2024 WNBA Draft: First-round projections for Connecticut Sun from Alissa Pili to Dyaisha Fair

The Connecticut Sun have reached at least the second round of the WNBA Playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, but the franchise has yet to bring a championship back to Uncasville since it moved from Orlando in 2003.

The Sun return most of their roster from last season’s run to the semifinals, and they have four picks in 2024 WNBA Draft including the No. 10 pick in the first round to help build a title contender around superstar duo Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner. Thomas was the MVP runner-up last season, and Bonner enters her 15th year in the league off of her fifth career All-Star selection in 2024.

This year’s draft class is headlined by Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, but there is plenty of depth behind the generational point guard including nine former All-Americans and three NCAA champions invited to attend the event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. This year’s draft will also include a live audience of fans for the first time since 2014.

Here’s who Connecticut could add to its training camp roster when the draft kicks off Monday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN:

First round: Pick No. 10

While there are a few outliers, most mocks are in consensus about the three leading options for the Sun with their first pick in the 2024 Draft: Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, Utah forward Alissa Pili, or Australian forward Nyadiew Puoch.

The Sun could stand to add a sharpshooter in the backcourt, and Fair fits the bill. She is a questionable first-rounder because she’s so undersized at just 5-foot-5, but the former Syracuse star enters the draft as one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball history. She ended her career with 3,403 career points to rank third all time, surpassing Baylor legend Brittney Griner, Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles and Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell in her fifth year — but in just five more games than Griner played.

Fair is fast-paced and an elite shot creator, but her efficiency will need to improve at the pro level. She hit 39% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range with the Orange in 2023-24. With more talent around her in the WNBA though, she won’t need to look for 18 shots a game.

The Sun could also go a completely different direction at No. 10 with Pili, their other most-popular projection. Pili has enormous upside, averaging 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a senior shooting 55% from the field and 40.4% on 3-pointers, and she also plays with elite physicality in the paint. The 6-2 forward underwhelms defensively, but the Sun have enough depth at forward to take on a more developmental player with star potential.

Puoch could be a sleeper option in the first round, though some mock drafts project the Australian going as high as No. 8 to the Minnesota Lynx. At 19 years old, Puoch is one of the strongest defenders in the draft and shows standout athleticism for a 6-3 wing. It’s challenging to transition from the international game to the WNBA, especially for a player with limited offensive impact, but Puoch’s age and raw ability make her worth the risk.

Second round: Picks No. 19, No. 22

All three of the Sun’s leading options in the first round are also projected to fall to the second by multiple mock drafts, so there’s a chance for at least one to still be on the board when Connecticut comes back around in the second.

Where the Sun go in round 2 will also likely depend on who they end up with at No. 10, because the most talented player available will almost certainly be a forward. Kansas’s Taiyanna Jackson is a popular mock one of the Sun’s second round picks after averaging a double-double with 12.6 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks in 2023-24. Indiana star Mackenzie Holmes or Baylor fifth-year Dre’una Edwards fill a similar mold: Holmes was a two-time All-American averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds this season, and Edwards is a pro-ready body with major presence on both the offensive and defensive boards plus strong vision and disruptive defense.

Arizona’s Helena Pueyo is a strong option if Connecticut is looking for a guard, especially late in the second. Pueyo has a bit more size than most of the Sun’s current guard rotation at 6-0, and she was a two-time selection to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team. She’s more polished offensively than a player like Puoch and had a breakout 2023-24 season averaging a career-best 9.7 points plus 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists shooting 48% from the field.

Third round: Pick No. 34

The 2024 Draft gets more guard-heavy after the second round, but the Sun probably won’t have a ton of options left with the third-to-last pick in the third round. Connecticut doesn’t have many urgent needs, so the No. 34 spot will be about adding a role player or depth piece with room to develop into something more impactful.

Sarah Scalia out of Indiana could be a good choice, especially if the Sun can pair her with Holmes to help ease the rookie transition. Scalia made the 2024 All-Big Ten first team for the first time in her career and led the Hoosiers hitting 42.7% from 3-point range. She averaged 16.3 points shooting 43.5% from the field was practically automatic at the free throw line making 89.7% — the only player on Indiana’s roster to make more than 80%.

Texas A&M’s Endiya Rogers would also be a strong addition if she’s still available. The 5-7 guard spent her fifth year with the Aggies after two seasons at USC and two at Oregon, averaging 12.2 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the field. Scalia is certainly the bigger scoring threat, but Rogers is more versatile as a passer after leading Texas A&M with 3.8 per game in 2023-24.