Courtesy of The Athletic
In the 2023 WNBA draft, there were 15 picks who made the opening day rosters for their team. For some, the transition between college basketball and the WNBA has been an adjustment. A month into the WNBA season, we check in below with some of the top draft picks from this year - two from the Eastern Conference and two from the Western Conference.
Courtesy of Michael Hickey
In this year's draft, forward Aliyah Boston was selected number one overall by the Indiana Fever. Boston has already impressed many with her talent, and has been a huge asset to the Fever as she is in the top three on the team for points scored, rebounds, and assists. This May, Boston was awarded the title of Rookie of the Month. So far, she has played in every game, averaging 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Compared to her senior year at South Carolina, Boston currently is averaging more points and minutes in the game.
Courtesy of David Sherman
Diamond Miller, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx was selected second overall. Unfortunately, Miller sprained her ankle in a game against the Dallas Wings on May 30th and has been out since. Before her injury, Miller averaged 10.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. At the moment there is no timeline for her return, but the team will be re-evaluating her injury within the next few weeks.
Courtesy of Tony Gutierrez
The third overall pick in the draft this year was forward Madison Siegrist, who was selected by the Dallas Wings. Coming off a strong senior season with Villanova, Siegrist is getting a slow start with the Wings, averaging 8.7 minutes, 3.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.1 assists. Siegrist plays alongside Dallas forward stars Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally, who are two of the team's best players, which may explain her lower playing time.
Courtesy of Danny Karnik
Sixth overall in the draft was Haley Jones, who plays for the Atlanta Dream. Coming from her senior season at Stanford, her playing time has been cut in half. While her average points are relatively low (averaging only 5.9 points per game), she is contributing in other ways through rebounds and assists. Playing alongside Jones are veteran guards Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, who are two of Atlanta’s best players.
As the season continues, be sure to keep an eye out for these four rookies. Another rookie to watch for is Lou Lopez Sénéchal, who was drafted fifth overall by the Dallas Wings. Before the start of the season, she underwent knee surgery and was projected to be out six to eight weeks. She will hopefully be making her WNBA debut within the next few weeks.
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