It’s that time of year again. As women’s college basketball begins to wind down, we head towards the WNBA draft, which is less than two months away. This means that the Connecticut Huskies have yet another chance to add to their long list of over 40 players who have been selected to the WNBA in the league’s nearly three decades. Though this season hasn’t been anything close to what was expected, there are still a number of names on UConn’s roster that could bolster any of the teams in the WNBA. Who are these players and where could they be expected to be drafted? Let’s take a look, while also discussing which Huskies may exercise–or have already announced–their extra year of eligibility thanks to COVID-19.
Paige Bueckers, 6-foot guard
Everywhere you look, there are mocks that have Bueckers at the top of the 2024 draft, right next to Caitlin Clark. That’s great–and her generational talent makes her worthy of this selection. However, she gave any number of indications that she’s planning on staying for her fifth year, and if that wasn’t clear enough, she officially announced her return on senior night. Not only did she miss last year with an ACL tear, but she also has her COVID season. On top of that, with the number of eyes on women’s college basketball and her NIL worth, she’s likely to be earning more in college than in the pros. Her choice of staying makes a ton of sense.
In the scenario that she was on the board for whatever reason since she is eligible, Bueckers would be firmly in the top three. Clark is a foregone conclusion at No. 1 given her historic excellence as a passer and scorer. Bueckers would fight with Stanford’s Cameron Brink for the No. 2 spot, though LA is looking for a big, which gives the upper hand to Brink. Bueckers gives teams everything they could ask for from a point guard though. She has a pass-first mindset when the appropriate weapons are around her and can score at ease when she needs to. The former national POTY also offers great positional size and defense. With Bueckers out of the fold in 2024, she’s likely to be No. 1 pick in 2025.
Aaliyah Edwards, 6-foot-3 forward
Having played all four years available so far, Edwards seems likely to depart, unless she feels like she has unfinished business. Mock drafts generally have the 2023 All-America selection in the top five, and she’s deserving of that position. Edwards offers a diverse offensive profile that has grown over her years in Storrs. Her freshman year was promising, with a 10-5-1 line, but she took a significant step back in her sophomore year. Her junior campaign was as if she continued her progression from her first season, earning All-American honors on a 16-9-1 line. This time around, she’s essentially the same player as last year but slightly better. Her efficiency has improved slightly and she’s scoring an extra point per game. Perhaps some of that can be attributed to the departure of center Dorka Juhasz, without a clear replacement in the rotation. Either way, she’s WNBA-ready.
The biggest issue Edwards will face is the fact that she’s a touch undersized without a 3-point jumper. Her 15-footers are as sure a thing as death or taxes, but getting a shot from downtown would really help space the floor. And no, her 100% shooting from deep on a single attempt last year doesn’t count. Even with that flaw, Edwards remains an exceptional talent. She would thrive somewhere where she could be a four, perhaps as a tertiary offensive threat, but should be able to carve out minutes anywhere.
Aubrey Griffin, 6-foot-1 forward
Griffin has had a career riddled with injuries, so it’s not surprising that she’s taking another year, as was announced on senior night. The 2019 five-star recruit is in her fifth year of school, but has only managed 110 games. In her freshman and sophomore years, she served as a key defensive piece while averaging a modest six points and five boards, only starting five games. Back problems kept Griffin out of the 2022 season, but she returned for 2023. Her 11 points, 6.6 boards and 1.4 steals were big for the Huskies and she looked to build on it this year.
Instead of doing that, she exited the starting lineup five games into the year and began to find herself again as a sparkplug. And then came an ACL tear. Griffin’s rehab will likely take her into next year’s fall to winter months, so it makes sense that she’s using another year as she finds her footing and recovers. That way, she’s readjusting to basketball in a familiar atmosphere. If she did elect to depart though, she could end up in the third round or undrafted. Though she’s been an incredibly valuable player in stretches, her inconsistency and injury history don’t make her a perfect prospect. The intrigue of an athletic 2-way defensive anchor off the bench does exist with Griffin, but the number of question marks that surround her health is likely a big factor in her staying.
Nika Mühl, 5-foot-11 guard
The final player we’ll discuss is Mühl, who has her name in the record books in Storrs as the single-season assist leader. We know what she brings to the table on that front as the premier passer in the draft class. The bigger question is what else she can do at the WNBA level. The way teams are forced to guard a facilitating threat like Mühl opens up the 3-point shots, so she’s needed to take a step up there this year.
After shooting exactly 34.3% in each of her first three years, the point guard upped it to 42.9% this year on the same number of attempts, which should be a welcome sign to suitors. Mühl can often be a hesitant shooter, but her capability isn’t a question. She does also have some issues turning the ball over, but that isn’t concerning. Broadly speaking, Mühl is a great prospect for a team that needs a reliable and selfless facilitator. She won’t do much on the scoring end but can be the glue for a squad looking to tie a number of pieces together. That puts her in the second (more likely) or third round territory.