After spending several weeks desperate for WNBA draft content, I’ve decided to create it myself. Thanks to Hunter Cruse and Women’s Hoops Masterclass on YouTube.

If I had more time, I’d be writing about 40 prospects, but as of today, I only have time for about 15. My Mystics have the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 23rd, and 32nd picks. Because of this, I’ll focus on players that should be available when we pick, or players I’d want, should we trade up at the top of the draft.

The Mystics’ Current Roster:

Starters

G: Brittney Sykes

G: Need

Wing: NEED

PF: Aaliyah Edwards

C: Shakira Austin

Bench

C: Stefanie Dolson

F: Sika Kone

PG: Jade Melbourne

Training camp invitees

PG: Sug Sutton

PF: Emily Engstler

SF: Taylor Soule

Updated on draft day 2:34 PM EST*** Karlie Samuelson was traded, so the need for wings increased.

Needs: Wings, Scoring, Guard depth

This team is desperate for talent on the wings and scoring, so that is where I expect them to go. Though they are strongest in the paint, if a big is there and clearly the best player available, you can’t pass them up. I would not be surprised if they are aggressively pursuing trades either.

The Lottery (Picks 3, 4, and 6)

Paige Bueckers

6’0 Guard/Wing: All-Around Player. Pure Bucket

Familiarity: I’ve been aware of Paige since her freshman year in college. She came out of the gates dominating. She shot 46% from 3 as a freshman while averaging 20 points per game. She looked unstoppable. Injuries are the only thing that have been able to hold her back, but coming off winning the National Title, she looks as good as ever.

What I like: She just knows the game. She’s a high-IQ player who never seems lost on the court. She shoots the skin off the ball, handles the ball, and can make plays for her teammates, so there is never a reason to get her off the court.

Defensively, despite her slight frame, Paige uses her length and IQ to be a disruptor on D, which will, at a minimum, keep her from being a complete liability on this end.

What I question: Paige has a slight frame and has some bad injuries under her belt. We have to hope she holds up physically.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: Paige would fit amazingly on this Mystics team, but unfortunately, I can’t foresee her making it to 3. The only way to get her would be if we could somehow get Nico Harrison to trade the 1st pick to the Mystics for Dolson.

With that said, she’s a pretty safe bet to be a star.

Kiki Iriafen

Details: 6’3″ (6’8 Wingspan): Athletic and Physical Big

Familiarity: I’ve known about Kiki since the clip of her catching a lob off the glass in high school went viral. However, after her quiet time at Stanford, I stopped paying attention to her. It wasn’t until I saw her top 3 on draft boards that I tapped back in and realized that she has found herself at USC.

What I like: She stepped up big time after Juju’s injury, and that’s what I like to see. I was not aware that she had added the mid-range jumper to her game, and that is a game-changer. Since she’s not a true Center, having that mid-range game will help teams who want to play her at the 4 justify it. She’s solidly built

What I question: I honestly really like Kiki as a W prospect. The way she developed her game over her time in college makes me feel like she’s the type who’s going to do the work.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: There’s a bit of redundancy with Aaliyah Edwards, but honestly, I think she’s different enough to make that frontcourt very versatile. You can mix and match those bigs to make matchups difficult, and that’s enticing to me.

Dominique Malonga

6’6″ (7’1″ wingspan) Long Center. Young

Familiarity: I’ve only seen her do a drop step into a dunk, but honestly, that was enough.

What I like: She dunks with ease and moves very well for someone at her size. She’s also very young, which means you will have time to develop her if that’s the way you choose to go.

What I question: How much will her body fill out? Right now, at her size, I worry about the stronger bigs bullying her and not allowing her length to be a huge factor.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: While she is a unicorn prospect, there are perhaps too many similarities with Shakira to make this pick make sense. She’s not expected to be there, but if she is, I would understand the pick as a value pick. Shakira has struggled with injuries, so depth here is not a bad thing.

Sonia Citron

6’1″ 3 and D Wing

Familiarity: I only started paying attention to Citron in the NCAA tournament and only got to see 3 games. I was surprised at how high she was on draft boards, so I was definitely paying attention to her in those games.

What I like: She shoots the ball fairly well, which can never be underappreciated. Not afraid to attack the basket either, and is big enough to finish in traffic. She’s a fairly fluid athlete as well.

Besides the shooting, she’s a disruptive defender who plays the passing lanes and can move her feet when guarding in space.

What I question: Honestly, because I haven’t seen a ton of her, it’s just a matter of not trusting her ability to create for herself at the next level. She’s not very explosive, so if she were in a position to be leaned on for scoring, I’m not sure how that plays out for her. Defensively, I’m curious how she looks guarding high-level WNBA guards.

Georgia Amoore

5’6″ Playmaking PG. Gamer

Familiarity: I fell in love with Georgia in last year’s NCAA tournament. She’s my type of player, and I really want her to succeed at the next level.

What I like: She’s my type of guard. She can score at all 3 levels, but she’s always looking to set up her teammates, which keeps her dangerous. She’s smart with the ball and seems to be in control at all times. You can’t give her space, or she will give you a bucket.

With that said, she doesn’t need to have the ball to be effective and can score off the catch as well.

What I question: She is 5’6″ and in recent years, the smaller guards have not fared well in the league. I worry about her getting bullied off the court by big guards, and that limiting her to being a backup at best at the next level.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: The Mystics could certainly use her scoring ability, and they have the bigs to back her up defensively. Her strength in the pick and roll would pair nicely with Shakira, so I think she could be a great fit as the PG of the future. With Sykes in tow, that’s another reason they could get away with her being on the court defensively. I don’t know if we can justify taking her top 6.

Shyanne Sellers

6’2″ Big Point Guard

Familiarity: I honestly did not watch any of Shyanne’s game in college (I missed SC vs Maryland in the NCAA tournament). I did a deep dive on YouTube to be able to write this.

What I like: Shyanne seems like a tough guard. She plays with physicality, has some shiftiness in her game, and plays with fire and intensity. She shot over 40% from 3 this year, and that bodes well for her, too. She was injured most of this year, but I can see the type of athlete she’d be if she were healthy.

What I question: I had to read up on it to confirm, but she has struggled mightily to stay healthy. She had a gigantic brace on her right leg in the tournament, and I could tell it was bothering her. She was incredibly slow with it on. With that said, just by how she was moving, I can tell she’s typically an athletic and explosive player. However, if she can’t stay healthy, we’ll never get to see it.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: Again, if she were healthy, I think it would be a no-brainer. The other point guards at the top of the draft are small, and size matters in basketball. The problem is her health. I’d imagine Mystics scouts have seen a lot of her since she plays down the road, so they’ll have as much info as anyone when it comes to making that call.

Aneesah Morrow

6’1″ (6’4″ wingspan) Athletic PF

Familiarity: I like Flau’jae, so I watched a lot of LSU games. Morrow pops off the page every time you watch that team, and I love the passion she plays with. She’s a fun player.

What I like: She gets busy on the boards. Despite her lack of size, she’s very busy on the boards using her body and quickness to out-hustle opponents. She scores at a high clip as well and has spent some time working on her jumper. That’s an X factor that could really change her outlook at the next level. She hustles on D. She gets a lot of steals and blocks, which is going to help keep her high on boards and keep her in the rotation even if she struggles offensively.

What I question: Though she’s big enough to body college bigs, I wonder how she’ll fare against the more consistently sturdy bigs she’ll see at the next level. There will also be more bigs who can keep up with her athletically. I was worried about this with Angel last year as well, but more so with Morrow because she’s smaller.

She hit a lot of jumpers in the tournament, which was highlighted as something new for her. Again, she’s a worker, so I want to believe that she’ll continue to build on the jumper, but she hasn’t been doing it long enough for me to trust it yet.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: I’m very much ok with taking a 4 in this draft vs a 5 so if for whatever reason Kiki isn’t the option that Washington chooses, Morrow would make me very happy.

Te-Hina Paopao

5’9″ Combo guard.

Familiarity: As an SC alum, I’ve loved Paopao, and she seemed to always make a big shot at the right time. She did whatever Dawn asked of her, so coachability is at a very high level.

What I like: Insane shooter. Leadership and competitiveness. I think she’ll thrive at the next level as a shooter. I love Rachel Banham and Paopao coming clean for a 3-point shot gives me the same feelings. As I write this profile, I like her more and more. Defensively, she works, and you can’t ask for more when she’s shooting the way she is on the other side.

What I question: She’s not the quickest with the ball in her hand and is more of a shifty ball handler, so I wonder if the length and athleticism of WNBA defenders will slow down some of her on-ball scoring. She kinda has that Luka thing where she makes up for the lack of explosiveness by being shifty and using her body well, but I need to see it at the next level before I fully buy into it.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: I mentioned earlier that we need scoring, and Paopao can do that. Her high IQ leads me to believe she’ll be able to play good minutes right away, and I could see her playing beside Sykes. She might be an ideal pick at 6, honestly.

Ajsa Sivka

6’3″ (6’4″ wingspan) Forward

Familiarity: I learned how to say her name today, but I’ve been hearing about her for a little while because she’s Slovenian.

What I like: The shot looks the same every time. Solid passer. Good speed in the open floor.

What I question: Like all the European prospects, she looks a bit skinny, and the WNBA is full of bullies. I can’t see her being ready to contribute any time soon.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: As a scoring forward, she would fit the mold, but it would be as a draft and stash, which I don’t think we’re doing with these first 3 picks.

Aziaha James

5’9″ (5’11” wingspan) Scoring guard

Familiarity: I’ve watched a few of her games over the past two seasons.

What I like: She can score the ball. Not a lot of lower-body action in her shot, so it’s easy to trust. She’s a tough guard despite her slight frame. She can handle the ball, and though she’s a scorer, she passes pretty well too. On defense, she has active hands, which is always a plus when using your body is not likely to be an asset.

What I question: I say it a lot, but the slight frame is always going to give me room for hesitation. She’ll likely be dealing with other PGs, so it won’t be as much of a problem as it will be for some bigs, but just something to consider. I think she can be a good microwave scorer at a minimum, and she might even be better with less volume.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: If the Mystics were to trade back, I wouldn’t mind her as the guard pick around 10- 15th in the draft.

Juste Jocyte

6’1″ Scoring Guard

Familiarity: I watched some YouTube clips before writing this.

What I like: Unlike the other 19-year-olds, she seems to have a body that is ready for the pros. I read that she doesn’t want to be stashed if she can avoid it, so on that front, I think she’s ready. Her shot also seems pro-ready, and I like the way she moves on defense. She wasn’t guarding WNBA athletes, though, so I have to take it with a grain of salt for now.

What I question: She wasn’t showing a lot of athleticism in the clips I watched, so I’m not sure how she matches up there. She was also taking a lot of open shots. She did show some ability to operate as a scorer in the pick and roll, but I’d like to see more of her passing out of it. The numbers say she should be a good passer, too.

Mystics Fit: I included her because she’s high on a lot of boards, but I don’t see her as a threat for the top 6. Definitely a late 1st type player at best for me. Wouldn’t be mad at it if we traded back just a bit. She’s a high-level prospect for sure, but I haven’t been able to watch enough.

Second and Third Round (Picks 23 and 32)

Bree Hall

6’1″ 6’5″ Wingspan: 3 and D wing

Familiarity: I am a SC alum, so I’ve watched Bree her entire career. I thought she would eventually take a larger role in the offense, but that never happened. SC is always super deep, so it’s hard to blame that on her.

What I like: She has a great stroke off the catch, and she likes to defend. Her ability to defend is what truly made her a staple in Dawn’s rotations, and being able to defend is always a great way to stay in the good graces of any coach. As long as she defends and hits open shots, she should stick around.

What I question: It’s hard to judge based on how Dawn runs SC, but I don’t know how aggressive Bree is offensively. She may be a player who is what she is. Basically, what she did at SC is what she’ll do at the next level. That’s not a bad thing, but it does put a ceiling on her.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: We need wing depth and scoring, and she would bring that. Sign me up.

Serena Sundell

6’1 Facilitating PG

Familiarity: Did not watch any of her in the season. Became familiar with her in the tourney.

What I like: Seems like a true point guard. Sets the table, plays D, hits open shots, and picks her spots well when it comes to pursuing her own offense. Good size also.

What I question: Her ceiling. She looks like a solid reserve guard on paper. What’s the upside?

Mystics Fit/Expectations: If the Mystics take Sellers in the first as their PG, I wouldn’t hate her as insurance at all.

Temira Poindexter

6’2″ Scoring wing

Familiarity: I watched her go crazy from 3 in the tournament.

What I like: She can shoot. She shot over 40% from 3 in her one year at Kansas State after shooting less efficiently as the leader of a Tulsa team. She proved that she could be a role player and that the shot was real. She seems to do decently on stocks, and I know she can move a bit, so there may be some 3 and D potential. Appears to have some ability to score off the bounce and finish around the rim with both hands, too. I just haven’t seen it enough personally to call it real.

What I question: I don’t know much about her from watching games other than the fact that she can shoot. Rebounding and assist numbers are low. I mentioned the stocks above, but without seeing it in action, I can’t bank on it.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: Knowing she can shoot and has size is enough for me. If she truly has some defense in her game, too, then she could be a sleeper.

Harmoni Turner

5’10” Scoring Guard

Familiarity: I kept seeing her name pop up throughout the year, but she really popped for me after the 40-piece late in the year.

What I like: I love her story. I’d be a fan of the story alone if she finds a home at the next level. She’s a tough guard who just looks like a hooper. She can shoot the deep ball, the middie, and finish around the rim through contact despite her frame. She can also handle the ball as well as pretty much anyone in the draft. Defensively, she seems to be a ballhawk, averaging over 2 steals all 4 years of her college career, almost 3 this season. Her turnovers were down this year, also.

What I question: She did most of her damage at Harvard, which means she wasn’t playing against top-level talent. There are some concerns over her ability to be a true PG vs being a scoring PG at the next level.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: I like buckets, and I like tough players. I’d take her in the second or 3rd round happily. We will likely be picking up a PG at some point, and if she’s a project PG but an immediate scorer, there’s room for her in Washington.

Deja Kelly

5’8″ Scoring Guard

Familiarity: Her name has been around for a long time, but it feels like her career has been a disappointment.

What I like: Solidly built and seems to be able to create her own shot.

What I question: She seems to be highly liked by media types, but it feels like there’s just a little something missing when I watch her play. I can’t put my finger on it. Her shooting numbers certainly leave a lot to be desired.

Mystics Fit/Expectations: She seems like the type of player that will get a camp invite, but I can’t see her finding a place in the league for a few years, honestly. If she’s the 3rd round pick, I wouldn’t hate having her in the system.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got. I’m sorry if this feels hastily thrown together, but it was. I wanted to do a crash course to get myself ready before the draft and I just so happened to feel like sharing it with you.

My draft if I’m the Mystics GM

Pick 3: Sonia Citron

Pick 4: Kiki Iriafen

Pick 6: Te-Hina Paopao

Pick 23: Temira Poindexter

Pick 32: Bree Hall

This group gives me Kiki as the backup 4, Sonia as the starting 3, Paopao as a potential starter next to Sykes or off the bench as a solid second unit guard who can play the 1 or 2. With Bree and Temina later in the draft, I help the team’s wing depth and pick up two players whose jumpers I trust and who I know will compete on D. They’d be fighting for the last roster spots with the camp invites.

*Post Samuelson trade update: The need for guards and wings only increases so I like my draft board even more.

After doing this, I might have to lock in on the scouting for next season.

-Bibs