WNBA: With no Olivia Miles, who ought to the Storm choose at No. 2?

The Seattle Storm probably have skilled waves of feelings about proudly owning the No. 2 general decide within the 2025 WNBA Draft.

First, the decide, whereas a pleasant prize, probably won’t replicate the manufacturing of Jewell Loyd, the erstwhile franchise participant whose commerce to the Las Vegas Aces resulted in Seattle buying the choice from the Los Angeles Sparks, who introduced in Kelsey Plum as a part of the three-team deal. And nonetheless, contemplating Loyd had demanded a commerce and focused her subsequent vacation spot, receiving a excessive lottery decide in alternate represented a fairly sturdy return, even when the Storm additionally needed to ship the No. 9 decide to LA.

Then, as Olivia Miles was placing collectively a formidable senior season for Notre Dame after lacking all of final 12 months resulting from a knee harm, Seattle had be feeling fairly psyched in regards to the alternative to create a(nother) all-Irish backcourt with Miles and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Miles, taking pictures a career-best 40.6 p.c from 3 whereas remaining one of many school sport’s most inventive playmakers, had established herself because the consensus No. 2 decide, together with by our Eric Nemchock.

But, Miles decided that disrupted Seattle’s goals, selecting to forgo the draft, return to varsity and enter the switch portal, finally committing to TCU. Nevertheless, a glimmer of a extra promising chance nearly immediately emerged, as LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson expressed transient indecision about her future earlier than saying that she’s going to train her remaining season of school eligibility.

So, Seattle sits at No. 2, with their greatest choices seemingly exhausted. Or possibly not. A group that includes Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams, complemented by a refreshed supporting forged of Alysha Clark, Katie Lou Samuelson, Erica Wheeler and Lexie Brown, just isn’t missing for expertise. It’s additionally a flexible group with none evident wants, giving the group the choice to prioritize completely different participant sorts.

Relying on the group’s outlook, three gamers might take advantage of sense for the Storm: Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron, USC’s Kiki Iriafen or French phenom Dominque Malonga.

Sonia Citron is a win-now, plug-and-play piece

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Final season, the Storm did not emerge as a professional championship contender, a lot much less the tremendous group it appeared they’d be after the splashy signings of Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike. That mentioned, this offseason’s lack of Loyd won’t dim the championship ambitions of the veteran core, particularly for the title-less Diggins-Smith.

If the Seattle brass desires to usher in a rookie who will contribute to the franchise’s championship chase, there’s not a greater candidate than Citron. Diggins-Smith already has provided effusive reward for her fellow Combating Irish, calling her a “Regular Betty.” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey referred her the “silent murderer.” Collectively, the nicknames encapsulate the ready-made, never-rattled “3-and-D” skillset she would supply the Storm, succesful hounding opposing perimeter gamers on one finish and capable of thrive as an off-ball scorer on the opposite. And as Eric highlighted in his draft profile of Citron, she will be able to exceed the “3-and-D” archetype, which she proved throughout her junior season, when, with Miles absent resulting from harm, she assumed extra possessions because the Irish’s main pick-and-roll playmaker.

As a junior, she averaged a career-high 17.3 factors per sport, whereas her profession common landed at 14.3 factors per sport. She added 2.5 assists and 5.8 boards per sport throughout her 4 seasons in South Bend, all whereas giving no quarter on the defensive finish.

Citron might not have the star upside of a really perfect No. 2 decide, however she profiles as a star in her position who will likely be a constant contributor to profitable groups all through a years-long WNBA profession—and, probably, as quickly as her rookie 12 months in Seattle.

Kiki Iriafen might blossom into future All-Star

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Iriafen’s star flickered throughout her senior season, elevating questions on her skilled potential.

Getting into her remaining school season, Iriafen was the near-consensus No. 2 decide, recent off a unbelievable junior season at Stanford and anticipated to kind a dynamic duo with JuJu Watkins at Southern Cal. Iriafen’s lone season as a Trojan was up and down, along with her general manufacturing reducing at the same time as she turned in some top-tier performances. None was higher than her Spherical of 32 masterpiece towards Mississippi State, when she carried the Trojans, down the injured Watkins, into the Candy 16 with 36 factors and 9 rebounds. She then struggled towards Kansas State and UConn, with USC exiting the event in need of the Remaining 4.

The latter performances have been illustrative of the dearth of enchancment that Jack Bonin flagged in a function on Iriafen revealed in December, when he analyzed her limitations as a rim protector and her inconsistent leap taking pictures. In opposition to the Wildcats and Huskies, her jumper was not falling, resulting in inefficient outings. At her greatest, Iriafen’s scoring prowess offers A’ja Wilson vibes. However Iriafen, in distinction to Wilson, has video games the place she fails to make a significant influence.

But, studying from Ogwumike and Magbegor can be a near-perfect WNBA laboratory for Iriafen, and deciding on her might find yourself as the perfect experiment for Seattle.

Iriafen can be the in-training inheritor obvious for Ogwumike, finally turning into the offensive-first frontcourt companion for the extra defensively-equipped Magbegor. Till that point, Iriafen might present off-the-bench scoring pop in the correct matchups, steadily gaining the reps required to succeed in her still-possible All-Star upside.

Dominque Malonga is likely to be greater than well worth the wait

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For these of us who put on a US-centric ladies’s basketball lens, Malonga is a younger girl of thriller, an out-of-sight intrigue who conjures up imaginings of a never-before-seen, next-generation expertise. That is likely to be overstating Malonga’s potential—however not solely.

The 19-year-old 6-foot-6 French phenom is probably not able to contribute in 2025, and possibly for just a few extra seasons after that. However, she possesses the outlines of game-changing greatness that is likely to be too attractive for Seattle to move on. And with the Storm having a roster stocked with skilled reserves, the group might really feel safe sufficient to select Malonga and wait on her promise, not matter how lengthy it takes.

As Eric wrote of Malonga in the second version of his 2025 mock draft, when he mocked her to the Washington Mystics at No. 4 general, she is a “mission,” but he famous “her expertise are quickly catching up along with her bodily items,” citing the improved bundle of leap pictures she displayed throughout her season with LDLC ASVEL Féminin, which competed in EuroCup Ladies.

Sure, Seattle is likely to be dreaming about profitable the title in 2025. However, what’s higher than one other championship? Extra championships! In the event that they draft Malonga and she or he approaches her peak end result, the Storm might personal the 2030s. Though that’s not possible, the mere chance may make it price plucking Malonga with the No. 2 decide.