Arya News - March Madness is prime time to see WNBA prospects play in exciting, high-pressure games, and it also gives fans an idea of what those players will look like when they start their pro careers.
The WNBA Draft is April 14, just over a week after the NCAA championship game on April 6. With the WNBA schedule starting preseason games in early May, there’s not a ton of time to waste between the end of the college season and the beginning of the W. That means March Madness , which tips off for the women on Friday, is prime time to see WNBA prospects play in exciting, high-pressure games, and it also gives fans an idea of what those players will look like when they start their pro careers.
Note: UConn"s Azzi Fudd and Florida State"s Ta’Niya Latson are not included in this list, as both have indicated they plan to stay in college for one more season.
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1. Paige Bueckers, UConn
Bueckers burst onto the scene in 2021, winning the Naismith, Wooden and AP Player of the Year awards. But then she dealt with various injuries over the years, and there was no way of knowing what Bueckers would be when she returned. Somehow, now that she’s healthy, she managed to shatter expectations. In short, she’s a special player a team can build around. She can shoot (19.0 points per game), she can assist (4.9 assists) and she can steal the ball from opponents (2.0 steals), while also being a tremendous leader for UConn. Bueckers has already won the Big East Player of the Year Award twice. Bueckers has cemented herself as a star both on and off the court, and it"ll be thrilling to see what she will do next.
2. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Remember what we said about guards from Notre Dame? Miles is one of those players who makes a difference every single time she is on the court. She’s averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 assists per game, with the latter ranking the best in the ACC. Notre Dame struggled in the final weeks of the season and in the ACC tournament, and her good play will be key to helping Notre Dame change their momentum.
3. Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Following in the footsteps of fellow Tiger Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow is a double-double machine at LSU. She’s even averaging a double-double, with 18.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per game (best in the SEC). LSU (28-5) doesn’t have the same expectations this season as in previous years, and it fell to Texas in the SEC tournament semifinal, but Morrow can power them to a long run.
4. Kiki Iriafen, USC
Before we get to her basketball skills, did you know Kiki Iriafen earned her bachelor’s degree in design engineering before transferring to USC, where she is working towards a master’s? This is a woman who can multitask, and those abilities are evident on the court. She’s averaging 8.3 rebounds and 18.2 points per game, and her contributions will be key if the Trojans want to have a long run in the tournament after falling to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament final.
5. Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Think about how successful previous Notre Dame guards have been in making the leap to the WNBA: Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young and Skylar Diggins-Smith have 19 All-Star selections and several championships between them. Whichever team picks Citron will find a player well-prepared for the league, and one who can hit big shots when the pressure is on. While Notre Dame lost in the ACC tournament semifinal to Duke, Citron had an impressive season, posting 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
6. Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
What Te-Hina Paopao brings to her Gamecock teammates is a calm, controlled way to move the ball. She doesn’t make huge mistakes, turning over the ball just 1.2 times per game while still getting the ball into the hands of her teammates to score. South Carolina won the title in 2024, and they can do it again if she keeps her game up. The Gamecocks didn"t have as dominant of a season as they"re used to, but they still captured the SEC tournament championship in a 64-45 win over Texas.
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Te-Hina Paopao will look to lead South Carolina deep into the NCAA tournament yet again. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
7. Saniya Rivers, NC State
Saniya Rivers is someone who knows how to win. She won a national championship with South Carolina before transferring to North Carolina State and leading the Wolfpack to the Final Four in 2024. With 11.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, she doesn’t put up the biggest numbers. But she puts in the work that doesn’t show up on a scoresheet.
8. Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
After spending most of her career at Virginia Tech, Amoore followed coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky. She brought with her an ability to score and set up others to score, as well. Last year, she led the ACC in assists per game with 6.8; this year, she led the SEC in assists per game with 6.9. She can get hot from the 3-point line, too, so look for her to make key shots for Kentucky in the tournament. While the Wildcats were bounced from their first SEC tournament game, Amoore led the team in scoring with 29 points in the loss to Oklahoma.
9. Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Shyanne Sellers has been dealing with a knee sprain for much of 2025, and she scored just two points in the Terrapins’ 98-71 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinal. But when she’s healthy, she can be a scoring machine — she averaged 14.1 points per game this season. With two weeks off between her last game in the Big Ten and the NCAA tournament, she has time to recover and be the player she’s capable of being.
10. Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Few athletes have had the experience of Hailey Van Lith, who went to a Final Four with Louisville, the Elite Eight with LSU, and now is helping reinvigorate a TCU program that had to ask for walk-ons last season because injuries had decimated the roster. Van Lith has had a strong season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Throw in that she is already an Olympian — winning a bronze medal in 3x3 in Paris — and Van Lith brings incredible experience to the court. TCU, which won the Big 12 tournament, is one of the more fascinating stories of the tournament, so you won’t regret keeping an eye on her.
