3 Players to Watch in the WNBA Draft

The 2025 WNBA Draft takes place Monday, April 14th.

The Dallas Wings have the first overall pick, with the Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics (picks 3 and 4) rounding out the lottery.

Ahead of Monday's fun, let's dive into three players to watch in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

All WNBA odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook, and lines are subject to change after this article is published.

2025 WNBA Draft: Players to Watch

Dominique Malonga, Center (France)

Dominique Malonga is a name many WNBA fans may be unfamiliar with, but that'll change quickly on Monday night. The French center has the shortest odds to be the number 2 pick (-430), a selection that currently belonging to the Seattle Storm.

Malonga is a 6-foot-6 center with an eye-popping 7-foot-1 wingspan. At 19 years old, Malonga will be one of the youngest players in the W upon being drafted.

She has spent the past three seasons with Lyon in the French Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB) -- France's top women's basketball league. Malonga played sparingly during her first two seasons with Lyon before breaking out in the 2024-25 campaign. This past year, Malonga led the team with 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during LFB play. That helped earn her the LFB's top young player award.

She upped those marks to 18.5 points and 11.0 rebounds during the Eurocup where she propelled Lyon to a semifinal appearance. Malonga is also a member of the French national team, which finished second in Paris last summer.

The athletic big oozes potential and has drawn comparisons to the NBA's Victor Wembanyama due to her size and skill. You just don't see players this tall move this fluidly on either side of the ball.

Now, Malonga is still raw. European basketball differs from the WNBA, and she may be more of a long-term project than we typically see in a first-round pick.

But it's not hard to get excited about her potential, and at the very least, her size will make her a real asset on Day 1.

Aneesah Morrow, Forward (LSU)

LSU's Aneesah Morrow is one of the more polarizing players in the draft. The 22-year-old forward averaged 18.7 points while leading the country in rebounds (13.5) during her final season in college. She did all that at 6-foot-1.

Morrow's impact at her height says a lot about her motor, although it's fair to question how well she'll translate to pro ball. Morrow never shot better than 29% from three in college, and her playmaking (career 1.7 assists per game) leaves a lot to be desired on the wing.

Even so, she shot 80.1% and 73.4% from the free-throw line during her final two seasons and has at least shown a willingness to hoist from beyond the arc. That offers hope she'll be able to turn into a serviceable spot-up shooter.

But even if she never finds her jumper, Morrow figures to make a defensive impact the second she enters the league. She averaged 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocks during her four years in college and never put up fewer than 10 rebounds per game. That kind of work on the defensive side of the court is going to earn Aneesa Morrow playing time right off the bat, and it's easy to imagine her ascending rapidly into a contender's rotation.

Morrow has already earned the respect of WNBA decisionmakers with her heart and hustle, with Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller calling her a "dawg" prior to the draft. She's tied for the second-shortest odds to be the number 4 pick (+250) and tied for the shortest odds to be the number 5 pick (+200) entering the weekend.

Hailey Van Lith, Guard (TCU)

Hailey Van Lith is someone even the most casual WNBA fan has likely heard of. The 23-year-old guard played at three different schools in college, starting at Louisville before moving to LSU and eventually finishing her career at TCU.

Van Lith has been a staple in the international 3-on-3 game, appearing for the United States last summer in Paris. She was the lone college player on that squad, teaming up with the likes of Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby.

HVL parlayed that international experience into a stellar senior season with TCU. She led the Horned Frogs with 17.9 points and 5.4 assists per game, propelling them to a program-record 34 wins and a 2 seed in the tournament. Van Lith broke the school's single-season scoring record in the process.

Van Lith's experience and pedigree with the national team will get her drafted, likely in the first-round. But it's fair to question what kind of player she'll be in the W. She's not especially tall (5-foot-9) and will already be 24 years old by the end of her rookie season. She's also more of an off-guard than a traditional floor general -- though her playmaking did take a step forward during her final season.

Still, HVL has never been an especially lethal outside shooter (career 33.8% from three), so she likely needs the ball in her hands to be effective. That probably means she's better suited as a team's third guard rather than a primary ball-handler.

At the same time, if HVL can continue to develop as a passer, she could be a steal near the end of the first round. The intangibles are there, but team fit may ultimately determine what Van Lith looks like as a pro.

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