In the nearly three decades since Major League Baseball has turned April 15 into a de facto industry holiday, there have been years in which celebrating Jackie Robinson has felt downright paradoxical.

You could say 2025 qualifies.

The game is right to celebrate its most impactful participant, an American civil rights hero whose courage in breaking baseball’s color line at its highest level should always be taught even if his example and his message are subject, like Martin Luther King, to bad faith actors co-opting and twisting it beyond recognition.

Within baseball, it has been a complex dynamic. Noble gestures such as retiring his No. 42 throughout MLB and all players donning it each April 15 are juxtaposed against backsliding Black representation in the big league player population and inconsistent organizational commitments to front office diversity.

The events of the past month-plus, when MLB scrubbed references to “diversity” from its careers home page, and the Department of Defense deleted references to Robinson’s military service before restoring it under pressure, and Robinson’s Dodgers franchise uncritically visited the president who made all of the above possible, create an unsettling reality that resonates even more on Jackie Robinson Day.

We simply can’t count on our institutions to save us.

The voters of this country have opted for what they believe to be rugged individualism, so long as it doesn’t hit home too hard for them. The man they elected to lead them wants us to believe the proverbial playing field has long been leveled for everyone, even as his family’s legacy was built on virulent discrimination.

And even as his hand-picked choices for crucial leadership positions err in a manner that suggests fealty and cronyism and not qualifications drove their hiring, private entities have felt compelled to fall in line.

Yet this is where MLB can do better than Target, which loudly ditched DEI and is now paying the price for it, and other corporations who once touted diversity wins yet are deserting hiring practices that enhance the chances their company reflects the people it aims to serve.

In short: MLB needs to keep it pushing.

The league has come relatively far since 1987, when Dodgers GM Al Campanis found he couldn’t use his late friend Robinson as a human shield when he claimed Blacks lacked the “necessities” to lead a front office or manage a ballclub.

The question posed by Ted Koppel that led to Campanis’s downfall simply asked why there were no Black GMs, managers or owners in the game.

In the years since, Black managers Cito Gaston, Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker have won World Series championships, as have Latino skippers Alex Cora, Dave Martinez and Ozzie Guillen. Ken Williams constructed the White Sox team that, with Guillen, ended an 88-year championship drought.

Yet today’s landscape reveals just one Black GM, Dana Brown, and three managers – Roberts, the White Sox’s Will Venable and the Angels’ Ron Washington.

The future offers mixed signals. Black player participation peaked, according to various estimates sometime in the late 1970s and early ‘80s; Washington, now 72, might represent the last of that group of former players in the managerial ranks.

There are nine Black assistant GMs, along with five Latino AGMs and four of Middle Eastern, Indian American or Asian descent. Almost all are what one might consider “baseball lifers,” entering the industry at the ground level and working their way closer to the executive suite, even if some have specific concentrations in international scouting or finance, say.

And none were products of MLB’s Diversity Pipeline Program, which those obsessed with purging the “D-word” from society might find surprising.

That fact proves a couple of interesting points. One, that diverse execs in baseball not only got there on merit but almost certainly did, in fact, have to grind harder than their counterparts.

And two, that inclusion efforts take time.

It’s been a decade since MLB initiated the Diversity Pipeline Program, which came at a time when franchise obsession with Ivy League analytics robots was arguably at its peak and front offices took on a largely monochromatic sheen. The diversity program has produced more than 400 hires within organizations.

Even as front offices aim to outflank their rivals, upward mobility remains challenging. Yet it seems inevitable program grads will eventually crack the c-suite, even if nepotism and cronyism will always provide obstacles.

Nurturing Black prospects on the field is similarly challenging. The league operates nine youth academies in urban areas and touts its myriad baseball development programs. Yet the former feels like a Band-Aid in an era when the cost of entry to the sport only gets higher, while the latter groups together players who have already demonstrated proficiency in the game.

Still, they are important efforts, if only to gather dozens of kids who likely are the only Black players on their own teams back home and introduce them to peers going through similar experiences. Many of those bonds will likely last well into adulthood.

Meanwhile, relief could come in the Wild West of amateur ball. Name, Image and Likeness opportunities have changed the calculus for athletes aiming to continue their careers collegiately. Onerous NCAA scholarship limits often served to push away the athlete who could not afford cost of attendance at a baseball power if they received, say, a one-quarter share of a scholarship.

While MLB’s truncated 20-round draft and smaller minor league system might narrow the talent pool, NIL may very well keep the young athlete playing baseball – especially if it pays more to be the leadoff man than the second-string quarterback.

It is a complex ecosystem, all of it under fire from a grievance-addled culture that despite its occasional platitudes fails to recognize the Sisyphean efforts to get in – and stay in – the game in the decades since Robinson broke the game’s color barrier.

Scrubbing language from a web site might enable the legal department to sleep better at night, but that’s just part of the equation. It’s incumbent on MLB to cheerfully refuse compromising what it might call its “values,” to be a Harvard and not a Columbia, to put it in terms the modern franchise can appreciate.

Paying homage to Robinson is always the right thing. Heeding his words is even better, such as when he wrote to President Eisenhower in 1958 after Ike urged “patience” in the battle for civil rights:

“Seventeen million Negroes cannot do as you suggest and wait for the hearts of men to change. We want to enjoy now the rights that we feel we are entitled to as Americans. This we cannot do unless we pursue aggressively goals which all other Americans achieved over 150 years ago.”

It is clear certain hearts will never change. In 2027, MLB will mark the 80^th anniversary of Robinson boldly erasing much of its exclusionary shame. The celebration will resonate a little more if, in the interim, the industry does not further squander the gains made over decades of starts and stops.

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Jackie Robinson is the ultimate American hero in a class by himself of not only athletes, but of all Americans.

He was a four-sport athlete with high academic success and he served our country in WWII with great honor. This resonates with me because my grandfather Jefferson Vincent, who raised me, also served during that time—a time of segregation even in the military. In our household, Jackie was considered the standard of athleticism, service, dedication, courage and perseverance. 

He stood against the hate and prejudice of segregation in the Jim Crow era. Standing up and showing up each day, his resolve brought an end to the color line in Major League Baseball at a time when it was illegal for Black Americans to play professional ball.

It is said that we all drink of wells from which we have not dug. We all are drinking from Jackie’s well. It is said that we all stand on the shoulders of giants. Jackie was and still is that giant upon whose shoulders we stand. His legacy is immortal.

His efforts gave us the courage to lean into the Civil Rights Movement. He challenged what was normal with dignity and respect. We know what we can be by what we see. Jackie exemplified that. 

Robinson has not only inspired my participation in social justice and racial equality initiatives at the local, state and national levels, as I studied and learned more about Jackie and his corporate and business aptitude, he, John Wooten and Junior Bridgeman created paths I wanted to follow during and after my playing experience.

Most are unaware of Jackie’s post-baseball playing experience and the success he had in corporate America. Jackie owned Black banks and he supported under-resourced families for decades. His success off the field was parallel to what he demonstrated on the field.

My post-playing career is a parallel to Robinson’s, taking inspiration from his approach to civil rights, business and life. As an executive, my career has been aimed at eliminating bias, promoting trust and fairness, developing skills and providing opportunity for women and people of color. Like Jackie and Rachel Robinson, my wife Tommi and I, also chose to make a lifetime commitment to the community at large. 

Our contribution to society through our Love Thy Neighbor Community Development and Opportunity Corporation seeks to provide equitable access to education, leadership development, safe environments, and essential resources, empowering individuals and families to achieve their fullest potential. We also work globally to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. These life-long efforts are inspired and influenced by men like Jackie Robinson. 

Jackie was a devoted Christian, dedicated husband, served in WWII, an extraordinary athlete, business executive, and one who stood for what is just and right. He was an iconic figure both on the field and in society.

For me, he is a beacon of light, hope, faith, and inspiration, exemplifying the definition of integrity and respect, providing a road map for living a meaningful life of impact.

NEW YORK — Paige Bueckers, who overcame two serious knee injuries during her career at Connecticut and ultimately led the Huskies to their first national championship in eight years, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings on Monday night. 

The 23-year-old guard 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 was emotional when asked about her Huskies teammates.

‘They mean everything to me, all they’ve helped me get through, all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, they’ve seen every side of me, and the love there is unconditional, so forever grateful for them,’ Bueckers said. ‘I want to cherish that relationship for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t be here without them. I just want to show a state of gratitude to them.

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.

She already has endorsement deals with Gatorade, Bose, Dunkin’ Donuts, Verizon and Nike, where she has her own signature shoe called the Paige Bueckers G.T. Hustle 3, becoming the first college athlete under the new name, image, and likeness rules to design and release a Nike basketball shoe.

Stardom has been destined for Bueckers since she laced up sneakers for Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and by the time she left in 2020, she had a high school championship and was named the Gatorade National and Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

‘Paige Buckets’ didn’t stop once she stepped foot on the Storrs campus, leading UConn to the Final Four her freshman season and winning AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and the Wooden Award after averaging 20 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

But the momentum quickly stopped after she had ankle surgery before her sophomore year and had surgery to repair a tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear in her left knee during the season. She returned to action, but UConn fell to South Carolina in the national championship game.

Before the 2022 season, Bueckers tore the ACL in her left knee, wiping out her junior season.

Her five years in college prepared her for professional basketball as she joins a league with young stars, such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Since Dallas won the draft lottery last November, the Wings have been preparing for change. Teams are no longer waiting around to develop players. They want to compete for championships now as a future of uncertainty looms as the players have already opted out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, which expires Oct. 31, despite a new 11-year media rights deal, worth $2.2 billion, set to commence at the start of the 2026 season.

Dallas was one of four WNBA teams that replaced their head coaches during the offseason, as Latricia Trammell was replaced with Chris Koclanes after the Wings finished 9-31 after making the second round of the playoffs the season before

Former Los Angeles Sparks coach Curt Miller was named the Wings’ executive vice president and general manager, and job one is to replace massive holes in the roster.

Former All-WNBA performer Satou Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in a four-team deal, and Natasha Howard signed with the Fever in free agency, leaving the team to rebuild around All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale, who averaged 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season.

‘Dallas is a sports city, so I’m super excited for the support, the new wave of being there, being in a new city, being with a new team and conquering those challenges as a group,’ Bueckers said. ‘But super excited to be there. We’ve got great pieces, a great ownership, great GMs, great coaches. So the entire organization from up to down, I’m extremely excited for it.’

DiJonai Carrington, Ty Harris, and NaLyssa Smith signed with Dallas during the offseason, adding a much-needed veteran presence to go along with returnees guard Maddy Siegrist and center Teaira McCowan.

“All of us are looking to add dawgs to our locker room,” Miller said. Those ‘dawgs’ will have to start on the defensive end, where the Wings allowed a league-worst 92.1 points per game on nearly 48% shooting.

With Bueckers on the roster for the new-look Wings, the mission might have been accomplished.

NEW YORK ― Hailey Van Lith’s reunion with Angel Reese is seemingly a gift from the basketball gods.

When Van Lith left LSU after a tumultuous tenure, it was evident that the Tigers weren’t a fit for her. She often appeared visibly lost on the court, and her production showed that the chemistry with the team left a lot to be desired. Still, when Van Lith transferred to TCU and her journey became one of the best stories in college basketball, she never lost contact with her former teammate.

Fittingly, Reese publicly supported Van Lith with multiple social media posts over the last several months, often with three simple letters: H-V-L. On Monday night, after the Chicago Sky drafted Van Lith No. 10 overall, she couldn’t help but seemingly blush (and flash her megawatt smile) speaking about Reese.

‘Angel has maintained contact with me this whole past year she’s been in the league, and I transferred,’ Van Lith said. ‘I really appreciate her.’

The former Horned Frog explained that the two have a very mature relationship with mutual respect for both the character and the people they are off the court. Van Lith revealed that she and Reese are on the same page with what’s important to them before flashing her signature smile again and saying what many in the league and the room knew.

‘She’s a dawg, man.’

‘She turns up the intensity of everyone around her,’ Van Lith reflected. ‘So, I’m excited to be in that environment with her again where she can pull more out of me than I think I have.’

Van Lith likely has an uphill battle to make the Chicago Sky roster ― they are loaded with guards ― but having Reese in her corner gives her a significant foundation to work with. Additionally, last season, the on-court chemistry between Chicago’s guards and its post players was painful to watch. Often, there was little synergy, and the paint production and pick-and-roll action suffered. Reese and Van Lith together again, at minimum, puts a band-aid on a visible eyesore. At its best, it opens up a world of possibilities.

Reese gets a reliable guard that she’s comfortable with and can work with to build their connection again. Van Lith gets a familiar face in a new environment and will also learn from one of the league’s best veteran point guards, Courtney Vandersloot.

Also, lost in the hoopla of Reese and Van Lith running the floor again is that Van Lith also will benefit from having head coach Tyler Marsh. Marsh is a developmental wizard, who found success while working with Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. He improved her overall game as one of the top guards in the league, working on her 3-point shot, a main staple of her career.

Van Lith should thrive under Marsh, and with Reese in her corner, the sky ― pun intended ― is the limit. What happens now once she arrives in Chicago, is completely up to her. However, if her final season in college is any indication, Van Lith should settle into the Windy City. She exudes confidence and happiness despite every obstacle (including mental health struggles) in her path, and that has seemingly guided her to this moment.

‘I feel so much joy,’ she said shortly after being drafted. ‘When you persevere through the things that I’ve had to persevere from, you’re just glad to walk around every day.’

The message in that simple thought likely reaches far beyond what anyone likely knows. But for now, it’s Reese and Van Lith, back together again, for more joy and more smiles, and of course, more basketball ― just the way the universe drew it up.

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The principal parties to the proposed settlement of three athlete-compensation antitrust cases against the NCAA and Power Five conferences late Monday night Pacific Time (early Tuesday morning Eastern Time) filed a revised version of their agreement that did not include any changes to roster limits that would take effect July 1 — one of the most discussed issues of a final-approval hearing U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken held last week in Oakland, California.

The new filing also attempts to further clarify the rights of future athletes under the 10-year period that the settlement seeks to cover. This was another issue on which Wilken spent considerable time during last week’s hearing. She also covered it during the preliminary-approval hearing in September.

In addition, the new filing attempts to address issues that some athletes said they had in submitting information via an online portal set up by the third-party administrator that is helping the plaintiffs’ attorneys handle claims for payments from what is set to be a $2.8 billion damages pool. Under the presumptive revisions, athletes would be given additional time to file claims — until May 16. In addition, the plaintiffs’ lawyers said they and the administrator would continue to work with athletes regarding claims and that updates to damages allocations are still being made.

In a smaller matter, the filing attempts to clarify the College Football Playoff’s role in — and future coverage from —the settlement. That clarification was sought by one set of objectors.

Based on instructions that Wilken provided at the end of last week’s hearing, objectors now have until 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time, on Tuesday to file a response.

Emphasizing the small number of objectors and athletes who have opted out, among a group of roughly 390,000 current and former athletes, the new filing argues: ‘These revisions further confirm what over 99.9% of the class members have apparently realized — the Settlement Agreement is fair and reasonable, and should be approved so that its benefits can fully flow to the classes.’

The presumptive agreement’s pillars are the $2.8 billion in damages by the NCAA and the conferences that would go to current and former athletes — and their lawyers — over 10 years, and Division I schools would be able to start paying athletes directly for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) starting July 1, subject to a per-school cap that would increase over time and be based on a percentage of certain athletics revenues.

The roster limits — which would be implemented in combination with the end of the NCAA’s current system of team-by-team scholarship limits — are a major target of several objectors to the settlement. Thousands of current walk-on athletes stand to lose their places on Division I teams if the settlement is approved. Some objectors have told Wilken in writing, as well as in-person at last week’s hearing, that they and other athletes already have been told by coaches that they will be losing their spots. Or, in the case of high school recruits, they have been told that spots they were going to receive will no longer exist.

In an order issued prior to last week’s hearing, Wilken specified that she “cannot order changes to the agreement.’

During last week’s hearing, though, Wilken specifically said about roster limits: “My idea is … grandfathering.’ (That is, allowing current athletes to keep their roster spots.) ‘It’s not that many people. It’s not that much money.’ She added that it would be a ‘goodwill’ move that would resolve a lot of ‘sturm und drang.’

However, in the new filing, the principals wrote:

‘The Parties appreciate the perspective and heartfelt stories that the student-athletes who objected shared, including those shared at the hearing. Defendants have evaluated — and discussed with numerous member institutions — the Court’s suggestion to ‘grandfather’ in the roster limits. Defendants, however, have informed (the plaintiffs’ lawayers) that those discussions revealed no practicable way to do so, because ‘grandfathering’ roster limits would cause significant disruption. The Parties are both independently aware that member institutions and student-athletes have been making decisions in anticipation of the roster limits being immediately effective if the Settlement is approved.’

Although roster limits received no attention during the preliminary-approval hearing, the principals noted that written objections were made about that aspect of the settlement prior to that hearing, and Wilken granted preliminary approval.

The principals also contend that courts have ‘recognized the ability of sports organizations to have reasonable rules regulating their sports, which includes roster sizes.’

In addition, they said, the imposition of roster limits being acccompanied by the elimination of scholarship limits, creates a setup ‘under which more student-athletes can receive athletic aid’ and ‘is a move towards a less restrained market — the stated goal of the antitrust lawsuits the Parties have settled.’

As for the interests of future athletes over the 10-year settlement period, Wilken raised questions during last week’s hearing about whether the proposed agreement protects those athletes’ due-process rights. The settlement, as it stood going into the hearing, would give athletes in each new class the opportunity to raise objections in court. But Wilken still seemed less than fully convinced about whether that was sufficient and she asked for further explanation.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Jeff Kessler was involved with a prior labor case against the NFL that also ended in an agreement covering a future group of athletes. He said during the hearing that the NFL case and others provided legal precedent for the type of arrangement that has been negotiated in this case, and he said that if a judge found merit in future objections, the judge would have the ability to terminate the settlement.

The principals cited that and other cases in the new filing. They added that the settlement agreement has been adjusted ‘to clarify that future Division I athletes will not release their injunctive relief claims until they have received notice and an opportunity to object to the continuation of the Settlement.’ These athletes will have 60 days from the time they have received this notice to object.

‘… it is important to emphasize that future class members are not without rights. First, no future class members are releasing their right to pursue future damages claims. Second, every future class member will receive notice and have the right to object to the Injunctive Relief Settlement — and have any objection adjudicated—before her release takes effect.’

They added: ‘… to the Parties’ knowledge, (the revisions create) the most robust and protective process ever devised to safeguard the rights of future Injunctive Relief Settlement Class members.’

The NBA Play-In Tournament gets underway Tuesday night with a pair of matchups that will send two teams directly into the playoffs and set the stage for more drama over the next few nights.

Although the tournament has been in place for several seasons, the rules and format may still be confusing to some fans. It takes the teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference and has them face off in what’s essentially a playoff before the playoffs.

The format was launched before the 2021 postseason and has injected some competition and excitement to the bottom quarter of the respective brackets in the Eastern and Western conferences.

What NBA games are tonight?

Tuesday’s slate features the No. 7 and No. 8 teams in their respective conferences playing for the right to fill the No. 7 seeds when the NBA playoffs officially begin Saturday.

Atlanta Hawks (40-42) at Orlando Magic (41-41)

• Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Memphis Grizzlies (48-34) at Golden State Warriors (48-34)

• Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
• Time: 10 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

What NBA games are up next?

The winner of tonight’s games will advance to face the No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences in a best-of-seven series that will begin Sunday.

The Hawks-Magic winner will take on the Boston Celtics, while the loser will host the winner of tomorrow’s game between the No. 9 Chicago Bulls and No. 10 Miami Heat.

The Grizzlies-Warriors winner will take on the Houston Rockets, while the loser will host the winner of tomorrow’s game between the No. 9 Sacramento Kings and the No. 10 Dallas Mavericks.

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

1. Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles Sparks)
2. Dallas Wings
3. Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago Sky)
4. Chicago Sky (from Washington Mystics)
5. Golden State Valkyries
6. Atlanta Dream
7. Indiana Fever (from Phoenix Mercury)
8. Indiana Fever
9. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm)
10. Chicago Sky (from Las Vegas Aces)
11. Washington Mystics (from Connecticut Sun)
12. Minnesota Lynx
13. Connecticut Sun (from New York Liberty)

Third round

1. Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)
2. Dallas Wings
3. Los Angeles Sparks (from Chicago Sky)
4. Seattle Storm (from Washington Mystics)
5. Golden State Valkyries
6. Dallas Wings (from Atlanta Dream)
7. Washington Mystics (from Phoenix Mercury)
8. Indiana Fever
9. Seattle Storm
10. Las Vegas Aces
11. Atlanta Dream (from Connecticut Sun)
12. Minnesota Lynx
13. 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.