The 2023 WNBA season won't start for another six months but teams are already thinking about who to select in the draft. Here is how we think the first round will look.
1. Indiana Fever: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
After perennially finishing in the bottom half of the standings, the Fever finally got the top pick in the draft. It might have been a blessing in disguise for the lottery balls to bounce their way just this season with Aliyah Boston possibly entering the draft next April. Boston is a generational talent whose best years are in front of her (which is saying a lot given she has won a national championship along with national player of the year honors).
The Fever are still in a rebuild period and won't compete for a WNBA championship in 2023. However, they have pieces that will complement Boston. Last year's No. 2 overall pick NaLyssa Smith can stretch the floor enough where she and Boston can play side by side without hurting each other's production. Indiana will also get an intelligent roller in the South Carolina senior that could help Kelsey Mitchell, who ran pick and rolls on 27.2% of her possessions, per Synergy Sports.
The only thing that should worry Fever fans is Boston opting to stay with the Gamecocks one more season. Due to the NCAA's ruling that college players who were rostered during the 2020 season can get an extra year of eligibility, Boston could forgo entering the draft for one more year. Stanford's Haley Jones is far from a consolation prize but Boston would help set the tenacious defensive identity the Fever are trying to instill in their culture. However, Dawn Staley sure wouldn't mind another year of Boston.
Hilarious moment in postgame. Aliyah Boston is asked about the WNBA Draft lottery. Dawn Staley steps in and says: She said she's staying another year!
— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) November 12, 2022
If Boston stays, it changes the rest of the draft but, if she goes pro, she is the consensus top pick.
2. Minnesota Lynx: Haley Jones, Stanford
The Lynx had a 14.45% chance of getting the second pick. They came out of the lottery as clear winners and get to be the second team to pick from a top-heavy draft. Expect Cheryl Reeve to do a ton of homework on Jones, who could very well end up being the best player in the draft (I still think it'll be Boston).
The Lynx's record from last year is deceiving. They won 11 of their last 20 games after battling injuries and inconsistency in the backcourt in the first half of the year. Reeve, who agreed to a new deal with Minnesota and was just elevated to president of basketball operations, is going to have months to figure out who should be their point guard. Even with a hole in the backcourt, Jones is a scoring wing who is too good to pass up. She won't beat teams off the dribble but is crafty to getting to her spots. Jones is also a stellar defender who can make an impact right away, fitting the Lynx's short and long-term plans.
3. Atlanta Dream: Diamond Miller, Maryland
Diamond Miller has a chance to be the gem of this draft (pun absolutely intended). Her two-way impact should have teams calling to try to pry the third pick away from Atlanta. The Dream should stay put and draft Miller to put her next to reigning rookie of the year, Rhyne Howard. Miller has battled knee injuries the last year and a half but her ceiling is so high that it's worth the gamble with the third pick. She can score at will and her athleticism is rare for someone with a 6-foot-2 frame.
The Dream are in the middle of a rebuild but have constructed a new culture behind head coach Tanisha Wright. Adding Miller to their young nucleus should be a priority for Atlanta in this draft.
4. Washington Mystics: Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
This is where the draft gets interesting as it shifts from tier one to tier two. Given how loaded the Mystics' front court is, it wouldn't be surprising if they went after a guard at the top of the draft. However, wing depth is a commodity not a lot of teams have right now and Jackson is an intriguing option for Washington. She can create her own shot and would benefit heading into a stable situation with the Mystics compared to her start to her college career. Jackson would fit in nicely here, especially with Alysha Clark being a free agent.
5. Chicago Sky: Aijha Blackwell, Baylor
Any Chicago Sky big needs to be able to shoot from beyond the arc and Blackwell has the makeup to fit in James Wade's offensive schemes. Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens are both free agents. If Parker retires and Stevens leaves in free agency. Blackwell could be a building block for the future. Don't be shocked if Wade uses this pick as a trade chip to try to persuade last year's group to come back for one more title run. He wants to win now and has shown in the past he is willing to be aggressive by making high-risk, high-reward moves.
6. New York Liberty: Charisma Osborne, UCLA
New York is ready to build off its first playoff appearance since 2017 and needs to take some of its responsibilities off of Sabrina Ionescu. Osborne would fit in nicely as someone who can create for her teammates and provide pressure on the perimeter. Ionescu could move off the ball when her and Osborne are on the court at the same time. A guard is the right choice here for Sandy Brondello and Co.
7. Indiana Fever: Grace Berger, Indiana
This would certainly be a reach for the Fever, who also own the 13th pick. However, Berger provides stability on the wing and does a little bit of everything well. This is the type of player Indiana needs as they usher in a new era of Fever basketball. Berger has already proven she can play on talented rosters and still be effective. She's more of a floor raiser than anything else but with the amount of talent that's on this team, that is a valuable asset.
8. Atlanta Dream: Elizabeth Kitley, West Virginia
Kitley's style of play is starting to become a thing of the past but if the Dream get Miller at No. 3, rim protection should be a priority. Kitley can provide that standing at 6-foot-6.
9. Seattle Storm: Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
I have concerns about Sheldon being able to handle the physicality at the next level but she is the ultimate competitor. The Storm would love her tenacity and intellect as a facilitator in the half court. They have a vacancy at point guard now that Sue Bird has retired. If they can't sign Courtney Vandersloot in free agency, Sheldon would be a good fit here.
10. Connecticut Sun: Shaylee Gonzales, Texas
The Sun need shooting and Gonzales could develop into a better threat from beyond the arc. Her numbers from three-point range have dramatically declined each year but her free throw percentage (86% last year) suggests she can be developed in that area.
11: Dallas Wings: Jordan Hortson, Tennessee
Horston is projected to go higher but if she falls to the Wings, they should draft her. Alisha Gray might not be around for long. Dallas can use more wing depth and Horston has the potential to be a steady role player in the WNBA.
12. Minnesota Lynx: Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse
The Lynx need a point guard plain and simple. Flair hasn't made headlines at Syracuse but she is an eager passer who can score at three levels despite her short frame at 5-foot-5. Minnesota has wing depth and there aren't any exciting centers at this point in the draft. Fair could find minutes right away depending on how she performs in training camp.
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