Making the Case: WNBA Draft Edition

The Seattle Storm have a very important decision coming up in the draft.

The WNBA Draft is only a couple of weeks away now. The draft will occur on Monday, April 14th, in New York. Thanks to a major blockbuster trade that sent Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas and Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Storm are in a prime position to add a talented young player with the number two overall pick in the upcoming draft.

The women’s college basketball season nears its end. By Monday night, we’ll be down to the Final Four. Between the regular season, the March Madness tournament, and several different WNBA Mock Drafts, I feel fairly confident that the Seattle Storm’s draft decision will come down to one of these four players: guards Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles and post players, Dominique Malonga and Kiki Iriafen.

I’ll explain why the Storm would select each of these players during the upcoming draft, highlighting some of their best traits. I’ll also share reasons why Seattle’s front office might consider going in a different direction.

Paige Bueckers - Guard - UConn

19.2 PPG | 54% FG | 41% 3-PT FG | 4.8 APG | 4.4 RPG | 2.1 SPG

Paige has been a top prospect since she entered college. Bueckers is an extremely well-rounded and versatile player. This season, she hit the elusive 50/40/90 mark. Most guards rarely shoot above 50% in any given season, and Bueckers did it every year of her collegiate career. She is a highly efficient offensive player. Paige can play as a primary ball-handling guard or off the ball, as a more traditional shooting guard.

Similar to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, or Juju Watkins, Bueckers is also one of the most popular basketball players in the country right now. Any team that drafts her will likely see a major boost in ticket sales, TV ratings, and overall interest. I’m not certain she’ll have the same impact as Caitlin Clark, but I have no doubt that Bueckers will be a big boost to the team that drafts her.

For the Storm, drafting Bueckers may not be an option at all. The Dallas Wings own the #1 overall pick, and now that Paige has officially announced that she has declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft, it’s hard to imagine the Wings’ front office would be willing to deal the #1 overall pick away. There was some speculation that Bueckers may not want to play for Dallas, which could lead to the Wings trading the pick away, but as of this writing, that does not appear to be the case.

So why am I including Bueckers as an option at all? Well, frankly, I still believe the Storm have enough trade assets available where they could make the Dallas Wings a “Godfather” type offer that could be tough to refuse, even if it meant Dallas giving up on their chance to draft Bueckers. The Storm own the #2 overall pick and three first-round picks in 2026. Of those three draft picks, the LA Sparks’s pick is expected to be the most valuable. If Los Angeles were to miss the playoffs again in 2025, that pick that now belongs to Seattle would be almost guaranteed to be a Top 3 selection in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Depending on what happens during the lottery, it could end up number one overall in next year’s draft.

Could the Storm make a trade with Dallas, giving up #2 overall and LA’s first-round pick in 2026 for #1 overall? That probably doesn’t get the deal done because if the Sparks make the playoffs, that pick will likely end up being somewhere around the 7th to 11th selection, and that’s not nearly as valuable. But I talked about a “Godfather” offer. If we go to the most extreme case, the Seattle Storm could technically offer #2 overall, plus all three first-round picks in 2026. And if they wanted to really go crazy, I’m pretty certain they could trade Dallas their own 2027 first-round pick as well or at least offer a 2027 Pick Swap.

At what point is too much, too much? Frankly, if the Storm gave away #2 overall, plus all three first-round picks next season, one could argue that it could be considered franchise malpractice. Bueckers is an incredible player, but she’s not the only talented player in this or next year’s draft. If Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea were to stand pat, she is still going to potentially be able to draft Olivia Miles, Dominique Malonga, or Kiki Iriafen this year. And then who knows what players will be available next season but there are several big names already including Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Azzi Fudd, Flau'jae Johnson, Cotie McMahon, Raegan Beers, etc. That doesn’t even include other college stars I haven’t listed or International Prospects.

The Storm could trade away every asset they own to move up one spot to draft Paige Bueckers. But they might be better off taking Olivia Miles this year and getting Betts or Beers next season. Or taking Malonga or Iriafen this year and then adding Rice, Fudd, or McMahon next season.

Olivia Miles - Guard - Notre Dame

15.5 PPG | 49% FG | 40% 3-PT FG | 5.9 APG | 5.8 RPG | 1.4 SPG

Olivia Miles is the best passer in this draft. She has a flair to her game that reminds me a lot of Chelsea Gray when I watch her play. It feels like she’ll make one or two jaw-dropping passes per game. Miles isn’t quite the triple-double threat that Caitlin Clark was during her time in Iowa, but she is very versatile. She averaged nearly 16 PPG, 6 APG, and 6 RPG this season and similar numbers throughout her career. Miles is a strong rebounding guard who can impact the game in multiple areas. As Paige Bueckers has played primarily as the two-guard throughout her college career, Miles is considered the top true point guard prospect in this draft.

With that said, this year, Miles was able to play with another ball-dominant guard in Hannah Hidalgo at Notre Dame. And they played very well together. This should give the Storm or any WNBA general manager confidence that Miles could play at either guard position if needed.

Olivia Miles tore her ACL and missed the entire 2023-2024 season. She came back stronger than ever. Most notably, she improved her three-point shooting to 41% from long distance. In her previous three seasons of college, she shot 23%, 27%, and 10% from beyond the arc.

The Seattle Storm know better than most how important it is to have a star point guard on the roster. We’ve seen Sue Bird help lead this team to four WNBA Championships. The one year without Sue and before they signed Skylar Diggins-Smith, it was a major problem. While Diggins-Smith had a strong season in her first year with Seattle and looked even better in Unrivaled, she will turn 35 in August. Diggins-Smith could play another five years in Seattle but is also under contract for just one more season. The team could secure their future at the Point Guard position by drafting Miles.

What are some reasons why the Storm might go in a different direction? Well, the first issue is one that we should know the answer to within the next 48 hours. Due to her ACL injury, Olivia Miles is eligible to return to college for another year. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were eliminated in the Sweet 16 this weekend. Miles may seriously consider returning to college if she believes she has unfinished business with her team and teammates. There is also the factor that after this season, the WNBA is expected to sign a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) where the players are expected to see a significant raise in their base salaries, even the rookies. We will know if Miles declares for the WNBA Draft within the next 48 hours, if not sooner. It could happen before this article is even sent out to my wider audience.

But besides the fact that Miles could remove herself as an option, there are a couple of other reasons why the Storm might consider going in a different direction. Miles is not the best defensive player. We’ve seen Notre Dame substitute her out in critical moments to put better defenders out on the court. Defense won’t get any easier when she transitions to the pro game, where only the most talented and best athletes make a WNBA roster.

Her excellent three-point shooting also started to regress somewhat as the games went on. Before this season, Miles had not shot above 30% from three-point range. Her value as a top draft pick is significantly higher if teams believe she can consistently shoot 35-40% from beyond the arc.

Lastly, do the Storm believe Miles is the second-best player in this draft? When a team is drafting at the very top of the draft, I think they are always better off drafting talent over need.

Dominique Malonga - Center - Lyon (France)

15.0 PPG | 52% 2-PT FG | 32% 3-PT FG | 10.3 RPG | 1.4 BPG | 1.3 SPG

Dominique Malonga is arguably the most intriguing prospect in this year’s WNBA Draft. The 19-year-old French Phenom stands 6’6” and moves quickly for her size. Her highlights show she can be a legit rim protector, blocking shots against smaller players. She runs the floor well, similar to Seattle’s own Ezi Magbegor. Malonga has a soft touch around the rim and, with her size, has been able to score easily off layups and putbacks. Malonga has a solid midrange shot and can shoot from the three-point range, but she’ll need to continue to improve that aspect to maximize her full potential.

With her size, dribbling and shooting ability, and the way that she can move, Dominique Malonga has the potential to be a star player in the WNBA. I read somewhere that said her ceiling could be Jonquel Jones. She seems to have the size, length, and skills to play similar to JJ, Breanna Stewart, or Ezi Magbegor. But she is still very raw and young. She will need time to develop. She is also very thin and will need to put on a lot of muscle to be able to battle down low against bigger players like Jonquel or A’ja Wilson. She gets knocked around a little too easily right now.

For the Seattle Storm, it could be tempting to draft Malonga and pair her together with Ezi Magbegor long-term down in the low post. That would be a lot of size, length, and athleticism that could create quite the frontcourt duo over the next 5-10 years.

But there are still legitimate concerns to factor in. From some sources I’ve talked with, plus what I’ve read, it does sound like Dominique Malonga does intend to come over to the United States and play in the WNBA this season, as opposed to being a draft and stash player that many foreign players end up being to start their careers. However, as we saw with Nika Mühl last season, there can still be issues regarding work visas. But really, that leads to a larger discussion.

Last season, during an Olympic year, French National players were not allowed by their Olympic team to play in the WNBA until after the Olympics were over. I’m not 100% certain if those policies will continue in the future, but if they do, it could result in the Storm losing one of their top players (Malonga) every 2-4 years for large chunks of the WNBA season. We witnessed that with Gabby Williams last year as she was only able to play for 12 regular season games (out of 40). In other words, she missed about 70% of the season. In the future, that could mean the Storm are without two starters for more than half of their season. I don’t think that would work out too well. It will become even worse if they have a similar policy for the FIBA World Cup as well.

Beyond those logistics, we have also seen foreign players opt not to play in the WNBA for a variety of different reasons. Maybe they get homesick, prefer to just stay in their own countries, or for one reason or another, it doesn’t work out for them. We saw Liz Cambage stop playing in the WNBA for a handful of seasons early on in her career. Before Cambage started having more serious problems later on, she didn’t show up to play in the WNBA between the 2014 and 2017 seasons. That was four years of her prime that she opted not to play in the WNBA. We have also recently seen former #2 overall pick Awak Kuier sit out the 2024 WNBA season. From what I’ve gathered, it does not appear that she will be playing in the WNBA in 2025, either. This is another concern the Storm will have to think about.

Whether fair or unfair, Awak Kuier could be looked at as an example of why the Storm may want to avoid drafting Dominique Malonga. Kuier is around the same size; I’ve seen her listed as 6’5” and 6’6”. She runs the floor gracefully, similar to Malonga or Magbegor. Kuier was considered arguably the most talented player to come out of the 2021 WNBA Draft. She was selected #2 overall by the Dallas Wings. However, in her three seasons in the WNBA, she never managed to average more than 3.0 PPG or 3.0 RPG. While the Dallas Wings organization has had its own problems with multiple draft picks in general, I’m sure some of the issues are a result of the organization itself, but Awak Kuier still struggled to make any meaningful impact in the WNBA when she was on the court. And that is very costly for a franchise when they spend a Top 3 pick on said player. There is a chance that Malonga will not be able to compete against the very best that the WNBA has to offer.

Lastly, Dominique Malonga is only 19 years old and is still pretty raw with her skill set. Even if she joins the Storm in 2025, she may not be able to be a legitimate contributor for another 2-3 years. By then, players like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith (if they are still with the team) could be on the verge of retirement.

Kiki Iriafen - Power Forward - USC

18.6 PPG | 51% FG | 82% FT | 8.5 RPG | 1.9 APG | 0.9 BPG

That could be where Kiki Iriafen is chosen instead of Malonga. Iriafen is a different prospect from Malonga, but they share some similarities. Iriafen is shorter at 6’3” but is still a tall, athletic post-player who can run the floor very well. She also has a good midrange jump shot and nice shooting touch. She hasn’t utilized the three-point line very much during her college career, but I believe that is something she could still develop once she gets to the WNBA.

I consider Iriafen to be the more pro-ready prospect between her and Dominique Malonga. I also believe she likely has a higher floor, whereas Malonga has the higher ceiling. Whereas Malonga could potentially reach Jonquel or Stewie MVP levels, she could also fizzle out and not be able to compete against the WNBA’s best. I feel Iriafen could be a strong role player/average starter or she could become a WNBA All-Star but may never be a dominant player that completely takes over a season.

I’ve said that I always believe a team should draft the Best Player Available, especially when drafting at the top of the draft like the Storm will be doing this April. But I do feel that Seattle has a larger need at the power forward/post position than at guard. Seattle has Skylar Diggins-Smith as the starting point guard and then they have options at the shooting guard position. What probably makes the most sense is that they can slide Gabby Williams down to the SG from the small forward position. They would still have Alysha Clark or Katie Lou Samuelson ready to fill the three spot. They could also start Lexie Brown at the two-guard and keep Gabby at the three. The Storm have Skylar, Lexie, Erica Wheeler, Gabby, Alysha Clark, and Katie Lou Samuelson, who can all fill in at the Guard/Wing positions. But when I look at the current roster, I’m not certain who they’re going to have play the post beyond Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor, and Li Yueru. Who’s filling in at that other Power Forward spot? It could be Mackenzie Holmes if she looks good in training camp and makes the final roster, but I don’t feel that is a lock to happen at this point. That’s where selecting Kiki Iriafen would completely make sense. She fills that spot nicely and should be able to contribute immediately during her rookie year.

If the Storm do want to go with a post player, or if they can’t trade up for Paige and Olivia Miles opts to return to college for another year. Seattle’s front office may feel that Iriafen would provide them the best opportunity to succeed now and into the future. They might have more confidence that Kiki could impact the team now while they still have Nneka and Skylar on the roster. They might also feel better about Iriafen’s availability compared to Malonga’s regarding WNBA Prioritization rules, the French Olympic team’s strict rules, etc.

Like all of these prospects, there are still concerns about Iriafen, even though I would consider her one of the safest prospects to take in this upcoming WNBA Draft. One problem I have is that the more I watched her play, the more I felt that her stats were more impressive than her actual play on the court. If you look at Iriafen’s stats, she is averaging nearly 19 PPG and 9.0 RPG for one of the best college teams in the nation. Those are excellent stats, but when I watched the actual games, I did not feel she had as much of an impact as I expected. Furthermore, she seemed to struggle when going up against another dominant post player on the opposing side.

When USC played UCLA three times this season, she struggled going against 6’7” Lauren Betts. She had 10 points and five rebounds in 33 minutes in their last game against UCLA. In an earlier game, she had 13 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes. Most recently, in USC’s Sweet 16 victory against Kansas State, Iriafen finished with just seven points on 3-13 FG shooting and eight rebounds while going up against 6’6” Kansas State Center Ayoka Lee.

With that said, if you want to see Iriafen at her best, just put on USC’s game against Mississippi State in the NCAA tournament where she scored 36 points on 16-22 FG in 31 minutes as she willed the Trojans to a victory after they all witnessed JuJu Watkin’s devastating ACL injury at the beginning of that game.

I will be very curious to see how Iriafen plays against UConn in the Elite 8 matchup (Monday, March 31st).

Final Thoughts

I can envision the Seattle Storm taking any one of these four players during the upcoming WNBA Draft and will be surprised if one of their names isn’t called. Obviously, with Paige Bueckers, they’re going to have to offer a massive trade to the Dallas Wings to get that done. If they go with Olivia Miles, it’s because they believe she’s the next best player available and one that they believe can be the Storm’s star point guard after Skylar Diggins-Smith. If they select Dominique Malonga, it’s because they believe she has the highest ceiling of any player available to them, and they aren’t concerned about the risks involved with taking an International player. And if they end up taking Kiki Iriafen, it’s because they believe she has just as much potential as Malonga without the extra risks involved.

One final thought. There has been some talk that LSU star shooting guard, Flau’jae Johnson, could declare early for the WNBA Draft just as Jewell Loyd did back in 2015. Flau’jae is an eligible junior because she turns 22 years old later this year. She has already won a National Championship with LSU in 2023 and she might feel she is ready to move to the next stage of her career. If she decides to declare early, I do believe the Seattle Storm would seriously consider taking her and weighing their options with these other four players. The LSU Tigers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament this weekend. That means, similar to Olivia Miles, Flau’jae Johnson will need to make her decision on declaring for the WNBA Draft within the next 48 hours.

Notes:
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