The WNBA Draft is rapidly approaching. The world already knows Aliyah Boston is going No. 1. Our first WNBA Mock Draft figures out what comes next.
The 2023 WNBA Draft will take place on April 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST. time on ESPN. The Indiana Fever won the No. 1 overall pick in last November’s WNBA Draft Lottery. The Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics will follow after the Fever. It’s safe to assume that Indiana will draft Aliyah Boston with the No.1 overall pick.
Needless to say, the draft selections after the No. 1 overall pick may not be as clear-cut. However, WNBA fans are in for a treat as we approach the 2023 season.
Our WNBA Mock Draft starts with Aliyah Boston, but here’s what comes next:
2. Minnesota Lynx: Diamond Miller, G, University of Maryland
With the second pick in the WNBA Draft, the Lynx should select Diamond Miller from the University of Maryland. The Lynx should be looking for a center to replace Sylvia Fowles but Miller is too good to pass up.
Miller is a great selection for the Lynx because of her 6-foot-3 frame and her style of play. She is an all-around player who can impact the game instantly. The New Jersey native is arguably the most WNBA-ready prospect — a solid defender and is strong enough to guard multiple positions.
Miller is athletic and can get to the rim with ease. She finished her senior season averaging a career-high in points (19.7), and rebounds (6.5). This season she struggled from 3-point range (21.0 percent) but shot above 30 percent her first three seasons.
The Maryland product can contribute right away in Minnesota and her experience under head coach Brenda Frese will translate to coach Cheryl Reeve’s system.
3. Dallas Wings: Maddy Siegrist, F, Villanova
Dallas has a lot of flexibility in this year’s draft because they have multiple picks. Nonetheless, the franchise needs to select big early. The Wings will use the third pick in the draft to select Maddy Siegrist from Villanova.
She is another high-volume scorer eith a beautiful mid-range game and does an excellent job of moving without the basketball. She is a player who can play high/low and can stretch the floor. The New York native can contribute right away to a Wings team that is on the verge of taking the next step as a franchise. The team can use her length, attention to detail, and energy on the glass to improve.
This season Siegrist averaged 29.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and shot 51.9 percent from the field. She is an efficient player and can play positionless basketball if needed. Not to mention she led the nation in scoring and shot 37 percent from deep.
4. Washington Mystics: Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina
The Washington Mystics had a sneaky good free agency and are prepared for a strong push in 2023. This pick may come as a surprise for some but it could be a steal.
Washington should take combo guard Zia Cooke out of South Carolina. She is a fierce competitor and has been raising her draft stock for the last two seasons. The Mystics need to find a running mate for Natasha Cloud in the backcourt. Washington re-signed future Hall of Famer, Kristi Toliver, however, she is entering her 14th season at 36 years of age.
Cooke can come in and contribute right away in a reserve role and learn under the veterans on the team. She can score from all three levels of the floor and is an efficient scorer.
The Ohio native can get her teammates involved and can impact the game with or without the ball in her hand. She will be able to help Washington spread the floor and she can help them get into offensive sets quicker and take some ball-handling pressure off of Cloud.
Cooke finished the 2022 regular season averaging 15.3 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.1 percent from 3.
5. Dallas Wings: Haley Jones, G, Stanford
The Dallas Wings need to continue to strike while the iron is hot because of the pieces they have been able to acquire in free agency and via trade. As of now, Dallas has a strong backcourt and frontcourt.
Dallas has a strong young core that features Arike Ogunbowale, Diamond DeShields, Crystal Dangerfield, and Satou Sabally. The Wings’ core will be a perfect match for anyone to join because they can run the fast break, and play defense. Not to mention the foundation of the roster is young. As players continue to come off the board, one player that can come in and help while still being able to develop is Stanford’s own Haley Jones.
Jones is a bigger guard who can crash the glass or facilitate the fast break. She is durable, shoots 43.2 percent from the field and can impact the game on the defensive side of the ball. The California native can contribute right away because of her frame and because of the system Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer runs.
Jones averaged 13.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Her skill set can help the team grow in multiple areas whether it’s rebounding, or facilitating the ball.
6. Atlanta Dream: Elizabeth Kitley, C, Virginia Tech
Next up, the Atlanta Dream are looking to find its identity and reshape its culture. The franchise has added scoring, size, and defense. However, they still need to add more to their front-court production-wise.
Elizabeth Kitley is a prospect that is often overlooked despite her projection always being in the top 10. She is a great post player and has a great feel around the basket. Kitley is constantly moving and is excellent at reposting after being knocked off the block or being double-teamed.
She may not start right away and will have to develop but she can make an impact later down the line in the league. She finished the season averaging 18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game and she shot 55.9 percent from the field. Kitley is a great developmental piece and can be groomed into a starting center.
7. Indiana Fever: Taylor Mikesell, G, Ohio State
With the No. 7 pick in the draft, the Fever can venture out and experiment. Indiana needs another player that can grow with the franchise and bring fire.
Taylor Mikesell would be a great addition because of her grit, leadership, and ability to impact the game without scoring the basketball. Don’t be fooled, she can score plenty too.
This season the Ohio native averaged 17.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting a blazing 40.9 percent from 3. As a collective, the Fever shot 33.8 percent from three last season. Drafting Mikesell will help provide space for Boston in the paint and the team will have more shooting.
TM can also impact the game on the glass as she is a physical guard who is not afraid of contact and going after loose balls. She will also get players into the right area to run plays and force the issue of making the extra pass.
8. Atlanta Dream: Jordan Horston, G, Tennessee
With the eighth pick in the draft, the Dream are going to need to add some perimeter scoring and a versatile guard. Jordan Horston should be an option at number eight because of the fact she is a rebounding guard who can get her teammates involved.
Horston is a bigger guard who can take advantage of mismatches. She also shoots 44 percent from the floor and can get to the rim at will. Atlanta needs a playmaker who can make them multi-dimensional on the offensive side of the ball. The Tennessee product can guard multiple positions on defense and she can create her own shot.
Horston averaged 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season.
9. Seattle Storm: Charisma Osborne, G, UCLA
Charisma Osborne should be taken at No. 9 by the Seattle Storm who lost Sue Bird to retirement and Breanna Stewart to free agency. The UCLA product can command an offense and facilitate any offensive set.
Osborne is a decent 3-point shooter, but she struggled her senior year shooting 29.4 percent. But her career average is 32.4 percent and her calling card is on the defensive end.
Without the size of Stewart and the leadership of Bird, the Storm will need to focus on getting easy points from turnovers and in transition. Osborne will be a young piece that the team can insert right away or develop over time.
Osborne is a great pick-up for a team that will need to find a generational guard who can command the respect of her peers. This season she recorded a stat line of 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.
10. Los Angeles Sparks: Ashley Joens, G, Iowa State
The Los Angeles Sparks are in the midst of a culture change as they welcomed Curt Miller as their new head coach. Although the Sparks traded for Jasmine Thomas and already have Jordin Canada on the roster, the team needs to draft Ashley Joens.
Joens is a lightning rod of energy and is constantly moving without the ball which is something Los Angeles needs. The last two seasons, LA seemed complacent and lackluster. The Iowa State senior can shoot lights out from all areas of the floor. This season she averaged 21.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 35.3 percent from 3.
Joens is a big guard who can handle the ball well and she would make a great sixth woman for the Sparks or she can be a key piece of the stating rotation.
11. Dallas Wings: Lou Lopez-Senechal, F, Connecticut
Dallas can take another leap forward as a franchise with the multiple picks they have in this draft. To bolster their roster, they need to take a look at Lou Lopez-Senechal from Connecticut.
Lopez-Senechal is a strong forward who can make her presence felt from the post, mid-range, and from 3. She is currently averaging 15.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor. The forward is shooting a scorching 40.3 percent from 3. Dallas shot a solid 34.3 percent as a team and Lopez-Senechal will add more efficiency for this young team.
Dallas already has excellent size on the roster but they need players who can contribute consistently and that can space the floor. As the WNBA continues to grow, teams are embracing positionless basketball even more.
12. Minnesota Lynx: Grace Berger, G, Indiana
The last pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Lynx. Minnesota has plenty of options with the No. 12 pick but Grace Berger would be their best bet.
Berger is a strong and physical guard who gets after it on both ends of the floor. Right now, the Lynx have plenty of guards on their roster but drafting Berger will provide the franchise with a reliable defender at the point of attack and a floor general on offense.
The Indiana product is durable and will be around the league for a while. Minnesota needs longevity and a player that they can develop. Berger fits Cheryl Reeve’s system and is a point guard who can be an extension of a coach on the floor. The senior guard concluded her season averaging 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor.
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