2025 WNBA Draft: Building the Momentum of Women's Sports
Casey Louie
In April 2025, the WNBA Draft reaffirmed what fans and analysts have been saying for months: women's basketball is not only living in the moment, it's building a movement.
Coming off a record year for the WNBA and NCAA women's basketball, the 2025 draft kept the momentum going and showed that the league’s future is brighter and stronger than ever.
A New Generation Arrives
The 2025 Draft was led by Connecticut's confident guard Paige Bueckers, who finally made it into the draft after a legendary college career that included a National Championship with UConn women's basketball. The Dallas Wings drafted Bueckers number one overall, and she is everything the league has been longing for: a transcendent, highly marketable superstar with the talent and popularity to make the game pop.
Behind her, French post Dominique Malonga went second overall to the Seattle Storm, bringing size, talent, and international flair to a team. Notre Dame shooting guard Sonia Citron and USC power forward Kiki Iriafen went to the Washington Mystics, giving the team a dynamic duo of scoring and rebounding ability.
You can obtain the full 2025 WNBA Draft order and results via the WNBA website here.
Business on the Incline
These players didn't just come with highlight reels; they came with social media followings in the millions, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals, and dedicated fans who will follow them throughout their professional careers.
The growth of Women’s basketball is also extending far from the court. WNBA endorsement dollars doubled since 2022, and sales of apparel are through the roof. Following the draft of Bueckers, the Dallas Wings experienced a huge surge of ticket sales and merchandise revenue, local media indicated.
Overall, the WNBA has seen a 500% increase in merchandise sales in recent years, driven by rookie phenomena like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and now Paige Bueckers. It is all part of an even broader trend: brands and businesses are finally realizing that investing in women's sports is not just philanthropy, it's a well-paying, future-proof decision.
This excitement has been powered further by the league's growth. The newest league franchise, based in the Bay Area, is the Golden State Valkyries, which had season tickets sell out in weeks upon the team being announced. With the same ownership group behind the NBA Golden State Warriors, the Valkyries are likely to be long-term successful competitors, and financially as well.
And as if their historic launch was not enough, the Valkyries also added the WNBA's first-ever Asian American head coach, Natalie Nakase, and signed Kaitlyn Chen, a Princeton and UConn star guard, to the league. She became the league's first Taiwanese-American player. All of these transactions demonstrate how expansion teams are not about expanding the league in numbers; they're expanding its scope, diversity, and cultural presence.
Already, rumors circulate about cities such as Portland, Denver, Nashville, Austin, and Toronto as possible locations for the next wave of WNBA expansion.
From College Stars to Cultural Icons
It's not that this class of 2025 players have incredible basketball ability; it's that they understand their platform and influence.
Players like Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, and Deja Kelly (who did not get drafted but signed a training camp contract) have been brand-aware for years, partnering with brands like Nike, Adidas, Gatorade, and even high-fashion brands.
These aren't just players, these are cultural icons. Bueckers made an appearance at The Met Gala, which drew even more fans, both for her and also for the rising popularity of women's sports culture. Van Lith, however, has signed sponsorship deals that bridge sports endorsements with beauty and fashion companies, showing the multifaceted branding opportunities for WNBA players.
Even newcomers Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have set themselves up as role models for youth, delivering speeches on mental health, gender equality, and girls' participation in sports at events across the country.
It's significant that this shift is occurring. Young girls (and boys) growing up today are turning to women athletes as players, leaders, influencers, and entrepreneurs.
Challenges Remain
Despite all the progress, monumental hurdles remain for the WNBA and its players.
Compensation, while improving, still falls far behind the NBA. The WNBA supermax salary is approximately $113,295 (in 2023, according to Yahoo Sports), a stark contrast to the NBA average salary of over $10 million. The attempts to close the gap continue, but economic disparity remains a contentious issue.
Travel conditions have improved, most notably with new rules allowing charter flights for back-to-back games, but full league-wide charter travel for all games still needs to be fully realized. Charter flights are more than a courtesy; they are necessary for player safety, injury prevention, and optimal recovery during a grueling season.
There is also work to be done on the media side. White players like Bueckers receive disproportionate coverage, whereas African American women are occasionally overlooked. Growth has to be intersectional if it's going to truly be long-lasting.
The Bigger Picture
The 2025 WNBA Draft confirmed what insiders have known for years: the WNBA is more than an overlooked league. It's an essential component in the global business and sporting landscape.
Stating women's sport is "the future" no longer gets the job done. Women players are shaping culture now, breaking business records, and inspiring millions of fans right now.
Image credit: USA Today