DALLAS — The WNBA announced Thursday the list of college players who have formally declared for the 2023 WNBA Draft. And after some thrilling March Madness games and the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all-time between national champs LSU and their opponent Iowa, you’ll see some familiar star players as draftees when teams make their selections.
This year’s draft, presented by State Farm, will take place on Monday, April 10 at Spring Studios New York in Manhattan at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN or via the ESPN app.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live.
The draft will have three rounds and due to some trades, some teams, including the Phoenix Mercury, will not be picking in the first round this year.
DFW’s own Dallas Wings will be in the spotlight after securing multiple first round picks (3, 5 and 11) following a blockbuster four-team trade earlier this year. The Wings also currently own selections19 and 31.
In a conference call Thursday, April 6, Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb along with Indiana Fever GM Lin Dunn, President of Basketball Operations of the Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve and Atlanta Dream Head Coach Tanisha Wright spoke about the outlook of the 2023 draft.
Bibb said the players the Wings have been tracking are a part of this year's draft class and he also alluded to one of the team's possible picks -- Tennessee guard Jordan Horston.
Bibb noted that Horston had a nice end to her season and tournament run with the Lady Vols.
He also chimed in about Villanova standout Maddy Siegrist.
Bibb said Siegrist is a proven offensive threat. "She, like others in the draft, presents a skillset we're looking for."
To kick things off draft night, the Indiana Fever will have the first pick. The Fever is projected to choose South Carolina's Aliyah Boston.
"She just brings an enormous amount to the table," Dunn said.
Dunn said Boston will have an immediate impact in the league. "It makes this draft a whole lot stronger, as well as the rest of the South Carolina players coming in."
The WNBA has 12 teams and 144 roster spots to fill, with a lot of returning veterans and overseas players fighting for roles. It will be interesting where college's top player will land.
Here is the first-round draft order:
- Indiana Fever
- Minnesota Lynx
- Dallas Wings
- Washington Mystics
- Dallas Wings
- Atlanta Dream
- Indiana Fever
- Atlanta Dream
- Seattle Storm
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Dallas Wings
- Minnesota Lynx
Here are some of the top prospects:
Aliyah Boston (South Carolina)
The 6-foot-5-inch forward and South Carolina All-American is expected to be the first pick in the draft. Boston started all 138 games she played for the Gamecocks, averaging 14.1 points and 10.8 rebounds. She had a program record 82 games with double figure points and rebounds.
Boston was a three-time first-team All-American by The Associated Press, two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year and helped lead the Gamecocks to go 131-9 in her four seasons.
Boston is one of four players from the elite Gamecocks in the draft. Zia Cooke, defensive stopper Brea Beal and super-sub Laeticia Amihere have also declared.
Diamond Miller (Maryland)
The 6-foot-3-inch guard led Maryland to the Elite Eight, where the team lost against South Carolina. She’s a versatile player, averaging 19.7 points per game, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. ESPN predicts Miller will be second pick in the first round, where she could bring an offensive presence for the Lynx.
Haley Jones (Stanford)
The 6-foot-1-inch guard and a well-rounded player won a national title in her sophomore year at Stanford. Jones averaged 13.5 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assist per game. ESPN predicts she’ll be picked by the Atlanta Dream, where she could possibly help takeover games offensively for the squad.
Maddy Siegrist (Villanova)
The AP All-American lead Villanova to a 30-7 overall record and the Sweet 16 for the second time ever in program history. Siegrist led the country in scoring at 29.2 points per game and averaged 9.2 rebounds. She’s also the two-time Big East Player of the Year.
Siegrist is Villanova’s career leading scorer in program history for both men and women with 2,896 points. She also became the career leading scorer in Big East history for men and women with 1,693 points, in regular-season conference games only.
She scored a career-best 50 points against Seton Hall on Feb. 11, 2023 – on 20 of 26 shooting.
Stephanie Soares (Iowa State)
The 6-foot-6-inch center was one of Iowa State’s best players in program history before tearing her ACL in January 2023. Despite the injury, she’s still expected to be picked in the first round due to her scoring and rebound ability. Soares averaged 14.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 assist per game for the Cyclones.
The Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.
