Valkyries to Select Fifth in Each Round of WNBA Draft 2025 (Apr 14); ESPN projects GSV to select Olivia Miles

The WNBA announced:

The WNBA Draft 2025 presented by State Farm is currently scheduled to take place on Monday, April 14, 2025. In addition, the league announced today that the expansion team Golden State Valkyries, set to begin play in 2025, will have the fifth selection in each of the three rounds of the WNBA Draft 2025 presented by State Farm. Golden State will begin assembling the team’s inaugural roster when the league conducts the Golden State Expansion Draft on Friday, December 6, on ESPN.

Who might GSV draft?

Here is ESPN's 2025 WNBA Mock Draft. Before you start photoshopping jerseys, keep in mind that these rankings move around through the year (we haven't even played the college basketball season!) and anyway teams may not make the predicted picks. This will be the focus of a lot of our speculation for the next 6 months.

1. Paige Bueckers — Los Angeles
2. Kiki Iriafen — Dallas
3. Aneesah Morrow — Chicago
4. Azzi Fudd — Washington
5. Olivia Miles — Golden State
6. Shyanne Sellers — Washington
7. Dominique Malonga — New York
8. Janiah Barker — Indiana
9. Rori Harmon — Seattle
10. Te-Hina Paopao — Chicago
11. Sonia Citron — Minnesota
12. Georgia Amoore — Phoenix

Olivia Miles is a fun passing point guard who has been injured since Feb 2023, but is returning to Notre Dame this season.

More details

The WNBA announced:

The WNBA Draft Lottery 2025 presented by State Farm^® will be broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN, the WNBA announced today.

ESPN will air the 30-minute, WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm special at 5 p.m. ET, following its presentation of the TCU vs. North Carolina State women’s basketball game. WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin will reveal the results of the Lottery during ESPN’s coverage. 

The Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics will take part in the 24^th annual WNBA Draft Lottery.

Lottery odds are based on the two-year (2023 and 2024) cumulative records of the four teams that did not make the playoffs in the most recent season. 

...

Below are the number of chances for teams to land the top pick in WNBA Draft Lottery 2025 presented by State Farm^®.

WNBA DRAFT LOTTERY 2025 PRESENTED BY STATE FARM^®

    Team                                                     Combined                                 Chances                                                                         2023-2024 Record             

1.         Los Angeles Sparks                                        25-55                                         44.2%

2.         Dallas Wings*                                                31-49                                          22.7%

3.         Chicago Sky*                                                  31-49                                          22.7%

4.         Washington Mystics                                     33-47                                          10.4%

REMAINING ORDER FOR FIRST ROUND (picks 6-12 based on 2024 Record)

5.         Golden State Valkyries

6.         Washington from Atlanta Dream (15-25) via Dallas (Allisha Gray, 1/21/23) (Stephanie Soares draft rights, 4/10/23)

7.         Phoenix Mercury^ (19-21)

8.         Indiana Fever (20-20)

9.         Seattle Storm (25-15)

10.       Chicago Sky from Connecticut Sun (28-12) (Marina Mabrey, Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, 7/17/24)

11.       Minnesota Lynx (30-10)

12.       New York Liberty^ (32-8)

* Dallas has the right to swap its own first round pick for Chicago’s own first round pick (Marina Mabrey, Diamond DeShields, Michaela Onyenwere, 2/11/23)

^ New York has the right to swap its own first round pick for Phoenix’s own first round pick (Mabrey, DeShields, Onyenwere, 2/11/23)

In May of 2023, the Las Vegas Aces had their own first round pick rescinded for violating league rules.