WNBA Rookie Report: The Final Verdict on the 2025 Class
Four months ago, we took an initial look at the 2025 rookie class. Now, with the season complete, first impressions have given way to final résumés.
Some lived up to their lottery-pick billing, others exceeded all expectations to become cornerstones, and many solidified their roles for the future. From franchise-changing talents to key contributors, our final rookie review breaks down how each team’s draft picks performed in their debut season.
Atlanta Dream
🔗 Read the Atlanta Dream Draft Tracker here
Te-Hina Paopao was a revelation for the Dream in her rookie season. After stepping in for an injured Jordin Canada early in the year, she never looked back, providing a steadying presence at the point guard position all season long. Her playmaking was solid and her shooting was stellar, finishing the regular season at an efficient 44% from the field and 38.6% from three. Paopao elevated her game further in the postseason, shooting a blistering 53.3% overall and 37.5% from deep, proving she is a keeper.
Meanwhile, Taylor Thierry struggled to find a consistent role and continued to play limited minutes throughout the season. While her defensive energy flashed in spurts, she remains a developmental project. Overall, Atlanta’s draft class was a success, landing a dependable contributor in Paopao.
Chicago Sky
🔗 Read the Chicago Sky Draft Tracker here
The Chicago Sky’s rookie class had an eventful first season. As expected, Ajša Sivka deferred her debut, with the Slovenian forward set to play in the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, after Courtney Vandersloot’s injury, the anticipated increase in minutes for Hailey Van Lith never materialized, and her role remained inconsistent throughout the season. She finished her rookie campaign averaging 3.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Expect a leap from the young guard next year.
The biggest surprise came from Maddy Westbeld. After playing sparingly for most of the year, injuries to teammates propelled her into the rotation late in the season, and she responded. In that stretch, Westbeld averaged 9.0 points while shooting an incredible 53.3% from three, highlighted by a 25-point, 7-rebound performance where she shot 5-of-6 from deep in the season finale. Her strong finish was a major bright spot and provides optimism for her future role with the team.
Connecticut Sun
🔗 Read the Connecticut Sun Draft Tracker here
The Connecticut Sun’s 2025 draft class finished the season as one of the league’s most promising groups.
Aneesah Morrow overcame an early-season injury to become a significant contributor. Her persistence paid off late in the year when she was inserted into the starting lineup, providing a major boost with her energy and rebounding. She finished the season averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, highlighted by a 20-point, 11-rebound performance.
Saniya Rivers built on her strong start and continued to impress all season with her versatile, all-around game. She solidified her role as a key do-everything guard, consistently making an impact with her defense, playmaking, and scoring.
Perhaps no rookie made a bigger late-season impact than Leila Lacan. Missing the first 17 games of the season, the French guard was a revelation. Her suffocating on-ball defense and dynamic offensive play immediately energized the team. The prospect of a future backcourt featuring the lethal combination of Rivers and Lacan is a major reason for excitement in Connecticut.
Meanwhile, Rayah Marshall played limited minutes and remains a long-term developmental project for the Sun.
Golden State Valkyries
🔗 Read the Golden State Valkyries Draft Tracker here
The Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural season was defined by stellar play from a pair of rookies who weren’t even from the 2025 draft class.
The undisputed breakout star was Janelle Salaun. The undrafted rookie from France played with the poise of a seasoned veteran, becoming a key part of the Valkyries’ rotation and earning a selection to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She finished her debut season averaging an impressive 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Joining her in making a major impact was Carla Leite, the No. 9 pick from the 2024 draft who made her debut this year. The guard impressed all season with her aggressive drives and dynamic playmaking, quickly establishing herself as an exciting foundational piece for the franchise’s future.
Meanwhile, 2025 first-round pick Justė Jocytė officially deferred her rookie season. The Lithuanian phenom is expected to join the Valkyries in 2026, adding another high-level talent to this already promising young core.
Dallas Wings
🔗 Read the Dallas Wings Draft Tracker here
The Dallas Wings hit the jackpot with their 2025 draft class, headlined by a truly historic rookie campaign from Paige Bueckers. Stepping in as the team’s primary playmaker from day one, Bueckers was sensational, earning a WNBA All-Star selection and running away with the Rookie of the Year award. She finished the season averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting an efficient 47.7% from the field, 33.1% from three, and 88.8% from the free-throw line.
The supporting cast also showed significant promise. Aziaha James‘ minutes fluctuated throughout the season, but she proved to be an instant-offense weapon, showing she can score in bunches when given the opportunity.
JJ Quinerly also played well in her role and was impressive enough to start in 13 games for the Wings. Unfortunately, her promising rookie season was cut short when she missed the final month with an injury. Overall, the Wings’ draft was a successful one, landing a franchise cornerstone in Bueckers and two promising guards.
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Indiana Fever
🔗 Read the Indiana Fever Draft Tracker here
Opportunities were scarce for the Indiana Fever’s 2025 rookie class.
Makayla Timpson continued to play limited minutes. While her athleticism and shot-blocking instincts were evident in her brief appearances, she remained a developmental project.
The story was similar for Bree Hall, who struggled to find a consistent roster spot. After being waived mid-season, she was picked back up by the team late in the year but saw minimal playing time.
Overall, the Fever’s 2025 draft class remains a group of long-term prospects whose future roles are still to be determined.
Las Vegas Aces
🔗 Read the Las Vegas Aces Draft Tracker here
With Harmoni Turner waived before the season, the Aces’ 2025 draft class consisted of a single player in Aaliyah Nye.
Over the course of the season, Nye carved out a consistent role for herself in the Aces’ rotation. She earned steady minutes, including 2 starts, as a 3-and-D guard, spacing the floor on offense and providing solid effort on the defensive end. In doing so, Nye proved to be a natural fit within the Aces’ system and a valuable addition to the team.
Los Angeles Sparks
🔗 Read the Los Angeles Sparks Draft Tracker here
Sarah Ashlee Barker was a key contributor early in the year, starting a handful of games and providing steady, mature play while the team dealt with injuries. However, as the roster returned to full strength, her role reduced significantly, and she saw limited minutes in the second half of the season.
The team’s other draft picks struggled to make an impact. Liatu King was ultimately waived, and Sania Feagin saw only limited minutes throughout the year, remaining a developmental project.
While Barker’s early season play showed promise, the season ended with questions about how the Sparks’ rookies will fit into the team’s long-term plans.
Minnesota Lynx
🔗 Read the Minnesota Lynx Draft Tracker here
Anastasiia Olairi Kosu remained a long-term project throughout her rookie season. She saw very limited minutes, and while her raw tools are intriguing, she continues to adjust to the pace and physicality of the WNBA.
As expected, forward Aubrey Griffin missed the entire season while recovering from surgery. The team’s other pick, Dalayah Daniels, was waived before the season began.
Ultimately, the Lynx’s 2025 draft class provided minimal immediate impact, and its true value—centered on the long-term potential of Kosu and Griffin—remains a question for future seasons.
New York Liberty
🔗 Read the New York Liberty Draft Tracker here
As expected, the New York Liberty’s 2025 draft class had no impact on the 2025 season.
Their lone selection, French center Adja Kane, was a draft-and-stash pick who did not join the team this year. The Liberty are allowing her to continue playing overseas while they retain her rights.
Phoenix Mercury
🔗 Read the Phoenix Mercury Draft Tracker here
Phoenix’s approach of relying on undrafted rookies paid off significantly, with several players becoming key contributors throughout the 2025 season.
The biggest discovery was guard Monique Akoa Makani, who stepped up amidst early-season injuries. She started 40 games as a rookie, providing solid defense while averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 assists.
Kathryn Westbeld also carved out a place in the rotation, shining in a limited but impactful role where she provided timely shooting and smart team play off the bench.
Meanwhile, Lexi Held and Kitija Laksa, who both performed well and played significant minutes at the beginning of the season, saw their roles reduced as the roster got healthier and the rotation tightened for the playoffs.
Overall, the Mercury’s 2025 rookie class was a resounding success, proving that value can be found outside the draft.
Seattle Storm
🔗 Read the Seattle Storm Draft Tracker here
While the Storm’s 2025 draft class thinned out early, their lone remaining rookie, Dominique Malonga, finished the season as one of the most exciting young players in the league.
As the WNBA’s youngest player, Malonga began the year as a raw project. However, she showed significant growth in both her game and confidence, particularly toward the end of the season and in the playoffs, where her elite athleticism and size started to translate into consistent production.
The future is incredibly bright for the young center. After a stellar finish to her rookie season, expect Malonga to become a starter next season.
Washington Mystics
🔗 Read the Washington Mystics Draft Tracker here
The Washington Mystics’ 2025 draft class wasn’t just impactful; it produced two WNBA All-Stars who look like franchise cornerstones for years to come.
Sonia Citron was spectacular, earning an All-Star nod as a rookie Her shooting efficiency was truly elite, finishing the year with incredible shooting percentages of 47% from the field, 44.5% from three, and 87.2% from the free-throw line, coming remarkably close to joining the coveted 50/40/90 club that few players have reached.
Her running mate, Kiki Iriafen, was equally impressive in the frontcourt. Also named a rookie All-Star, Iriafen was a durable and consistent force, starting all 44 games and averaging 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting an efficient 48.8%.
While the Mystics’ other picks had quieter seasons—Georgia Amoore missed the season due to injury and Lucy Olsen had a a smaller role off the bench—the emergence of Citron and Iriafen made this arguably the best draft class in the league and a home run for the franchise.
Final Thoughts
With the 2025 season complete, the rookie class has proven to be one of the most impactful in recent memory.
Stars like Dallas’s Paige Bueckers (Rookie of the Year) and Washington’s Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen not only lived up to the hype but exceeded it, earning All-Star nods in their first year. They were joined by pleasant surprises like Golden State’s undrafted forward Janelle Salaun, who played her way onto the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Beyond the award winners, the class demonstrated remarkable depth. Phoenix’s Monique Akoa Makani started 40 games, Atlanta’s Te-Hina Paopao became a reliable contributor, and Seattle’s Dominique Malonga finished the year as a player on a clear star trajectory.
📲 Want the full breakdown for each team? Check out the individual team pages!
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