Swish Swish: RD1 / RD2 Analysis

The first two picks in any draft can set the foundation and identity for a team. So for fun, let’s take a look at what went down in our recent WNBA draft! (If anyone wants to do other articles or power rank the teams, etc., please do!)

Note: This evaluator is brand new to the WNBA but enthusiasm runs high, so apologies if anything and everything said is absurdly off!

Our league’s regular season starts May 16th and runs a quick eleven weeks until August 10th. With only forty games for each player to show their stuff so it’s a sprint to the finish line from the get-go!

#1 Goldilocks (Garren)

The unanimous MVP of The W last season, A’ja Wilson is the reigning fantasy MVP as well, with her incredible do-everything stats. There was some temptation for Garren to take Caitlyn Clark first but ultimately the safe bet, and the safe pick, was to take Wilson. At the back end of the second round, RD2.10 pick Kahleah Copper will provide Goldilocks with balanced scoring and tremendous outside shooting as Copper comes off a career-best year. This duo should instantly vault Goldilocks into the playoff picture as Wilson is a star and a half just by herself!

#2 Phoenix's Order (Saoirse)

A long time WNBA fan, Saoirse went for proven goods with the second overall pick, taking interior force Napheesa Collier. Coming off last year’s Finals defeat, Collier is sure to be itching to a return to the court for an even more dominant 2025. The new-look Atlanta Dream have a huge frontcourt now and they’ll look to Allisha Gray to hold it down as the lead guard. As a Europe-based owner and veteran of esoteric fantasy leagues—F1 anyone?—this Phoenix’s Order likely won’t need to rise from the ashes as they should be great coming right out of the gate! “Wingardium Leviosa!”

#3 Swimming with the fishes (Jackie)

Accustomed to deep dives, Jackie didn’t have to look very far to see big fish Caitlin Clark dangling around for her RD1.3 pick. Having watched every single WNBA game last season—amazing accomplishment!—there has to be excitement in Jackie’s fishville to be building her team around Clark’s spectacular stardom. Paired with Clark in the backcourt will be veteran guard Jewell Loyd, new to Las Vegas after an offseason blockbuster. Clark and Loyd give Jackie’s team immense scoring potential and long range shooting, meaning opponents will be bombarded as soon as the two flamethrowers cross the half court line.

#4 Maddie's Money Moves (Mads)

Our commissioner, yay! Maddie’s first pick was a bit of a surprise as she went for Sparks forward Dearica Hamby. The thirty-one year old is coming off a career season and emerged as a dominant force last year—and is a two-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year winner and a three-time WNBA All-Star—but was only rated eighth overall by ESPN. With her second money move, Mads took another longtime WNBA veteran, thirty-two year old guard Kayla McBride at RD2.7—who was ranked by ESPN at thirty-one overall. However, rankings don’t mean everything and Coach Mads clearly knows that professionalism and a winning attitude are the keys to a successful season. Let’s give it up to Mads for bringing us all together!

#5 TeamBucketsJP (Justin)

Justin drafted triple-double queen Alyssa Thomas with his first pick and the new Mercury star will look to bring her all-around play to Phoenix. Both Thomas and Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (RD2.6) are great passers, which will help TeamBucketsJP work out a balanced offensive attack. Similar to Maddie's Money Moves, this team will feature two longtime WNBA veterans, as Thomas and Diggins-Smith are thirty-three and thirty-four years old respectively. Vet power!

#6 Don't Collier It A Comeback (James)

It’s not often a recent two-time MVP winner—in 2018 and 2023—drops so low in the draft but Breanna Stewart is coming off minor knee surgery suffered from Unrivaled and despite now being a WNBA champion, ESPN’s third-rated player found herself falling toward the back half of our draft, much to James’ delight. With his second pick, James got more championship pedigree, nabbing ex-Aces star Kelsey Plum, who has two rings of her own and is now on a Sparks team that desperately needs her winning ways. With Stewart likely starting the season back to full health, our own LL Cool J should be ready to knock some opponents out right from the beginning!

#7 Dev-E-I (Devin)

With some of ESPN’s top rated players dropping down the draft board, Devin was delighted to get his girl Arike Ogunbowale with his first round pick. Ogunbowale’s microwave scoring abilities from the backcourt can carry a team in any game. Paired with another “OG,” Nneka Ogwumike from Seattle, the two should pair to give Dev-E-I an impressive statistical floor to build from as they collectively cover all our counting categories admirably. Look for Devin’s team to make some noise immediately.

#8 Bantam Breeze (Jon)

Two owners went double guards with their first two picks—Jackie and Lizzie—but only one team drafted double bigs to set their foundation: Jon took Angel Reese (RD1.8) and Jonquel Jones (RD2.3) to start off his fantasy WNBA career—ESPN had 2024 Finals MVP Jones ranked higher than Reese actually. The double bigs will provide cleanup work on the boards and offer a defensive backbone for, hopefully, some future success.

#9 Lizzie's Loud Team (Lizzie)

Possibly dealing with some drafting tech issues, LLT got tremendous value with Sabrina Ionescu as their first rounder, grabbing the Liberty star lower than projected. From there, Lexie Hull was taken at RD2.2, which was a bit of a head scratcher as Hull wasn’t ranked in ESPN’s top 100 players. Perhaps this was a computer error or just a “grab a player I love” pick. Either way, Lizzie is excited for her first foray into fantasy sports and will have Ionescu to lead the way!

#10 On Cloud 9 in NYC (Hannah)

With the double snake pick at the end of round one and heading into round two, Hannah started her team off with super youth, taking 2023 Rookie for the Year Aliyah Boston first and then drafting odds-on favorite for this year’s R.O.Y., 2025’s first overall pick Paige Bueckers with her second selection. Heading into her own sophomore year in fantasy, Hannah is out to prove that picking last doesn’t mean you can’t finish first!