The 27th annual draft and 2023 WNBA draft is set to take place later this evening. Three rounds will take place, consisting of the 12 teams, who will pick in inverse order based on last years' standings. Will LSU's Angel Reese, recently named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, get drafted? What about Iowa's Caitilin Clark, the 2023 Wooden Player of the year? Keep reading, and you'll find out!
Eligibility Rules
There are a few things to know before we take off with the Mock Draft. Unlike the NBA's ‘one and done rule' which allows players to declare after just their freshman year in men's college basketball, the process for WNBA declaration is quite different. In order to declare for the WNBA draft, a player must have either graduated, be set to graduate within three months of the draft, or turn 22 during the calendar year of that draft.
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This means that Caitilin Clark and Angel Reese will have to return for 2024…or later. As Reese pointed out in the I AM ATHLETE podcast, she's in no rush to go to the league because of the lucrative NIL money she's making in college.
Now that all the rules are out of the way, it's time for fun! Predictions for the top three picks are featured below.
WNBA Mock Draft Round 1, Top Three Picks
1. Indiana Fever: Aliyah Boston, C, South Carolina
The Fever haven't made the playoffs since 2016. In fact, in the past six seasons, they've won at least 10 games just once. Even so, Indian has strong guard play, and a talented forward in former 2022 #2 draft pick, forward NaLyssa Smith. However, they are missing a strong presence at the center position.
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South Carolina's Aliyah Boston will look to fill that void. As a likely future WNBA star, the former 2022 unanimous National Player of the Year stands tall at 6 ‘5” and is not only an efficient scorer in the paint, but also quite a strong rebounder. With tons of awards to her name, and a college career that rivals some of the greats, Boston will immediately thrive in the WNBA. Plus, who knows–maybe she can get the Fever back into the playoffs.
2. Minnesota Lynx: Diamond Miller, G, Maryland
The Minnesota Lynx are entering a rebuilding era. After making it to the finals six times from 2011-2017, the Lynx have made it past the first round just twice in the past five years, and, most recently, missed the playoffs in 2022.
Diamond Miller is the perfect player to start this rebuild. This past season Miller averaged 19.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG. On top of that, her defense is quite strong as well–Miller averaged 2.1 steals per game, and 1.3 blocks per game. On top of that, Miller brought the Maryland Terrapins to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2015. This seems like a good match for both sides.
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3. Dallas Wings, Maddy Siegrist, F, Villanova
Since being renamed in 2010 to the then Tulsa Shock, the Dallas Wings have made it past the first round of the playoffs just once. This past off-season the Wings lost two of their three best scorers in guard Allisha Gray, and guard Marina Mabrey. Coincidentally, the two happened to be the teams' best three point shooters.
This is where Maddy Siegrist fits in nicely. At 36.1 3P% this past year, Siegrist will immediately be effective for a Wings roster who is adamantly looking to create space on the floor. With her rebounding ability and solid defensive skills, Siegrist is the perfect candidate for this team. Furthermore, with the departure of Gray and Mabrey, the Wings will greatly benefit from the 2022 NCAAW scoring champion.
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* Originally published on April 10, 2023, by Nicholas Nathanson
