With the 2025 WNBA regular season beginning on Friday, we felt it would be a good idea to do some drafting. Rotoworld staffers Jackie Powell, Noah Rubin, Cole Huff and Raphielle Johnson went through a nine-round fantasy WNBA snake draft, using ESPN’s default scoring for head-to-head points leagues.
While points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers are worth one point apiece in these settings, steals and blocked shots are worth two points.
Below is how the draft played out, followed by some thoughts from each manager on their teams. Of course, with only four people participating in the draft, a lot of talent remained on the board.
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Round 1 Results
Jackie Powell: F A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Noah Rubin: G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Raphielle Johnson: F Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Cole Huff: F Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Round 2 Results
Huff: G Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
Johnson: G Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Rubin: F Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Powell: F Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
Round 3 Results
Powell: G Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Rubin: G Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas Aces
Johnson: F Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
Huff: F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
Round 4 Results
Huff: G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Johnson: F Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Rubin: F Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Powell: G Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Round 5 Results
Powell: G Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Rubin: F Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
Johnson: G Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
Huff: C Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm
Round 6 Results
Huff: G Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Johnson: G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
Rubin: G Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun
Powell: C Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream
Round 7 Results
Powell: F Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx
Rubin: F Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever
Johnson: G Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
Huff: G Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
Round 8 Results
Huff: C Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream
Johnson: G Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Rubin: G Ariel Atkins, Chicago Sky
Powell: G Julie Vanloo, Golden State Valkyries
Round 9 Results
Powell: G Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Rubin: C Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun
Johnson: F Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
Huff: F Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks
Jackie Powell’s thoughts:
With the first pick in our fantasy draft, I chose the reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to build my roster around. Since she didn’t play overseas or in Unrivaled, Wilson is bound to be well-rested and ready to play in what will be the WNBA’s longest season ever of 44 games. Then, with my second and third players at eighth and ninth, I chose Jonquel Jones, who is one of the best shooting posts and best rebounders in the league, along with Wilson’s former teammate Kelsey Plum, who presumably will be the Sparks’ No. 1 option this season.
I drafted for the most part with versatility in mind and wanted the players that I selected to be those who could stuff the stat sheet. Both Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard, who I selected at 16th and 17th, are exemplary of that, with both Bueckers and Howard capable of putting up numbers in both offensive and defensive categories as two-way guards/wings.
My mistake in our draft came when I selected both Brittney Griner and Alanna Smith at 24th and 25th, respectively. I didn’t need two more centers, so I should have picked one and selected a swing woman like DeWanna Bonner, who wasn’t selected in our draft. With my final two picks, I made sure to take two players who will have substantial roles on teams that aren’t going to be contending this year. Julie Vanloo has the potential to put up double-digits in assists and points, while Sonia Citron is set to be the Mystics’ starting small forward. Citron might not score the most points, but she’ll be productive in many other ways, including her efficiency from both the field and the line.
Noah Rubin’s thoughts:
Though A’ja Wilson is the top option on the board, getting Caitlin Clark with the second pick is a nice consolation prize for me. I went heavy on Fever players by also adding Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard. Getting Satou Sabally at 18 was my favorite pick of this draft, and I considered taking her a round earlier. Sabally was only available to play 15 games after the Olympic break, but the former No. 2 overall pick should be in for a big year in her first season in Phoenix.
DeWanna Bonner was the top player still available on my board, which holds true according to ESPN’s rankings as well. They have her ranked as the 18th-best player this season. I’m not quite that high on her (and it seems like our other writers aren’t either), but she would’ve been my next pick if she were still available.
Cole Huff’s thoughts:
Napheesa Collier at No. 4 overall was the clear choice for me, given who was already off the board at the time, and pairing Arike Ogunbowale with her made sense for a team looking to form its identity on scoring, three-point shooting, and stocks, with the latter providing bonus points. Angel Reese in the third round didn’t exactly fit the description, but her threat as a double-double machine made it an easy call, while taking Jackie Young in the fourth felt like a perfect do-it-all player for the team.
From there, the goal was to add proven veterans with dual-threat capabilities, and a couple of upside swings that ended up being Ezi Magbegor and Rickea Jackson. DeWanna Bonner would be on this team if I had another spot available.
Raphielle Johnson’s thoughts:
While I hoped to be able to select A’ja Wilson or Caitlin Clark with my first pick, that’s going to be nearly impossible to pull off in most leagues when you’re third in the order. However, Breanna Stewart is anything but a “consolation prize,” even with the Liberty boasting a loaded squad and her coming off an offseason knee procedure. She remains a key figure for the reigning champs. I try to avoid using my top two picks on teammates, but that was impossible to avoid in this draft since Sabrina Ionescu was on the board for me in the second round.
Later in the draft, I went with a few players who were not active during the preseason, which may make them more valuable than expected. Hopefully, Kahleah Copper‘s back issue is not a significant concern, while I believe Kayla McBride and Gabby Williams can be exceptionally valuable in their respective draft slots. As for a player who remained on the board that I wished to have room to draft, it would be Natasha Cloud. While she doesn’t play the same position as Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, BLH missing the entire 2025 season with a knee injury raises Cloud’s ceiling in her first season with the Liberty.
With the 2025 WNBA regular season beginning on Friday, we felt it would be a good idea to do some drafting. Rotoworld staffers Jackie Powell, Noah Rubin, Cole Huff and Raphielle Johnson went through a nine-round fantasy WNBA snake draft, using ESPN’s default scoring for head-to-head points leagues.
While points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers are worth one point apiece in these settings, steals and blocked shots are worth two points.
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Below is how the draft played out, followed by some thoughts from each manager on their teams. Of course, with only four people participating in the draft, a lot of talent remained on the board.
FOLLOW WNBA PLAYER NEWS ALL SEASON LONG!
Jackie Powell: F A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Noah Rubin: G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Raphielle Johnson: F Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Cole Huff: F Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Huff: G Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
Johnson: G Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Rubin: F Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Powell: F Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
Powell: G Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
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Rubin: G Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas Aces
Johnson: F Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
Huff: F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
Huff: G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Johnson: F Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Rubin: F Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Powell: G Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Powell: G Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Rubin: F Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
Johnson: G Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
Huff: C Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm
Huff: G Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Johnson: G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
Rubin: G Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun
Powell: C Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream
Powell: F Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx
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Rubin: F Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever
Johnson: G Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
Huff: G Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
Huff: C Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream
Johnson: G Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Rubin: G Ariel Atkins, Chicago Sky
Powell: G Julie Vanloo, Golden State Valkyries
Powell: G Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Rubin: C Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun
Johnson: F Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
Huff: F Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks
Check out Rotoworld’s newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season!
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Jackie Powell’s thoughts:
With the first pick in our fantasy draft, I chose the reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to build my roster around. Since she didn’t play overseas or in Unrivaled, Wilson is bound to be well-rested and ready to play in what will be the WNBA’s longest season ever of 44 games. Then, with my second and third players at eighth and ninth, I chose Jonquel Jones, who is one of the best shooting posts and best rebounders in the league, along with Wilson’s former teammate Kelsey Plum, who presumably will be the Sparks’ No. 1 option this season.
I drafted for the most part with versatility in mind and wanted the players that I selected to be those who could stuff the stat sheet. Both Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard, who I selected at 16th and 17th, are exemplary of that, with both Bueckers and Howard capable of putting up numbers in both offensive and defensive categories as two-way guards/wings.
My mistake in our draft came when I selected both Brittney Griner and Alanna Smith at 24th and 25th, respectively. I didn’t need two more centers, so I should have picked one and selected a swing woman like DeWanna Bonner, who wasn’t selected in our draft. With my final two picks, I made sure to take two players who will have substantial roles on teams that aren’t going to be contending this year. Julie Vanloo has the potential to put up double-digits in assists and points, while Sonia Citron is set to be the Mystics’ starting small forward. Citron might not score the most points, but she’ll be productive in many other ways, including her efficiency from both the field and the line.
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Noah Rubin’s thoughts:
Though A’ja Wilson is the top option on the board, getting Caitlin Clark with the second pick is a nice consolation prize for me. I went heavy on Fever players by also adding Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard. Getting Satou Sabally at 18 was my favorite pick of this draft, and I considered taking her a round earlier. Sabally was only available to play 15 games after the Olympic break, but the former No. 2 overall pick should be in for a big year in her first season in Phoenix.
DeWanna Bonner was the top player still available on my board, which holds true according to ESPN’s rankings as well. They have her ranked as the 18th-best player this season. I’m not quite that high on her (and it seems like our other writers aren’t either), but she would’ve been my next pick if she were still available.
Cole Huff’s thoughts:
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Napheesa Collier at No. 4 overall was the clear choice for me, given who was already off the board at the time, and pairing Arike Ogunbowale with her made sense for a team looking to form its identity on scoring, three-point shooting, and stocks, with the latter providing bonus points. Angel Reese in the third round didn’t exactly fit the description, but her threat as a double-double machine made it an easy call, while taking Jackie Young in the fourth felt like a perfect do-it-all player for the team.
From there, the goal was to add proven veterans with dual-threat capabilities, and a couple of upside swings that ended up being Ezi Magbegor and Rickea Jackson. DeWanna Bonner would be on this team if I had another spot available.
Raphielle Johnson’s thoughts:
While I hoped to be able to select A’ja Wilson or Caitlin Clark with my first pick, that’s going to be nearly impossible to pull off in most leagues when you’re third in the order. However, Breanna Stewart is anything but a “consolation prize,” even with the Liberty boasting a loaded squad and her coming off an offseason knee procedure. She remains a key figure for the reigning champs. I try to avoid using my top two picks on teammates, but that was impossible to avoid in this draft since Sabrina Ionescu was on the board for me in the second round.
Later in the draft, I went with a few players who were not active during the preseason, which may make them more valuable than expected. Hopefully, Kahleah Copper‘s back issue is not a significant concern, while I believe Kayla McBride and Gabby Williams can be exceptionally valuable in their respective draft slots. As for a player who remained on the board that I wished to have room to draft, it would be Natasha Cloud. While she doesn’t play the same position as Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, BLH missing the entire 2025 season with a knee injury raises Cloud’s ceiling in her first season with the Liberty.
