Bueckers brought the NCAA championship trophy back home to Storrs, Connecticut, caught up with Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist on the “Today” show and crashed Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” in New York City.

Next was the 2025 WNBA draft, where Bueckers was taken with the No. 1 overall pick Monday night by the Dallas Wings.

Just eight days after the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season concluded with the Huskies defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks, the next generation of superstars are set to enter the league, and many of them were at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City to hear their name called during the draft. 

2025 WNBA draft grades: Who aced the night?

WNBA teams across the country added new talent to their rosters Monday night at the 2025 WNBA draft ahead of regular-season openers on May 16. Spectacular names like UConn’s Paige Bueckers, USC’s Kiki Iriafen, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow and TCU star Hailey Van Lith were called, along with so many other phenomenal athletes. Meghan L. Hall of For The Win (part of the USA TODAY Network) graded each first-round pick as they were revealed. See here grades below, and click here for her full analysis:

1. Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers — Grade A+

Bueckers is a slam-dunk pick. She’s the most efficient player in the draft and the most pro-ready.

2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga — Grade A

French center Dominique Malonga is one of the smoothest post-players in the entire 2025 draft class

3. Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron — Grade B+

Citron’s numbers aren’t flashy on the court, but what she does very well is score when asked (including from beyond the arc) and get after it defensively.

4. Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen — Grade B

Iriafen should provide immediate depth and rim protection to the Mystics frontcourt.

5. Golden State Valkyries: Justė Jocytė — Grade B+

Jocytė, 19, has a high basketball IQ that is far beyond most players her age.

6. Washington Mystics: Georgia Amoore — Grade C

While Amoore plays much larger than her 5-foot-6 size, it’s a cause for concern at the WNBA level.

7. Connecticut Sun: Aneesah Morrow — Grade B+

At 6-foot-1, Morrow is a board master, grabbing everything within her reach.

8. Connecticut Sun: Saniya Rivers — Grade A

Rivers’ length and size give her a rare combination and make her a prime candidate to be a guard or a forward.

9. Los Angeles Sparks: Sarah Ashlee Barker — Grade B+

Barker’s March Madness performance against Maryland — when she finished with 45 points in double overtime — catapulted her to the top of draft boards.

10. Chicago Sky: Ajša Sivka — Grade C+

Chicago could stash Slovenian forward Ajša Sivka for later use, and she helps a roster that wants to be in win-now mode but is still somewhat rebuilding.

11. Chicago Sky: Hailey Van Lith — Grade B

Van Lith got another fairytale story by reuniting former LSU teammate Angel Reese, and the pair could cause a lot of problems for opposing defenses once they re-establish their connection.

12. Dallas Wings: Aziaha James — Grade A

The Wings should enjoy that James is a player who can explode offensively at any moment, and she should provide Dallas with some much-needed relief off the bench.

2025 WNBA Draft winners and losers

The newest class of WNBA rookies has arrived. Here’s a look at the full list of winners and losers of the 2025 WNBA Draft:

Winner: Dallas Wings

Any team that lands a generational talent like Paige Bueckers is considered a winner in our book. She will team up with Arike Ogunbowale to form a dangerous backcourt in Dallas. The Wings also picked up Aziaha James out of NC State in the first round.

Winner: UConn

It was no surprise that Buckers was first off the board. After she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Wings, Bueckers turned the spotlight back onto her Huskies teammates who were pivotal in UConn’s title run.

Loser: Las Vegas Aces

You usually won’t find the ‘Aces’ and ‘losers’ in the same sentence as Las Vegas has won two of the last three WNBA titles, but the Aces landed themselves on this list after missing out on the first-round talent due to violating league rules regarding player benefits. 

Winner: International players

As the global game continues to grow, so do the number of international players in the WNBA and NBA. It was a big night for overseas superstars.

Winner: Washington Mystics

After a relatively quiet offseason, the Mystics’ new GM Jamila Wideman and head coach Sydney Johnson took their first steps toward rebuilding their future with three first-rounders — yes, you read that right.

Loser: South Carolina

The Gamecocks had to wait a little longer to hear their name. Despite being projected first-round picks, South Carolina’s Sania Feagin and Te-Hina Paopao both dropped to the second round.

Winner: Coach

The only thing bigger than Paige Bueckers’ bag of basketball skills is the actual Coach bag she wore on the WNBA Draft’s Orange Carpet. The WNBA announced a multiyear partnership with Coach on Monday and the luxury brand kicked off their collaboration by dressing WNBA draftees for the night, including Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, Sonia Citron and Aneesah Morrow.

2025 WNBA Draft selections — First round

No. 1 Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers, guard, UConn

The 23-year-old guard, who overcame two serious knee injuries and led the Huskies to their first national championship in eight years, is the sixth UConn player to be drafted No. 1 overall in the draft’s 30th edition, following Sue Bird (2002, Seattle), Diana Taurasi (2004, Phoenix), Tina Charles (2010, Connecticut), Maya Moore (2011, Minnesota) and Breanna Stewart (2016, Seattle).

Bueckers, a three-time first-team AP All-American, is not only a walking bucket — she averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists last season — but she is a walking advertisement with some of the nation’s most recognizable brand names vying for her services. — Scooby Axon

Click here to read more about Paige Bueckers. 

No. 2 Seattle Storm

Dominique Malonga, forward/center, France

The 6-foot-6 center is the ultimate athlete — or unicorn, as some say — that can do it all with her speed, length and explosiveness. Malonga averaged a double-double for France’s Lyon ASVEL Feminin during the 2024-25 season, with 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, all while shooting 53.8% from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc. Did we mention that she’s only 19?

Malonga says her ‘versatility’ is her superpower. ‘The fact that I can play in and outside and sometimes I can be really disruptive on defense,’ she said leading up to the WNBA Draft.

She only the fifth player from France selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft.

Click here to read more about Malonga. 

No. 3 Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron, guard, Notre Dame

The 6-foot-1 New York native was the only player in Notre Dame history with 1700 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. She ended her career in South Bend with the fifth-best shooting percentage in program history. Additionally, her 173 made career 3-pointers was eighth in Notre Dame history. — Meghan Hall

Click here to read more about Citron. 

No. 4 Washington Mystics

Kiki Iriafen, forward, USC

After four years as one of the best post players in the West Coast, Kiki Iriafen heads into the WNBA as one of the best forwards in the 2025 draft class. The Los Angeles native started her college career at Stanford and burst on the scene in her junior year, winning most improved player in the Pac-12. She decided to return home for her final season and joined a talented Southern California team. At USC, Iriafen and JuJu Watkins were a force as the two led the Trojans to a Big Ten regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. — Jordan Mendoza

Click here to read more about Iriafen. 

No. 5 Golden State Valkyries

Justė Jocytė, forward, Lithuania

Another international player is off the board. Nineteen-year-old Justė Jocytė of Lithuania averaged 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists 21 games for France’s Lyon ASVEL Feminin during the 2024-25 season, where she played alongside Malonga. She shot 37.5% from the field and 33.9% from three. — Cydney Henderson

No. 6 Washington Mystics

Georgia Amoore, guard, Kentucky

The 5-foot-6 Australian point guard started her collegiate career at Virginia Tech, where she played four seasons from 2020 to 2024. She led Virginia Tech to its first Final Four in 2023. Amoore followed head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky for her fifth and final year and put up career-highs in points per game (19.6), assists per game (6.9) and field goal percentage (42.3%) in 2025. She scored double digits in all but one game this season and earned first-team All-SEC honors, joining her first-team All-ACC selections in 2023 and 2024. Amoore joined Clark and Sabrina Ionescu as the only D-I players to record 2,300+ points and 800+ assists in their career.

Click here to read more about Amoore.  

No. 7 Connecticut Sun

Aneesah Morrow, forward, LSU

Click here to read more about Morrow.

No. 8 Connecticut Sun

Saniya Rivers, guard, NC State

After starting her college career with a national championship at South Carolina, Rivers transferred to North Carolina State in hopes of doing the same in her home state. While the Wolfpack didn’t win a title, Rivers was a key piece in NC State remaining an ACC powerhouse, and led the team to its second ever Final Four in 2024. She showed off what she could do in her senior season as she averaged 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while leading the team with 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. The guard/forward turned it up toward the end of the season, and heads into the professional game with plenty of momentum, and scouts noticed.

— Jordan Mendoza

Click here to read more about Rivers.

No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks

Sarah Ashlee Barker, guard, Alabama

Sarah Ashlee Barker averaged a career-high in points (18.2), field-goal percentage (51.4%), three-point percentage (37.5%), assists (3.9) and steals (2.0) in her third and final season at Alabama after playing the first two seasons of her career at Georgia. Barker’s draft stock shot threw the roof after she dropped a program-high 45 points in Alabama’s double-overtime loss to Maryland in the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

No. 10 Chicago Sky

Ajša Sivka, forward, Slovenia

The versatile 6-foot-4 wing averaged 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting 47.5% from the field and 33.0% from beyond the arc in 21 games for France’s Tarbes Gespe Bigorre.

No. 11 Chicago Sky

Hailey Van Lith, guard, TCU

Hailey Van Lith has an impressive resume. She’s led three different teams to the Elite Eight in five years and picked up an Olympic bronze medal in the women’s 3×3 basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Games. Now, she can add WNBA player to the list. Van Lith burst onto the scene at Louisville, where she played for three seasons (2020–2023). She led the Cardinals to the Elite Eight (2021, 2023) and the Final Four (2022). She transferred to the reigning national champion LSU Tigers for the 2023-24 season, but the fit didn’t pan out well. Van Lith, however, had a renaissance season at TCU and was named the Big 12’s Player and Newcomer of the Year after averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while shooting a career-high 45.9% from the field. 

She powered the Horned Frogs to their first Elite Eight appearance, while smashing program records. She set TCU’s single-season record for points scored (680 points) and single-season assist record (204 assists).

Click here to read more about Van Lith. 

No. 12 Dallas Wings

Aziaha James, guard, NC State

The 5-foot-10 guard averaged career-highs in points (17.9), field-goal percentage (44.5%) and rebounds (4.9) in her fourth and final year at NC State. James is a threat from beyond the arc, shooting 33.3% from three. She led the Wolfpack to the Final Four in 2024 and the Elite Eight in this year’s tournament. She dropped 26 points in NC State’s second-round NCAA win over Michigan State, which included six threes.

2025 WNBA draft selections — Second round

No. 13 Las Vegas Aces

Aaliyah Nye, guard/forward, Alabama

Aaliyah Nye was on hand to support her teammate Sarah Ashlee Barker, but ended up hearing her name called. Nye set career-highs in points (15.2) and three-point percentage (45.5%), which led the entire SEC. 

No. 14 Dallas Wings

Madison Scott, guard/forward, Ole Miss

No. 15 Minnesota Lynx

Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, forward, Russia

No. 16 Chicago Sky

Maddy Westbeld, forward, Notre Dame

No. 17 Golden State Valkyries

Shyanne Sellers, guard, Maryland

Shyanne Sellers did it all during an impressive four-year collegiate career for the Maryland Terrapins, becoming the first player in program history to clear 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. While the 6-foot-2 combo guard saw more time at the two-guard for head coach Brenda Frese than any other position, the Aurora, Ohio native is comfortable at either guard or wing. With her athleticism, defensive prowess and ability to create a wide range of shots for herself, Sellers should be able to adapt to just about any WNBA system. — Jason Anderson

Click here to learn more about Sellers.

No. 18 Atlanta Dream

Te-Hina Paopao, guard, South Carolina

Under South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, the 22-year-old took a significant developmental leap. During the Gamecocks’ undefeated 2023-2024 championship season, she led the nation in 3-point percentage (46.8) and made the most 3-point field goals in a single NCAA tournament (14). That same season, Paopao was also on the All-SEC Second Team and landed in the South Carolina record books with 87 made 3-point shots, good for third in program history and the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio during SEC games (2.7). — Meghan Hall

Click here to learn more about Paopao.

No. 19 Indiana Fever

Makayla Timpson, forward, Florida State

No. 20 Indiana Fever

Bree Hall, guard, South Carolina

No. 21 Los Angeles Sparks

Sania Feagin, forward, South Carolina

No. 22 Chicago Sky

Aicha Coulibaly, guard, Texas A&M

No. 23 Washington Mystics

Lucy Olsen, guard, Iowa

No. 24 Minnesota Lynx

Dalayah Daniels, forward, Washington

No. 25 Connecticut Sun

Rayah Marshall, center/forward, USC

2025 WNBA draft selections — Third round

No. 26 Seattle Storm

Serena Sundell, guard, Kansas State

No. 27 Dallas Wings

JJ Quinerly, guard, West Virginia

No. 28 Los Angeles Sparks

Liatu King, forward, Notre Dame

No. 29 Seattle Storm

Madison Conner, guard, TCU

No. 30 Golden State Valkyries

Kaitlyn Chen, guard, UConn

No. 31 Dallas Wings

Aaronette Vonleh, center, Baylor

No. 32 Washington Mystics

Zaay Green, guard, Alabama

No. 33 Indiana Fever

Yvonne Ejim, forward, Gonzaga

No. 34 Seattle Storm

Jordan Hobbs, guard, Michigan

No. 35 Las Vegas Aces

Harmoni Turner, guard, Harvard

No. 36 Atlanta Dream

Taylor Thierry, forward, Ohio State

No. 37 Minnesota Lynx

Aubrey Griffin, forward, UConn

No. 38 New York Liberty

Adja Kane, forward, France

2025 WNBA draft: Team-by-team picks

➤ Eastern Conference: Atlanta Dream | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Indiana Fever | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics

➤ Western Conference: Dallas Wings | Golden State Valkyries | Las Vegas Aces | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx| Phoenix Mercury | Seattle Storm

What time is the WNBA draft?

The 2025 WNBA draft is on Monday, April 14. Coverage begins with ‘WNBA Countdown’ at 7 p.m. with the draft following at 7:30 p.m. ET from The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.

What channel is the WNBA draft? TV, stream and how to watch

TV coverage of the event will be on ESPN with streaming avaiable on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.

Date: Monday, April 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the WNBA draft with Fubo

WNBA first-round draft order

Here’s the current draft order for Monday’s first round:

Dallas Wings
Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Washington Mystics (from Chicago Sky)
Washington Mystics
Golden State Valkyries
Washington Mystics (from Atlanta Dream)
Connecticut Sun (from New York Liberty)
Connecticut Sun (from Indiana Fever)
Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm)
Chicago Sky (from Connecticut Sun)
Chicago Sky (from Minnesota Lynx)
Dallas Wings (from New York Liberty)

How many picks are in the WNBA draft?

The WNBA draft, which kicks off Monday night, will see nearly 40 players enter the league. The first round starts at 7:30 p.m. ET, continuing through three rounds and 38 total picks.

Players invited to Monday’s WNBA draft

Paige Bueckers, guard, UConn
Kiki Iriafen, forward, USC
Aneesah Morrow, guard, LSU
Hailey Van Lith, guard, TCU
Georgia Amoore, guard, Kentucky
Sarah Ashlee Barker, guard, Alabama 
Sonia Citron, guard, Notre Dame
Sania Feagin, forward, South Carolina
Aziaha James, guard, NC State
Dominique Malonga, center, Lyon ASVEL/France)
Te-Hina Paopao, guard, South Carolina
Saniya Rivers, guard, NC State
Madison Scott, guard/forward, Ole Miss
Shyanne Sellers, guard, Maryland
Ajša Sivka, forward, Tarbes Gespe Bigorre/Slovenia
Serena Sundell, guard, Kansas State

WNBA draft predictions

Here is how experts see the draft going in the first five selections:

1. Dallas Wings

USA Today (Cydney Henderson): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
The Athletic (Sabreena Merchant): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Sports Illustrated (Blake Silverman): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Yahoo (Maggie Hendricks): Paige Bueckers, G, UConn

2.  Seattle Storm (via Sparks)

USA Today: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
The Athletic: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Sports Illustrated: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Yahoo: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)

3. Washington Mystics (via Sky)

USA Today: Dominique Malonga, F/C, ASVEL Lyon (France)
The Athletic: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
Sports Illustrated: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame
Yahoo: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC

4. Washington Mystics

USA Today: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU
The Athletic: Justė Jocytė, F/G, ASVEL Lyon (France)
Sports Illustrated: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
Yahoo: Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame

5. Golden State Valkyries

USA Today: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
The Athletic: Kiki Iriafen, F, USC
Sports Illustrated: Hailey Van Lith, G, TCU
Yahoo: Aneesah Morrow, F, LSU

Paige Bueckers is her own star player in the making

Let’s hope the WNBA, and its new fans, learned something from the debacle of last season.

Barring some shocking turn or a kidnapping by aliens, Paige Bueckers is going to be the first pick of Monday night’s WNBA draft. She is a transformational player, one who will help drive attendance and attention to the Dallas Wings and the league overall.

What Bueckers is not is a “rival” of Caitlin Clark. Or Angel Reese. Or any other player, for that matter. (Not yet, anyway.) Nor is Bueckers some shrinking violet who needs protecting or hand-holding. She’s a hooper, and should be treated as such. — Nancy Armour

Click here to read Armour’s full column on Paigie Bueckers.

WNBA draft: Second- and third-round order

Here is the selection order for the second and third round of the 2025 WNBA draft:

Second round

Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Dallas Wings
Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago Sky)
Chicago Sky (from Washington Mystics)
Golden State Valkyries
Atlanta Dream
Indiana Fever (from Phoenix Mercury)
Indiana Fever
Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm)
Chicago Sky (from Las Vegas Aces)
Washington Mystics (from Connecticut Sun)
Minnesota Lynx
Connecticut Sun (from New York Liberty)

Third round

Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)
Dallas Wings
Los Angeles Sparks (from Chicago Sky)
Seattle Storm (from Washington Mystics)
Golden State Valkyries
Dallas Wings (from Atlanta Dream)
Washington Mystics (from Phoenix Mercury)
Indiana Fever
Seattle Storm
Las Vegas Aces
Atlanta Dream (from Connecticut Sun)
Minnesota Lynx
New York Liberty

WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year

There was no doubt who would be taken with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever had their sights set on Caitlin Cark for months before making it official and taking the former Iowa star and NCAA career scoring leader with the No. 1 overall pick last year. It marked the second consecutive year that the Fever had the first selection in the draft; in 2023 Indiana picked former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the top pick. Clark and Boston joined an esteemed list of top draft picks that includes a number of future WNBA MVPs and Olympians. Here are the top five most recent No. 1 overall picks (with college team in parentheses):

2024: Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark (Iowa)
2023: Indiana Fever, Aliyah Boston (South Carolina)
2022: Atlanta Dream, Rhyne Howard (Kentucky)
2021: Dallas Wings, Charli Collier (Texas)
2020: New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon)
Click here to see every WNBA No. 1 overall pick by year, dating back to the first draft in 1997.

Gannett launches USA TODAY Studio IX, a new women’s sports vertical

For more than four decades, USA TODAY has provided our audience a front-row seat for some of the biggest moments in women’s sports – from the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, March Madness and beyond.

Now we’re kicking it up a notch with today’s launch of USA TODAY Studio IX presented by Cisco, our new content vertical that will highlight the power of women’s sports through in-depth and unique storytelling, dynamic events and expanded multimedia content. This new community for women’s sports draws upon the power of the USA TODAY Network, which includes USA TODAY and more than 200 local publications throughout the country.

WNBA Rookies of the Year

Sometimes, the top overall pick in the WNBA draft seems preordained to win Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the season, but there have been some surprises over the years. While the three most recent Rookie of the Year winners were, in fact, No. 1 picks, the 2021 winner was the No. 6 overall pick, and the 2020 winner was the fourth pick in the second round (and 16th overall). Here are the top five most recent WNBA Rookie of the Year winners (with draft selection in parentheses):

2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (No. 1 overall)
2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (No. 1 overall)
2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (No. 1 overall)
2021: Michaela Onyenwere, New York Liberty (No. 6 overall)
2020: Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota Lynx (No. 16 overall)
Click here to see every WNBA Rookie of the Year, dating back to the first winner in 1998.

What goes up must come down.

The NFL draft isn’t an event that takes the words of Isaac Newton literally, but the general concept remains the same. For someone to rise up the boards, that means someone must fall.

It’s an inexact science as teams examine a number of traits, personalities and game tape to make a projection before selecting a player. Some will be right and others, not so much.

Players will inevitably fall down the board, but it’s not always a fault of their own.

The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t thought of as a top-heavy class with a clearly defined top-10 or 15 players. Instead, the class is characterized by its depth, meaning the drop-off between first and second-round picks isn’t as big as it typically is.

So, while these future NFL players won’t be ordering a Life Alert anytime soon, they could be waiting a little longer than previously expected. Here’s a look at the projected first-round picks that could fall down the draft board.

NFL draft predictions: Players who could fall

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Sanders was previously thought of as the potential No. 1 pick. Now, there are questions about whether he even lands in the top 10. The pick range for the Colorado quarterback has never been larger, making him a clear candidate to tumble down the draft board.

Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Injuries and a lack of participation in pre-draft workouts like the 40-yard dash cloud the draft future for Johnson. Perhaps he finds himself in the Derek Stingley Jr. mold of overcoming injuries and those concerns don’t come to fruition. Regardless, that won’t be the case for every team, even if he does have an argument as the best cornerback in the class, aside from Travis Hunter. With other players carrying less risk, Johnson’s history is a disadvantage on draft night.

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

McMillan might headline a weak receiver class, but his lack of speed could doom him early. While some project the Arizona receiver to land inside the top 10, others have him waiting until the back half of the first round. With so many teams prioritizing speed over size at receiver, he may fall out of favor with better talent available at other positions.

Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

Booker has seen himself rise into the late teens in some mock drafts, but the fact that he doesn’t play a premium position could ultimately be his undoing. The last batch of picks in the first round is prime territory for teams eyeing premium positions for the coveted fifth-year option. That’s where we can see some quarterbacks sneak into the first round. Given Booker’s position, he feels like a prime candidate to drop back into the second round.

James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

A year ago, Pearce was commonly thought of as the crown jewel of the 2025 class. He’s since fallen out of favor in draft circles, with mocks pushing him into the latter half of the first round and others dropping him into the second. Time will tell where Pearce ends up, but it comes across as more prospect fatigue than a sudden loss of talent.

As a more slender pass-rusher, Pearce will likely need to bulk up to become an impact player. While teams overthink prospects at this stage, the soon-to-be former Tennessee Volunteer could make some noise if he lands with the right one. It might just come later than expected.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Mock draft shakeup after Saints QB Derek Carr news.

NEW YORK — When the Golden State Valkyries were awarded a WNBA franchise on Oct. 3, 2023, the work began to try to correct the disadvantages that every other expansion team faces.

Not only with finding the right people to lead, but also the complex, arduous task of building a team once the framework of a front office is decided.

That task is now in the hands of Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase, who spent the previous three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, helping them win two WNBA championships.

Even before Monday night’s WNBA draft, Nyanin clarified what kind of player they sought.

‘We aren’t looking for the face of our franchise just yet,’ Nyanin said last week. ‘We need to build our identity, and throughout the season, hopefully, the face of the franchise emerges. I want it to be an organic process. Who is going to earn it? I don’t want it to just be given to anybody.’

‘I genuinely believe that if you work really hard at (becoming the face of a franchise), then you don’t mismanage it once it’s been given to you.’

The future started Monday night at the 2025 WNBA draft when the Valkyries, the first expansion team to enter the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, selected Justė Jocytė from Lithuania at No. 5 overall with their first-ever pick. The 19-year-old Jocyte, at 6-foot, can defend multiple positions and is a combo guard, whose offensive game shows that she has range from beyond the arc. She no doubt will need to get tougher, however, especially against the physical inside players, once inside the paint.

Jocytė, who doesn’t turn 20 until Nov. 19, averaged 12.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game for Lyon ASVEL of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball. She is expected to compete for her country in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025, so her availability is still a question mark.

‘The national team is always my priority,’ Jocytė told Basketnews. ‘If the WNBA told me I couldn’t go and I had to choose, I would definitely choose the national team. I know that there is a possibility to arrange when you can be released a few weeks in advance, and this is a negotiation with the clubs about the dates.’

The Valkyries added Maryland star Shyanne Sellers with their second-round pick (No. 17 overall).Sellers did it all during an impressive four-year collegiate career for the Terrapins, becoming the first player in program history to clear 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists.

With their third selection of the night, Golden State took Kaitlyn Chen with the fifth pick of the third roud (No. 30 overall). Chen teamed with No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers to lead the UConn Huskies to the 2025 national championship.

Very few professional teams have made the playoffs in their first season, but the Valkyries have some advantages, that few, especially in the WNBA, have. The team already has a state-of-the-art practice facility and was the first league team to sell 10,000 season tickets.

But even Nyanin said she didn’t know what Valkyries will look like once the season starts. In December’s expansion draft, Golden State selected 11 players, including guard Kate Martin from the Las Vegas Aces and former New York Liberty forward Kayla Thornton. Seven of those expansion draft players are international.

‘We’re taking our sweet time to define that because once you define it—coming from experience—it’s really hard to change it,’ Nyanin said.

Like every other WNBA team, the time to find that out will be very short as the Valkyries’ first regular-season game will be against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 16.

Paige Bueckers going No. 1 in the 2025 WNBA Draft was a forgone conclusion from the moment she announced she was leaving UConn. On Monday night, she officially became a Dallas Wing.

Bueckers, who wore her heart on her sleeve after being subbed out for the final time in the Huskies’ national championship win over South Carolina, was similarly emotional speaking to Holly Rowe after having her name called.

Also similar to her court-side kudos to the UConn staff, she was most emotional when she was talking about her teammates and all of the people who helped her get to this point, rather than making the moment about herself.

‘Just an overwhelming sense of gratitude,’ Bueckers told Rowe when she was asked what was on her mind after being picked first. ‘It’s super surreal just being here with other draft invitees. My teammates are here. My family’s here. Just super grateful. Been focusing on staying present. Staying where my feet are. And to be here right now I’m just extremely blessed.’

Paige Bueckers gets emotional about teammates in attendance

While Bueckers kept an even tone while talking about her own journey, her voice did waver when she talked about her UConn teammates being in attendance to see her go first overall.

‘They’ve changed my life, those’re my sisters,’ Bueckers said before taking a moment to collect herself. ‘Just extremely grateful for them. I think two teams or one team would be genius to add Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin to their team so I think they should get drafted tonight. But just, I just love them so much and they’re gonna be my sisters for life.’

Finally, Bueckers signed off with a food confession, although not an unforgivable one for a Midwesterner who played basketball on the Atlantic coast.

‘Before I was asked about Tex Mex vs barbecue I was unfamiliar with the term Tex Mex so that’s my pick. But Dallas I’m so excited just a new city. A new start. A fresh start and so. I’m excited let’s get it.’

The University of Colorado announced Monday that quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter are “officially untouchable” and will retire their football jersey numbers Saturday in a ceremony at Folsom Field.

That means jersey No. 2 for Sanders and No. 12 for Hunter will not be worn again by any Colorado player and will be only the fifth and sixth retired jersey numbers in CU football history.

Both players played only two seasons at Colorado after transferring from Jackson State in Mississippi. But both made historic marks on the program. Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, set over 100 school records, including career passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Hunter, the receiver/cornerback, won the Heisman Trophy last year and is described in his CU bio as the ‘most decorated player in a season in college football history,’ including his win of eight major college football awards in 2024.

The ceremony to retire their jersey numbers will happen at the start of CU’s annual spring football intrasquad game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Both players are expected to be first-round NFL draft picks on April 24 after helping the program finish 9-4 in 2024 just two years after the Buffaloes went 1-11 in 2022.

Only four other players have had their numbers retired in CU’s 135-year football history:

∎ Byron White’s No. 24. White finished second in the Heisman voting in 1937 and went on to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

∎ Joe Romig’s No. 67, worn by the guard/linebacker in 1959-61 before he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

∎ Bobby Anderson’s No. 11, worn by quarterback/tailback in 1967-69 before he also was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

∎ Rashaan Salaam’s No. 19, worn by the running back in 1994 when he also won the Heisman Trophy.

Swift decision by Colorado on retiring these numbers

The retirement of Hunter’s and Sanders’ jersey numbers marks the soonest Colorado has retired a player’s number after his final college game, triggering some discussion about it by former Colorado players. Salaam’s jersey number wasn’t retired until 2017, nearly 23 years after his final season at CU (and after he died in 2016).

Anderson’s number was retired the soonest before that − at halftime of the spring game following his last season at CU, on May 9, 1970.

Former Colorado receiver Darrin Chiaverini discussed the timing of this news in a post on social media site X. Hunter’s and Sanders’ last college game was in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

“Retiring numbers is a huge honor and something that should never be taken lightly,” Chiaverini wrote. “I believe strongly that there should be a cooling off period, the same as with the Hall of Fame in the NFL, so decisions are not made out of emotion.”

Former Colorado linebacker Chad Brown echoed that sentiment on X.

‘You win the Heisman, I get it,’ Brown wrote. ‘But at least a waiting period please.’

Chiaverini wasn’t arguing against giving this honor to Sanders and Hunter, just noting a number of other great CU players hadn’t had their numbers retired, including quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Kordell Stewart.

Hagan reposted Chiaverini’s post on X Monday. Brown said CU’s No. 2 jersey ‘will always be Deon Figures for me,’ referring to the former CU defensive back who previously wore No. 2 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year.

“Legacy’s need time to be evaluated and proper steps should be taken so history is preserved properly,” Chiaverini wrote. “Congratulations to Shedeur and Travis. No doubt they are etched in Colorado Football lore but let’s make sure we honor those that came before.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The 2025 NFL draft will be the 90th edition of the event. It was first held in 1936, during which the Philadelphia Eagles selected running back Jay Berwanger with the top overall selection.

Since then, just 14 of the 89 players chosen with the top overall selection have gone on to become Hall of Fame players. Plenty are still active NFL players who well may join their counterparts in Canton, but to date, it hasn’t always been easy to hit a home run with the No. 1 overall pick.

Of course, there have still be plenty of high-end talents to top the NFL draft. From franchise quarterbacks to top-tier running backs and a few quality top-notch players in the trenches, there are a lot of No. 1 overall picks who have carved out nice careers for themselves in the NFL.

Below is a look at the 10 best players ever selected with the NFL draft’s top overall selection.

Honorable mentions: Paul Hornung (Packers, 1957), Lee Roy Selmon (Buccaneers, 1976), Eli Manning (Giants, 2004), Matthew Stafford (Lions, 2009), Myles Garrett (Browns, 2017), Joe Burrow (Bengals, 2020)

10. Orlando Pace, 1997

Position: Offensive tackle
Team: St. Louis Rams

Offensive linemen don’t always get the love they deserve, but Pace ended up being a key cog in the Rams’ ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ offense. He helped the team win Super Bowl 34 and thrived as a blind-side blocker for Kurt Warner.

Pace was named a Pro Bowler seven consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2005. He was an All-Pro first teamer in three of those seasons. He played 169 games across 13 seasons with the Rams and Chicago Bears and was became a Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2016.

9. Ron Yary, 1968

Position: Offensive tackle
Team: Minnesota Vikings

Here’s another offensive tackle selection who deserves some love. The Vikings made Yary the No. 1 pick in the 1968 NFL draft and he went on to play 207 games across 15 seasons.

From 1971 to 1976, Yary made six consecutive All-Pro first teams. He was also a part of the Vikings’ NFL championship-winning team in 1969, though the team was unable to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 4.

Yary was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

8. Earl Campbell, 1978

Position: Running back
Team: Houston Oilers

Few players in NFL history opened their careers better than Campbell. The bruising runner led the league in rushing in each of his first three seasons, averaging 348 carries for 1,694 yards and 15 touchdowns while playing in 46 games.

Over that span, Campbell was named an All-Pro first teamer three times and never finished worst than second in NFL MVP voting. He won the award in 1979 one season after being named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year.

Campbell played just eight NFL seasons with the Oilers and New Orleans Saints before retiring. He ended his career with 9,407 rushing yards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

7. Troy Aikman, 1989

Position: Quarterback
Team: Dallas Cowboys

Aikman famously lost all 11 of his starts as a rookie before developing into one of the best quarterbacks in Cowboys history. He helped lead Dallas to three Super Bowl wins and was named the MVP of Super Bowl 27 after racking up 273 yards and four touchdowns in Dallas’ 52-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills.

Back and concussion problems ultimately ended Aikman’s career after just 12 seasons, but he was a Pro Bowler in six of those seasons and is the Cowboys’ all-time wins leader (94). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

6. Terry Bradshaw, 1970

Position: Quarterback
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Bradshaw may not have the most impressive counting stats among Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but he was one of the first great game managers during an era that was less pass-heavy.

Bradshaw helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls in his 14 years with the team. He was the first quarterback ever to achieve that feat, which has only since been matched by Joe Montana and passed by Tom Brady (seven Super Bowl titles). Add in Bradshaw’s impressive 14-5 postseason mark and strong 107-51 regular-season record and he clearly lived up to the expectations thrust upon him as the No. 1 pick.

5. Chuck Bednarik, 1949

Position: Linebacker/center
Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Bednarik enjoyed a remarkable NFL career and was one of the league’s last high-volume two-way players. He established himself as a hard-hitting tackler at linebacker and notoriously knocked out New York Giants running back Frank Gifford on a vicious tackle in 1960. That play, which forced Gifford to retire for 18 months, is known simply as ‘The Hit.’

Bednarik was also a tough force at center during his 14-year career with the Eagles. He was named to the All-Pro first team six times during his career and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 after recording 20 interceptions and forcing 21 fumbles across 169 games.

4. O.J. Simpson, 1969

Position: Running back
Team: Buffalo Bills

Simpson made just one Pro Bowl in his first three professional seasons before breaking out in 1972. He led the NFL in rushing yards that season, kickstarting a run of five consecutive All-Pro first team seasons.

During that run, Simpson became the first player in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. He racked up 2,003 rushing yards in 14 games while leading the league in carries (332) and rushing touchdowns (12).

Simpson finished his career with four seasons as the NFL’s rushing leader, three as its carries leader and two as its rushing touchdown leader. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, five years after his 11-season professional career came to a close.

3. Bruce Smith, 1985

Position: Edge rusher
Team: Buffalo Bills

Smith is clearly the best defensive player ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick, and a case could be made for him to the best the best of all.

Smith played 279 games over 19 seasons for Buffalo and Washington. He is the only player in NFL history to rack up 200 career sacks, and he was named an All-Pro first teamer a whopping eight times. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and had 13 seasons in which he racked up double-digit sacks.

Smith never won a Super Bowl during his NFL career but was a key part of the Bills defense that made four consecutive appearances in the Big Game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

2. John Elway, 1983

Position: Quarterback
Team: Baltimore Colts

Elway was the No. 1 pick in the 1983 NFL draft but never actually played for the Colts after making it clear he did not want to play for Baltimore. He was traded to the Broncos and blossomed into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Elway posted a 148-82-1 record across 16 seasons with the Denver Broncos. He was named the NFL MVP in 1987 and earned back-to-back Super Bowl wins in his final two seasons and was named the MVP of Super Bowl 33, his last-ever NFL game. He also famously led ‘The Drive’ in the 1986 AFC championship game to lead the Broncos to an iconic come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Elway is still widely regarded as the best NFL draft quarterback prospect of all time. He backed it up with his stellar, 16-year career that ended with his 2004 enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1. Peyton Manning, 1998

Position: Quarterback
Team: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were tasked with what was, on paper, a difficult decision with the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft. Would they take Manning or Ryan Leaf with the No. 1 overall pick?

Ultimately, Bill Polian and the Colts opted to roll with Manning as their top selection. It was unequivocally the right choice, as Manning turned the Colts from a middling franchise to a consistent AFC contender. The Tennessee product won an NFL record five MVP awards, was named an All-Pro first teamer seven times, won two Super Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

Manning posted a 186-79 record across 17 seasons with the Colts and Broncos. He set the NFL single-season touchdown record in 2013 by tossing 55 and his 539 career touchdown passes presently rank as the third-most in NFL history behind only Tom Brady (649) and Drew Brees (571).

Coaching the Phoenix Suns does not equal job stability.

At least not under Suns owner Mat Ishbia who is about to have his fourth coach in as many seasons after taking controlling interest of the franchise in 2023.

He fired Monty Williams after the 2022-23 season. He fired Frank Vogel after 2023-24. And on Monday, he fired Mike Budenholzer after a disappointing 36-46 record in 2024-25.

Williams and Budenholzer won NBA Coach of the Year awards. Vogel and Budenholzer won NBA titles as head coaches.

But head coach of the Suns is one of just 30 coveted jobs in the NBA so the Suns will find a replacement. Don’t be surprised if they look for a more player friendly coach in this search.

Here’s a look at potential coaching candidates for the Suns job:

David Fizdale

Fizdale was a Suns assistant the past two seasons – one season for Vogel and one season for Budenholzer. He was a longtime assistant for Erik Spoelstra in Miami and gained respect from players, including LeBron James. He was the head coach for Memphis for one-plus seasons and head coach for New York for one-plus seasons, compiling  a 71-134 record.

Terry Stotts

Stotts, an assistant for Golden State, knows stars and knows offense – he coached Damian Lillard in Portland where Stotts regularly produced top-10 offenses. Stott was 402-318 in nine seasons, including three 50-win campaigns, with the Blazers and led them to the conference finals in 2019.

Willie Green

Green is New Orleans’ head coach, but the Pelicans just fired president of basketball operations David Griffin, and Green, who just finished his fourth season with New Orleans. He came to the Pelicans from Phoenix where he was an assistant for two seasons, including 2020-21 when the Suns went to the NBA Finals. Green, like Suns owner Mat Ishbia, is a Michigan native, and they have known each other for years. Devin Booker also has a good relationship with Green.

Johnnie Bryant

Bryant joined Cleveland this season as associate head coach and is considered one of the top young assistants in the league. He’s been an assistant with New York and Utah and has earned praise from Damian Lillard and Gordon Hayward.

Adrian Griffin

Griffin had a short run as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and was 30-13 when the Bucks fired him midway through the 2023-24 season. The former NBA player and longtime NBA assistant is expected to get another chance with an NBA team.

Darvin Ham

Ham lasted two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, going to the conference finals in 2023 and losing in the first round last season. Ham, who spent several seasons as an assistant for Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, returned to the Bucks this season as an assistant for Doc Rivers.

Ben Sullivan

Sullivan is an assistant coach for Houston and also spent time as an assistant with Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee. He has a long relationship with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka – the two worked together in San Antonio – and Sullivan was part of Udoka’s staff in Boston.

Royal Ivey

Ivey is also an assistant coach on Udoka’s Rockets staff, and the former NBA player was also an assistant with Oklahoma City, New York and Brooklyn. He’s also the head coach of South Sudan’s men’s basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has done strong work with the nation’s senior team.

Chris Quinn

Before this season, Quinn was promoted from Miami Heat assistant coach to Heat associate head coach. It’s a sign Quinn is ready for a head-coaching opportunity. He has been on the Heat’s staff since 2014, starting as a player development coach and working his way to the No. 2 spot next to head coach Erik Spoelstra.