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WNBA Draft 2023: The top 10 prospects to watch during March Madness – CBS Sports
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On April 10, the next wave of WNBA stars will walk across the stage during the 2023 draft. Before we get there, most of those same players will try to lead their college teams to a national championship during the Women’s NCAA basketball tournament this month.
Ahead of all the exciting action, here’s a look at 10 prospects to watch during March Madness.
Boston has been in this position for a few years now, and that remains the case heading into the tournament, where she’ll try to lead the undefeated Gamecocks to a third Final Four in a row and back-to-back national championships. If they can go all the way, they’ll become the first team to repeat since UConn’s four-peat from 2013-16.
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While Boston’s 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and two blocks per game are not eye-popping numbers, they actually speak to both her and her team’s dominance. Boston is routinely double, even triple-teamed when she attempts to operate in the post. In addition, because the Gamecocks games are non-competitive — they had more 50-point wins (five) than single-digit wins (four) — Boston has only played 25.9 minutes per game.
On the offensive side of the ball, Boston prefers to operate around the basket, where she has an array of post moves and feasts on the offensive glass. And unlike some collegiate stars, Boston has the size, athleticism and skill to do the same at the next level. It will be interesting, however, to see if she ever seriously expands her range. She only took 41 jump shots this season and shot 26.8% on them, per Synergy Sports. A more reliable jumper, even if only from the mid-range, would make her an even bigger matchup problem.
Another list narrowed but our 👑 @aa_boston remains! https://t.co/0UBgWzkf0B pic.twitter.com/mWdoQ06w3y
Boston is likewise most comfortable and effective in the paint on defense, both on the ball and as a help defender. She excels at staying vertical, which means she almost never fouls — 1.5 per game this season — and has terrific timing to go along with her obvious physical attributes. But do not let that fool you into thinking she’s a typical big that you can exploit by pulling away from the basket; she’s agile enough to hold her own on the perimeter when necessary.
Last summer, Boston was the only collegiate player invited to Team USA’s training camp ahead of the FIBA Women’s World Cup. Though she ended up being one of the final cuts for the squad that went on to win the gold medal, the fact that she was included says all you need to know about her status in the game.
Boston is the best prospect to enter the league since fellow South Carolina star A’ja Wilson in 2018. And like Wilson, Boston has the potential to be a foundational franchise player.
Diamond Miller (G, Maryland)
Though Miller was a surefire first-round pick coming into the season, there were some questions about how she would look after a disappointing campaign that was cut short due to knee surgery. The answer: better than ever.
Miller has established herself as the likely No. 2 overall pick by doing a little bit of everything for the Lady Terrapins. She averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Of the 52 players in Division I that had at least 600 offensive possessions, only eight were more efficient than Miller at 0.974 points per possession, per Synergy Sports.
At 6-foot-3, Miller’s size and skill on the perimeter is what makes her such an intriguing pro prospect. She shines in transition, where she can really put her athleticism on display, but she can also get into the paint off the dribble in the half court and has deft footwork to create shots that don’t seem to be there. Like many players, her ceiling will depend in large part on her jump shot; she’s a career 30.3% 3-point shooter in college, but her strong free throw shooting (79.1%) suggests there’s room for improvement.
On the other side of the ball, Miller has all the tools to be a disruptive defensive player. She’s active, has good hands and has the length and athleticism to guard multiple positions — though she will need to get stronger in order to avoid getting bullied in the post.
Haley Jones (G/F, Stanford)
Jones, who already has a national championship and an NCAA Most Outstanding Player award to her name, continued her storied collegiate career this season by leading Stanford to a 28-5 record and a No. 1 seed in the tournament. She did so while averaging 13.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, all of which were career-high marks.
And yet, among all the top prospects, Jones’ stock has seemingly dropped the most, due in large part to her total lack of an outside shot. She hasn’t made a 3-pointer since Dec. 20, and for her career is 23-of-104 from behind the arc.
Without a marked improvement from beyond the arc, Jones’ ceiling is likely limited. But given Jones’ versatility on both sides of the ball and her atypical feel for the game, it’s hard to imagine her not being a productive WNBA player. She’s athletic, a terrific playmaker and a dogged defender who can guard multiple positions.
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