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WNBA Draft takeaways: A new Paige in the book of the league
Soon after the women's college basketball season concluded, the WNBA Draft was held in New York City, and the sport's next group of stars found their new homes.
From pick No. 1 to pick No. 38, legacies have begun, and careers are underway. Here are eight takeaways from Monday's draft.
Paige Bueckers is a star
Not that anyone needed the draft to confirm that, but it was undoubtedly Bueckers who would go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings.
Her career at UConn was one of the best we've seen at the collegiate level, and she will certainly step into the WNBA and instantly become one of the best players.
WELCOME TO THE DALLAS WINGS, PAIGE BUECKERS pic.twitter.com/pREGdvalky
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 14, 2025
French basketball continues its rise
After back-to-back seasons with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft coming from France, the No. 2 pick in the WNBA is from France as well.
Dominique Malonga was selected by the Seattle Storm, and she looks to continue France's ascension in basketball.
Adja Kane from France was also selected in the draft at No. 38 overall by the New York Liberty.
Mystics instantly become playoff contenders
After a 14-26 season in 2024, the Washington Mystics selected three Day 1 starters in Monday's draft, and they are now well within reach of the playoffs.
Sonia Citron (SG), Kiki Iriafen (PF) and Georgia Amoore (PG) will be starters on a team that struggled last year and will put the Mystics back in position to reach the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons.
Good day for Chicago
After selecting Angel Reese in the first round of the 2024 draft, the Chicago Sky got another playmaker in the first round in the form of TCU point guard Hailey Van Lith.
Van Lith led TCU to its most successful season in recent memory, and she will now reunite with her former LSU teammate, Reese, in Chicago.
#talksoon pic.twitter.com/AhVHzEazdU
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) April 15, 2025
South Carolina continues to develop players
The South Carolina Gamecocks have produced some of the WNBA's best current players like Aliyah Boston and A'ja Wilson.
The Gamecocks had three more players selected on Monday (Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Sania Feagin) who were all selected in the second round of the draft.
Next season, the Gamecocks will have at least two more players selected in Ta'Niya Latson and Raven Johnson. The Gamecocks continue to compete with the likes of UConn and LSU in producing excellent WNBA players.
Guard play rules
Of the 38 players selected, 21 of those are either point guards or shooting guards.
In a game that has become more about isolation ball and shooting three-pointers, it is no surprise to see guard play become the focal point of the draft.
International stars are coming
France wasn't the only country represented in the draft on Monday, as three other countries saw players taken.
Juste Jocyte (Lithuania), Ajsa Sivka (Slovenia) and Anastasiia Kosu (Russia) were all selected in the draft. Much like the NBA, the amount of talent coming from overseas to the WNBA is a very welcome sight.
SEC talent is back on display
After just six players from the SEC were selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft, that number was almost doubled in this year's draft.
Ten players from five different schools were represented and selected in Monday's draft, once again proving that, much like men's college basketball, the SEC is the dominant conference in women's college basketball.
More must-reads:
- Paige Bueckers solidifies future with Unrivaled ahead of 2025 WNBA Draft
- Sky reunite Angel Reese with ex-LSU teammate through WNBA Draft
- The '2024-25 NFL passing-yard leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Yankees' unlikely answer emerges from depth chart to save season — for now
One out, seventh inning, 2-2 tie in Arlington. Ben Rice watched from the dugout as manager Aaron Boone called Paul Goldschmidt to pinch-hit for Austin Wells. When Goldschmidt crushed a 0-2 fastball over the left-field wall for the go-ahead run, the New York Yankees had their first lead since the fifth inning. More importantly, they had it because Rice's catching ability made the crucial substitution possible. The 26-year-old's emergence as a multi-position weapon couldn't be more timely. The Yankees entered Wednesday's Texas series finale having blown a seven-game AL East lead since May 28, sitting 6.5 games behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Boston for the first wild card. They'd started August 0-5, desperate for any break before facing Houston at home. Rice represents the internal solution they've needed. His .779 OPS sits well above the .719 MLB average, powered by 16 home runs and elite contact metrics. Baseball Savant ranks him in the 95th percentile or higher in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, expected slugging and expected weighted on-base average. Those numbers seem impossible considering where Rice started. The 2021 12th-round Dartmouth pick hit .171 in 178 plate appearances last season. But knowing he'd catch in 2025, Rice added 10 pounds to his frame and worked relentlessly on his receiving skills. The defensive flexibility pays dividends beyond Wednesday's game. Rice has posted a +2 fielding run value across 84 innings caught and 180 innings at first base. Not spectacular, but competent enough to create the matchup advantages Boone exploited against the Rangers. Rice embodies exactly what championship teams find within their system. Aaron Judge remains the Yankees' best player, but Rice may be their most valuable in pure utility terms. His ability to produce above-average offense while handling two premium positions creates strategic options other teams lack. Wednesday's sequence proved the point. Without Rice's catching ability, Boone couldn't have pinch-hit Goldschmidt in that crucial spot. The move worked because Rice had spent months building trust through consistent performance at both positions. The Yankees still trail Toronto by 6.5 games with the Astros series looming next. Their playoff chances remain fragile yet likely, per FanGraphs, after months of disappointing baseball. But Rice's ascension from .171 hitter to essential depth piece shows what's possible when overlooked talent meets opportunity. If the Yankees accomplish anything meaningful this season, they'll trace it back to moments like Wednesday's seventh inning. Not because of Goldschmidt's clutch homer, but because Ben Rice made that moment possible.
Browns beat writers don't seem excited about Shedeur Sanders' first start
Cleveland Browns fans and other members of the football community were understandably excited to learn that rookie Shedeur Sanders will serve as the Browns' starting quarterback for their preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer sent somewhat of a warning to those who are hoping that Sanders could bolster his odds of emerging as the Browns' Week 1 starter with an impressive showing versus Carolina. "I’ve always believed with this (Browns) regime...what happens in preseason games kind of goes over here in this bucket. But what they really care about is joint practices, what happens in practices. All of that stuff," Labbe said. Cabot noted that Sanders "worked with the backups" during the Browns' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday. That indicates the 2025 fifth-round draft pick remains Cleveland's fourth-choice option at quarterback heading into the Carolina game. Sanders is starting against the Panthers only because 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and presumed backup Kenny Pickett are working to fully recover from hamstring injuries they picked up during training camp. Meanwhile, outlets such as FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list veteran Joe Flacco as the betting favorite (-220 odds) to start Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Thursday morning. To compare, Sanders was at +2500 odds to get the nod for the Bengals matchup. "Here’s why everyone needs to remember these are preseason games," Cabot continued. "You are not getting game-planned for. Nobody’s trying to find your weaknesses. Nobody’s trying to make you do something that you can’t do very well at all. That’s not what happens in these games. ...And that is why preseason, even the games, can be such a mirage. And you have to be so careful with what you think you’re seeing and what you think you know." A Thursday report shared that those running the Browns don't yet believe Sanders is "ready to lead a franchise" and instead view the former Colorado star as "a fifth-round rookie and the fourth quarterback on their depth chart." It sounds like that won't change regardless of how Sanders performs at Carolina's Bank of America Stadium.
Jaydon Blue injury update: Major news emerges on Cowboys RB after Thursday practice exit
According to Nick Harris of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue suffered a bone bruise in his heel on Thursday. Blue was stepped on during practice, initially looking at an ankle sprain. Thankfully, the MRI came back with some positive news. “Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue’s MRI revealed a bone bruise in his heel after it was stepped on in today’s practice, according to a @startelegram source,” Harris said via X. “No ankle sprain. Good news for the young back who has emerged as an offensive playmaker in camp.” Blue previously told Harris that an ankle injury was what he suffered. Questions about the running back’s availability for Saturday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams are now present. Something to watch as kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT from SoFi Stadium. Dallas took Blue in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping to address its running back situation. Blue played his college ball inside the Lone Star State, suiting up for the Texas Longhorns. Plenty of guys at the position have come out of Austin and found quick success. Blue is hoping to be the next one. For now, there is an injury for him to deal with. No exact timeline has been provided per a report or by a team official. Hopefully, Blue is able to get things cleared up quickly and get his first taste of the NFL before Sept. 4’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. More on Jaydon Blue, Cowboys running back situation Running back was a position the Cowboys needed to desperately figure out this offseason. Rico Dowdle, the team’s leading rusher, was no longer on the roster. Behind Dowdle, Dallas did not have much else. A nice mix of veteran presence and youngsters was needed. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders provide the former, while Blue was a part of the draft class alongside Phil Mafah. A combination of those four figures to be on the opening night roster. Exactly how head coach Brian Schottenheimer splits up the carries is not yet known. Blue’s injury certainly does not help the situation. Cowboys players, in general, have been going down throughout training camp thus far. Making sure everyone is healthy will be critical heading into the season. Especially an explosive back like Blue, someone who can change the outcome of any game in just the snap of your fingers.
Carlos Alcaraz Sends Huge Warning to the Rest of the Tour Regarding his Rivalry with Jannik Sinner
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers tries to silence concerning report from training camp
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be silencing concerns related to a recent report that questioned his working relationships with his wide receivers. It was previously learned that Rodgers' "connection" with 2024 third-round draft pick Roman Wilson "took a step in the right direction" during Tuesday's practice. According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Rodgers then "showed off a strong rapport with" Wilson and his other targets on Wednesday. "I just got to get [Wilson] out of his head a little bit, because I think he's such a good kid," Rodgers explained. "He cares so much about -- whether it's my approval or he's doing it right and he's just got to trust himself. He's so damn talented. The more he can play free and not think out there, the better he is going to play. The more he can just trust what he's got and then just go out and react, the better he is going to play." Injuries limited Wilson to just five offensive snaps during his rookie season, but he could potentially emerge as Pittsburgh's WR2 this summer after the club traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys this past spring. Meanwhile, some outsiders previously feared that Rodgers remaining an unsigned free agent until June would hurt his ability to build on-the-field chemistry with his new teammates. On Wednesday, he suggested he's not losing sleep over some missed passes during training-camp sessions. "I think we've been clicking the last three or four days much better," Rodgers said. "Our defense, obviously, we added a lot of pieces to it. Always early in camp with the pads going, the defense seems to have the upper edge, and then the second week it starts to turn a little bit. So I felt like we've been playing better the last week and a half." There remain questions regarding whether or not Rodgers is a good fit for a unit led by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith poured cold water over such concerns in late July, and Rodgers addressed the matter on Wednesday. "We sat [Tuesday] for two and a half hours, just talking ball," Rodgers said about his growing relationship with Smith, per Joe Clark of Steelers Depot. "It's not all Xs and Os. It's storytelling time to time. But he's not a rigid guy at all, so any ideas that I have or ideas that some of the receivers have given me to give to him, everything is taken into consideration. I've just really enjoyed him as a person a lot and the way he leads in front of the room. It's been a lot of fun so far." As of Thursday morning, it was unclear if Rodgers would play when the Steelers open the preseason with a matchup at the Jacksonville Jaguars this coming Saturday night.
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