ESPN releases 2023 WNBA mock draft ahead of Monday's draft

After an exhilarating NCAA Tournament, the WNBA will now look to pluck some of the best talent college basketball has to offer at Monday’s 2023 WNBA Draft.

Last weekend, the LSU Tigers were crowned national champions, but now a myriad of different ladies from a bevy of schools will have their dreams come true. Ahead of the event, ESPN writer M.A. Vopel prefaced his mock draft selections by explaining how this year’s iteration will work.

“Because of the COVID-19 waiver from 2020-21, the seniors from this season and next can opt to play a fifth year in college,” wrote Vogel. “The combination of that, the limited jobs open in the 12-team WNBA and the potential for NIL compensation changed the personnel available in this draft. And it’s certain to do the same for 2024.”

Here’s how ESPN believes this year’s draft will shake out, featuring some of the best in all of college basketball, with the Indiana Fever starting things off.

2023 WNBA Mock Draft Round 1, per ESPN:

1. Indiana Fever — Aliyah Boston, PF, South Carolina
2. Minnesota Lynx — Diamond Miller, SG, Maryland
3. Dallas Wings — Maddy Siegrist, PF, Villanova
4. Washington Mystics — Stephanie Soares, C, Iowa State
5. Dallas Wings — Jordan Horston, SG, Tennessee
6. Atlanta Dream — Haley Jones, PG, Stanford
7. Indiana Fever — Brea Beal, SG, South Carolina
8. Atlanta Dream — Laeticia Amihere, PF, South Carolina
9. Seattle Storm — Grace Berger, PG, Indiana
10. Los Angeles Sparks — Ashley Joens, SF, Iowa State
11. Dallas Wings — Lou Lopez Senechal, SG, UConn
12. Minnesota Lynx — Dorka Juhasz, F, UConn

Click here for ESPN’s full 2023 WNBA mock draft, including Round 2 and Round 3.

As you can see, the South Carolina Gamecocks, who dominated college basketball over recents seasons, are more than well represented. Aliyah Boston starts things off at the first overall pick, and then Brea Beal and Laeticia Amihere were both selected inside the top eight.

Afterwards, Vopel predicted South Carolina’s Zia Cooke would be the No. 13 overall pick to the Indiana Fever, joining Boston, while Victaria Saxton is slated to go No. 27 to the Phoenix Mercury, giving the Gamecocks five women selected throughout.

Meanwhile, some notable names who you don’t see taking their talents to the WNBA will be back in college next season, including LSU’s Angel Reese, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and UConn’s Paige Bueckers. A lot of talent is going to the WNBA, but the college game is in good hands for next season, as well.

As you can see, it’ll be an exciting night for the WNBA, and college basketball as a whole on Monday. Dreams are about to come true, and the league is about to get a serious influx of talent moving forward.