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2023 WNBA Draft: Complete results, grades as Aliyah Boston goes No. 1 to Indiana Fever – CBS Sports
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The 2023 WNBA Draft is in the books. As expected, the Indiana Fever selected Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick and now have a franchise building block as they look to turn things around following six consecutive lottery appearances. The three-time unanimous First Team All-American and former Naismith Player of the Year is one of the best prospects to enter the league in a number of years.
Rounding out the lottery, the Minnesota Lynx picked Diamond Miller at No. 2, while the Dallas Wings took Maddy Siegrist at No. 3, then traded with the Washington Mystics to get the No. 4 pick and added Stephanie Soares.
Now that the action is all wrapped up, here are the full results along with breakdowns and grades for every first-round pick.
No surprise here. Boston has been the projected No. 1 pick for well over a year and the Fever made that official. Boston was a dominant interior presence in college at South Carolina, where she was a three-time unanimous First Team All-American, two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and 2022 Naismith Player of the Year. She has all the physical tools and skills on both sides of the ball to be a franchise player and help turn around a Fever franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2016.
Grade: A+
Miller surged up the draft boards thanks to a terrific senior season that saw her lead Maryland to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015. At 6-foot-3 she has guard skills in a forward’s body and boasts incredible potential on both sides of the ball. The Lynx will pair her with Napheesa Collier to form an exciting wing combo that gives them a good foundation for a new era of basketball in Minnesota.
Grade: A
The Wings were in need of more scoring and shooting on the wing (no pun intended) after losing Allisha Gray and Marina Mabrey in the winter, and Siegrist should be able to provide that. She led the nation in scoring at 29.2 points per game and shot 36.1 percent from 3-point land for Villanova last season.
Grade: A
Trade: The Mystics traded the No. 4 pick to the Wings for a future first-round pick and a future second-round pick
Soares, a two-time Player of the Year at the NAIA level, was impressing in her first season at Iowa State before tearing her ACL in January and will not be able to play this summer. Her injury history and lack of experience at a high level mean this pick does come with some risk, but Soares has serious upside as a rim-protecting, floor-spacing big if she can stay healthy.
Grade: B+
Lopez Senechal transferred from Fairfield to UConn prior to last season and proved the step up in competition was no problem. She is the best outside shooter in the draft, making 44 percent of her attempts from behind the arc for the Huskies. It’s a bit of a surprise that she went No. 5, but the Wings wanted to target shooting and they got it in Senechal.
Grade: B
Jones ended up slipping out of the lottery because she never developed an outside shot, but she does just about everything else well. She’ll be able to guard multiple positions and thrives as a playmaker, especially in transition, which should make her a good fit in Atlanta. There are some questions about how she’ll fare without being willing or able to shoot, but at this point in the draft it’s a no-brainer for the Dream.
Grade: A
The Indiana Hoosier star stays in state at No. 7 to the Fever. Berger isn’t much of an outside threat, but she’s a tough, efficient, versatile guard with good size at 6 feet tall. She may not have the upside of some other players, but she should be a reliable contributor right away. Solid pick-up for the Fever.
Grade: B
After taking Haley Jones at No. 6, the Dream add another athletic, versatile wing in Laeticia Amihere. The 6-foot-4 forward didn’t put up big stats at South Carolina, but she was able to adapt to whatever role head coach Dawn Staley asked her to fill. That ability, combined with her length and athleticism on the wing makes her an exciting prospect with all sorts of upside.
Grade: A-
Horston falling all the way to No. 9 was a bit surprising, but the Storm won’t be complaining as they get by far the best prospect on the board. At 6-foot-2, Horston has great size and athleticism on the wing, defends and is an underrated playmaker. She’ll need to continue refining her game, but she has a ton of potential. A great addition for the Storm as they try to rebuild post-Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird.
Grade: A
The third member of the Gamecock’s historic 2018 recruiting class is off the board. Los Angeles needed some backcourt depth and went with Cooke, who made two NCAA All-Tournament teams and is coming off the most impressive and efficient offensive season of her collegiate career. If the improved 3-point shot she flashed as a senior carries over to the pros, she’ll be a good fit for the Sparks.
Grade: B
The Wings were serious about improving their wing scoring and shooting. Their final first-round pick was a surprise as they went with Abby Meyers out of Maryland. The 6-foot wing shot 38.8 percent from 3-point land in her first season with the Terrapins after transferring from Princeton and is coming off a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament.
Grade: C
The Lynx need a new center after Sylvia Fowles retired and hope that Hirsch can one day fill those shoes. When that will be remains to be seen, however, as the 19-year-old is not expected to come over to the states this season. She’s an exciting prospect with a high defensive ceiling.
Grade: B
13. Indiana Fever: Taylor Mikesell (G, Ohio State)
14. Los Angeles Sparks: Shaneice Swain (G, Australia)
15. Atlanta Dream: Leigha Brown (G, Michigan)
16. Minnesota Lynx: Dorka Juhasz (F, UConn)
17. Indiana Fever: LaDazhia Williams (F, LSU)
18. Seattle Storm: Madi Williams (F, Oklahoma)
19. Dallas Wings: Ashley Joens (F, Iowa State)
20. Washington Mystics: Elena Tsineke (G, USF)
21. Seattle Storm: Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (F, USF)
22. Connecticut Sun: Alexis Morris (G, LSU)
23. Chicago Sky: Kayana Traylor (G, Virginia Tech)
24. Minnesota Lynx: Brea Beal (G, South Carolina)
25. Indiana Fever: Victaria Saxton (F, South Carolina)
26. Los Angeles Sparks: Monika Czinano (F, Iowa)
27. Phoenix Mercury: Destiny, Harden (G, Miami)
28. Minnesota Lynx: Taylor Soule (G, Virginia Tech)
29. Phoenix Mercury: Kadi Sissoko (F, USC)
30. New York Liberty: Okako Askia (F, USC)
31. Dallas Wings: Paige Robinson (C, Illinois State)
32. Washington Mystics: Txell Alarcon (G, Spain)
33. Seattle Storm: Jade Loville (G, Arizona)
34. Connecicut Sun: Ashten Prechtel (C, Stanford)
35. Chicago Sky: Kseniya Malashka (G, Middle Tennessee)
36. Las Vegas Aces: Brittany Davis (G, Alabama)
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