Now that the college basketball season is behind us, the 2018 WNBA Draft is coming up in just one week in New York City! The Las Vegas Aces will have the first pick in the Draft and hope to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 when they were the San Antonio Stars.
Two teams have two first round picks. The Indiana Fever pick second in this draft. They also acquired the eighth pick in a three-team deal with the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx. That trade sent Briann January to Phoenix, Danielle Robinson to Minnesota, and the Lynx's 12th overall pick to Phoenix.
The Chicago Sky pick third in the draft which they acquired in a deal with the Dream. Chicago will also pick fourth.
Here are four mock drafts from around the web:
Associated Press
- Las Vegas - A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina
- Indiana - Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
- Chicago (via Atlanta) - Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee
- Chicago - Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut
- Seattle - Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
- Dallas - Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut
- Washington -Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St
- Indiana (via Phoenix)- Maria Vadeeva, C, Dynamo Kursk
- Connecticut - Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut
- New York - Ariel Atkins, G, Texas
- Los Angeles - Stephanie Mavunga, F, Ohio State
- Phoenix (via Minnesota) - Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State
The AP mock draft is made of several WNBA GM's and coaches. No GM or coach could pick for his or her team.
Just to make it clear; it was a few GMs and coaches who selected each @WNBA mock draft we did. Not the entire league. And those coaches couldn't choose for their own teams.
— Doug Feinberg (@DougFeinberg) 4 april 2018
DraftSite
- Las Vegas - A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina
- Indiana - Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut
- Chicago (via Atlanta) - Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
- Chicago - Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee
- Seattle - Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
- Dallas - Mercedes Russell, C, Tennessee
- Washington - Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut
- Indiana (via Phoenix) - Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut
- Connecticut - Lexie Brown, G, Duke
- New York - Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St
- Los Angeles - Monique Billings, F, UCLA
- Phoenix (via Minnesota) - Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State
Aneela Khan
- Las Vegas - A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina
- Indiana - Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut
- Chicago (via Atlanta) - Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
- Chicago - Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut
- Seattle - Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
- Dallas - Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee
- Washington - Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St
- Indiana (via Phoenix) - Lexie Brown, G, Duke
- Connecticut - Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut
- New York - Maria Vadeeva, C, Dynamo Kursk
- Los Angeles - Monique Billings, F, UCLA
- Phoenix (via Minnesota) - Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State
High Post Hoops
- Las Vegas - A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina
- Indiana - Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
- Chicago (via Atlanta) - Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee
- Chicago - Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut
- Seattle - Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
- Dallas - Lexie Brown, G, Duke
- Washington - Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut
- Indiana (via Phoenix) - Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St
- Connecticut - Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut
- New York - Maria Vadeeva, C, Dynamo Kursk
- Los Angeles - Stephanie Mavunga, F, Ohio State
- Phoenix (via Minnesota) - Monique Billings, F, UCLA
Some trends from the mock drafts:
- A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, and Diamond DeShields are all going to be in the Top-4 barring an unforeseen surprise. Wilson is practically a lock for the number one pick at this point.
- UConn's Azura Stevens declared for the WNBA Draft soon after the NCAA women's basketball tournament ended last Sunday. She figures to be a lottery pick as well, but she probably won't be the number one pick.
- Not everyone is convinced that Russian national Maria Vadeeva will be a first-round pick, possibly because many European players prefer to play for their national teams over the WNBA in the summer. That may be holding Kia Nurse back a little too.