The women’s NCAA tournament is here, with the bracket set and first-round action scheduled to kick off Friday. UCLA clinched the overall No. 1 seed, while South Carolina, Texas and USC rounded out the remaining top seeds setting up some compelling matchups and the potential for dramatic rematches.
Which players will be difference makers for their teams? The NCAA tournament marks the last outing for college basketball’s top players, as prospects prepare for the WNBA draft on April 14 in a dizzying turnaround.
Here are the WNBA draft prospects to watch during March Madness:
Paige Bueckers, UConn
No surprise here, Bueckers is the all-but-certain No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. (Congratulations are in order for the Dallas Wings.) But before the 23-year-old sets off to make waves in the W, she has unfinished business with UConn. Despite being one of the biggest stars and brightest talents the school has ever seen—and that’s saying a lot about a program that has produced the likes of Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart—Bueckers doesn’t have the team hardware to match. She has one last opportunity to take home a national championship with the Huskies, so expect to see a locked-in Bueckers throughout the Big Dance.
A reliable and versatile facilitator who can score at all three levels, Bueckers is averaging 19 points and 4.9 assists, shooting 53.6% from the field this season. Geno Auriemma & Co. will need Bueckers at her best to end UConn’s national title drought that extends to 2016, with a potential Elite Eight rematch looming against No. 1 seed USC.
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Notre Dame went cold heading into the NCAA tournament, losing three of its last five games. Still, Miles is one of the most impressive players in college basketball, mounting an impressive comeback from an ACL injury that sidelined her for the entire 2023–24 season. She has all the makings of a future WNBA floor general, with incredible court vision, averaging 5.8 assists in her senior campaign. She’s also massively improved her three-point game, shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Niele Ivey will look to reignite the chemistry between Miles and her backcourt compatriot Hannah Hidalgo and shore up some defensive issues as Notre Dame looks to end its year on a high note.
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Citron has a skill set that translates well to the next level. She is a reliable and athletic wing at 6' 1" with a solid three-point shot, shooting 36.7% from deep. A dogged perimeter defender, Citron often gets handed the toughest defensive assignments and has quieted some of college basketball’s craftiest players. As one prong on Notre Dame’s backcourt trident, rounded out by Miles and Hidalgo, Citron spaces the floor and enhances her teammates. The Fighting Irish’s alchemy has been off in recent outings, but if Ivey can get her team back humming, Citron has the potential to be a game-changer in a tricky Birmingham 3 region.
KiKi Iriafen, USC
After three seasons at Stanford, Iriafen is capping off her college career at USC. The star forward’s output is slightly down from her junior campaign with the Cardinal, averaging 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Trojans. It’s still an impressive stat line, and it’s important to consider the different personnel surrounding Iriafen at USC, most notably the team’s leading scorer, JuJu Watkins. At 6' 3", Irafen is athletic and plays tough possession-to-possession. She’s an efficient scorer, shooting 49.9% from the field, and impressive on the boards. After clinching a No. 1 seed, Iriafen and USC hope to exact revenge on UConn, with a potential rematch of last year’s Elite Eight matchup (in which the Huskies got the better of the Trojans) on the horizon.
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
What Amoore may lack in height—standing at 5' 6"—she makes up for in spades with skill. The 23-year-old spent four seasons with Virginia Tech before transferring to Kentucky for her fifth year. Amoore has improved in almost every statistical category this season, averaging 19.1 points, 6.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds for the Wildcats. She exploded for 43 points in a career-high performance against Oklahoma in February. The maestro of Kentucky’s offense, Amoore is an excellent playmaker and facilitator. She may be an alluring prospect for a WNBA team willing to develop a young and fundamentally sound point guard. First, Amoroe and the Wildcats will host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament after clinching their region’s No. 4 seed. Kentucky is joined by UConn, USC and a tricky Kansas State team in a stacked Spokane 4 region.
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Sellers is one of the most versatile players entering this year’s WNBA draft. She can make an impact on the perimeter, get downhill and finish at the rim. The 21-year-old is an efficient scorer, averaging 14.1 points, and shooting 47.9% from the field this season. At 6' 2", Sellers’s size and athleticism will be enticing for many WNBA teams.
Earning the No. 4 seed in the Birmingham 2 region, Maryland secured home court for the first two rounds. And the Terrapins will need any advantage they can get, with Sellers still ramping up to full form after incurring a knee sprain in January.
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Morrow is another star battling injury, seen in a walking boot during the Selection Sunday show. However, LSU coach Kim Mulkey said Morrow is “good to go” after the senior incurred a lower leg injury in the Tigers’ SEC tournament semifinal loss to Texas. (Mulkey said the same for junior guard Flau'jae Johnson who has been sidelined since February due to shin inflammation.) Should LSU make it through a UCLA-led Spokane 1 region, it will need a healthy Morrow.
The 22-year-old leads Division I basketball in double doubles this season (27) and rebounds per game (13.6). Morrow is a tough and physical presence, especially on defense, despite being slightly undersized for her position at 6' 1".
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
A fifth-year senior with a national championship to her name, Paopao has a chance to clinch back-to-back NCAA titles with South Carolina before moving on to the WNBA. Paopao is a competent combo guard who can facilitate plays and has a skill set that translates well to the pros. She is an elite shooter, averaging 36.6% from beyond the arc and 44.4% from the field. Beyond posing a threat on the perimeter Paopao has developed into a disciplined defender on a stout South Carolina team. The Gamecocks have a friendly path to the Final Four, despite losing out on the No. 1 overall seed to UCLA. Dawn Staley’s team has been playing its best basketball in the lead-up to the NCAA tournament, so watch out for Paopao to pull the strings on an offense peaking at the right time.
Azzi Fudd, UConn
Fudd has yet to decide whether she’ll be returning to Storrs for a fifth year or moving on to the WNBA. The 22-year-old has played in just 70 games in her four seasons with UConn, struggling with injuries throughout her collegiate career. While health will likely be a consideration in evaluations of Fudd, she’s also shown qualities enticing for any pro team. She is an excellent shooter, capable of creating her own shot and is a threat from anywhere, averaging 47.2% from the field and 43.4% from beyond the arc. Fudd knows how to show up in big games, too, scoring 28 points in UConn’s February win over South Carolina and averaging double figures in each of the Huskies’ Big East tournament games. If Auriemma’s group can pull off an NCAA title win, perhaps Fudd will be swayed to declare for the WNBA draft.
More March Madness on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA Draft Prospects to Watch During March Madness.
