named the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner for the nation’s best shooting guard.
Career statistics: 13.5 ppg, 38.2 FG%, 34.1 3FG%, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 28 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first to early-second round
Dorka Juhász, UConn
Juhász, a 6-5 forward, helped provide a foundation for UConn as it went through a season of unprecedented injuries and relied heavily on post play to keep the Huskies in games. She previously played professionally in Hungary before three seasons at Ohio State and two at UConn.
Career statistics (five seasons): 11.9 ppg, 47.7 FG%, 30.1 3FG%, 9.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 1 bpg, 28.1 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first round
Lou Lopez Sénéchal, UConn
UConn would have been in massive trouble this season if it wasn’t for 6-1 shooting guard transfer Sénéchal. Her 3-point clip of 44% led the team and was the best of her career, which began with four seasons at Fairfield of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Some of her most productive games were against the team’s best opponents and she was the only player not to miss any scheduled games. The numbers will stand out to WNBA teams, but it’s her ability to step up into a high-pressure situation she never anticipated with such grace, skill and talent.
Career statistics (five seasons): 16 ppg, 44.4 FG%, 40.5 3FG%, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 32.8 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first round
Brea Beal, South Carolina
Beal, a 6-1 guard, started for South Carolina since her freshman season and is largely considered the game’s best defender. She was one of the four Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalists, which was won by teammate Boston, and was an AP All-America honorable mention as a senior. She is part of the “freshies” class that lost only nine games, made three Final Fours and won the 2022 championship.
Career statistics: 6.1 ppg, 41 FG%, 31.3 3FG%, 5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 24.4 mpg
Mock draft projections: Mid-to-late-first round
Laeticia Amihere, South Carolina
Amihere, a 6-4 power forward who largely came off the bench, played multiple positions at South Carolina as part of the “freshies” class that is the most accomplished recruiting class in program history. She holds the program record for blocked shots in an NCAA tournament game with nine against Texas in 2021. Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve credited her ability to be aggressive and ambitious on the defensive end.
Career statistics: 6.3 ppg, 43.6 FG%, 4.1 rpg, 1 apg, 1 bpg, 15.9 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first to second round
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Joens, a 6-1 guard/forward, led Iowa State to its first Big 12 tournament championship since 2001 and was named the Most Outstanding Player. She was named the Cheryl Miller Award winner for the nation’s best small forward three seasons in a row and earned AP All-America third-team honors. Joens finished her five-year career with the Cyclones as the program leader in points (3,040), scoring average (19.4), rebounds (1,391) and 3-pointers (344). She’s been the steady, go-to, get-it-done player at Iowa State.
Career statistics (five seasons): 19.4 ppg, 41.4 FG%, 35.9 3FG%, 8.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1 spg, 34.3 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first to second round
Taylor Mikesell, Ohio State
Mikesell, a 5-11 guard, ranked top five in the nation in made 3-pointers for the past two seasons. She was a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for best shooting guard last season and short-listed this season. The transfer played two seasons at Maryland and a season at Oregon. She was a key piece for the Buckeyes as they dealt with injuries, namely to guard Jacy Sheldon (who decided to return for a fifth year), and is a strong perimeter shooter.
Career statistics (five seasons): 14.3 ppg, 43.4 FG%, 42 3FG%, 3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1 spg, 32.3 mpg
Mock draft projections: Late-first round
Alexis Morris, LSU
Morris, a 5-6 point guard, improved her draft stock after leading LSU to its first national championship in women’s and men’s basketball program history. Dream head coach Tanisha Wright noted that “at times she carried LSU,” a strong nod to her improvement through her career and final season. She scored 15 in a tight Elite Eight win against Utah, 27 against Virginia Tech in the Final Four and 21 against Iowa in the championship game. She added a clutch nine assists in her final collegiate contest.
Career statistics (five seasons): 11.4 ppg, 44.3 FG%, 35.5 3FG%, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.3 spg, 25.8 mpg
Mock draft projections: Second round
Why you won’t hear some big names at 2023 WNBA Draft
All of the players on the Yahoo Sports big board will be in attendance at the WNBA Draft except Morris. There are some key names that won’t be called on Monday night because of eligibility or opting to return to college for an additional COVID year.
Reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark is not eligible for the draft until next season because she is not 22 this calendar year, nor has she graduated from a four-year institution. Angel Reese is registered at LSU as a sophomore and is also not eligible. She has said she will stay in college as long as possible because she said she’ll make more money in the NCAA through NIL deals than in the WNBA.
UConn standouts Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers also will not be called. Bueckers was eligible for this draft, but made clear she would return to the Huskies after rehabbing from the ACL injury that kept her out of the 2022-23 season.
Sedona Prince, the 6-7 forward from Oregon, initially intended to declare for the draft when she required surgery on her elbow in October. She did declare, but took her name out and entered the NCAA transfer portal, which landed her at TCU she announced over the weekend. NPOY contender Elizabeth Kitley announced during the national championship game she would return to Virginia Tech for a fifth season.
