The 2023 WNBA Draft was held face-to-face in New York City tonight, much to the delight of evening wear enthusiasts and families moved to tears live. We come back to this 2023 vintage which saw – COCORICO – three French women being drafted, including two in the first round! Lou Lopez Senechal (#5), Maïa Hirsch (#12) et Kadi Sissoko (#29) are ready to take the WNBA by storm. For the first, it will be immediate and on the side of Dallas. For the other two, it will be rather in the future.
The replay of our Live Twitch of the day is to be found on our channel !
1- Aliyah Boston (Indiana)
Zero surprises there. The South Carolina interior has likely wrapped up an apartment reservation in Indianapolis since lottery day. The Fever now holds the one that must be the cornerstone of its project. Without the incessant double-takes suffered in NCAAW, she should immediately do damage inside and accompany the gradual rise in power of her new team.
2- Diamond Miller (Minnesota)
Apart from us, his status as No. 2 in this Draft had become a consensus. We see no problem with Diamond Miller being entitled in this regard and we will follow with great curiosity the start of the Maryland winger’s career with the Lynx. Having Cheryl Reeve as the first WNBA coach makes you want to believe in your chances.
3- Maddy Siegrist (Dallas)
It’s unclear whether the Wings chose Maddy Siegrist for her very real offensive talent, seen extensively at Villanova, which is possible, or because Greg Bibb, the General Manager and the father of the player played together at Marist College. We’re not a big fan of fit, but we’re going to closely observe his performance with the Wings.
4- Stephanie Soares (Washington, traded in DALLAS)
This looks like a masterstroke from Mike Thibault, now GM. A priori not convinced by the players still available beyond the top 3, the Mystics selected Stephanie Soares for the Wings, in exchange for a 2nd round of Draft 2024 and a 1st round 2025. Soares played mainly in NAIA , before playing 13 NCAA games, all with two serious knee injuries. We understand the interest in the deterrent potential near the circle, but it still seems far too high and above all not doomed to play right away.
5- Lou Lopez Senechal (Dallas)
LOUUUUU! What a pleasure to see her so high and with so much respect for her name and her performances! The French made an impression with UConn and even more than we thought. She will bring her shot, her maturity and her lack of complexes to a Dallas team that needs it. She has enough to make her mark, while at the same time leading a career in Europe and pointing the tip of her nose in the extended group of the France team. Sky is the limit! It should be noted that Geno Auriemma was at the table with her while waiting for Cathy Engelbert to call her name. The embrace with the pope of UConn is beautiful.
6- Haley Jones (Atlanta)
For most US media, this is a logical position. For us, it’s a phenomenal steal since we even consider that the teams that let it pass will bite their fingers. All, without exception. The Stanford all-around player lands in a promising team where she can grow in the company of other young people. Coach Tanisha Wright’s first words – besides the amusing complaint that she couldn’t reach her on the phone yet – were: “Haley was No. 1 on our list, so we very happy to have him with us”.
7- Grace Berger (Indiana)
The tears of her mother, moved to see her daughter being called among the first and even more with the promise to stay close to her in Indianopolis, moved everyone in New York. Grace Berger, the Hoosiers’ go-to-player, will wear the jersey of a team of which she is a fan and has been watching matches since she was 6 years old. We had put her in 5th position in our Mock as we liked her game and what she could bring to several positions in finishing and playmaking. She made an excellent impression on us during her appearance in front of the media, with maturity and interesting eloquence. Well done Indiana!
8- Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta)
Atlanta obviously wanted athleticism and defense. Amihere, whose development was seen in South Carolina, ticks these boxes and GM Padover doesn’t seem to have thought too much about this pick. Its offensive limits are known, but to bring fighting spirit and a taste for defensive things, why not?
9- Jordan Horston (Seattle)
The biggest drop among expected lottery picks. Less optimistic than the US media, we had agreed not to put her on the podium during the Mock. But we did not expect to see her slip to 9th place. As a complementary player, she’s a good recruit, if however she is used as a second blade and Seattle probably does a nice job by picking her up in the first round.
10- Zia Cooke (Los Angeles)
Doubts over her offensive consistency have not gone away, but in terms of temperament, leadership and defense, Cooke has nothing to envy to the other young women on this list. The Sparks are in reconstruction and Curt Miller will be able to perfectly exploit the strengths of the leader of South Carolina.
11- Abby Meyers (Dallas)
The surprise of the 1st round. Few people had it that high on their Mock Draft. The player from Maryland has assets to put forward, especially in terms of shooting, but you have to be realistic. Given the size of the Wings and the number of players who hope to make the cut, it will be difficult for him to survive the training camp. If she manages to extricate herself from it and show that she has her place in the group, it will be to her credit.
12- Maïa Hirsch (Minnesota)
Cocorico again. We are not going to lie to each other, we cautiously welcomed the sudden hype that surrounded the young French interior, which has gone from zero mention in a year to a huge rating in recent days. It seems that the Lynx mostly wanted to lock in his rights and prevent another team from stealing them. We will certainly not see Maïa in the WNBA for a few years and an important development in the French championship, but it is excellent news for her to know that when the time is right, she will be able to practice with Cheryl Reeve.
2nd and 3rd rounds
For what seems notable to us on the second and third rounds, let’s mention the interesting choice of Fever (whose Draft we like), with Taylor Mikesell and his arm of fire with the 13th pick, the steal (in our eyes) of the Lynx to recover Dorka Juhasz with the 16th pick, or even the tumbles of Alexis Morris, the leader of LSU, excellent during the last NCAAW final and recovered by Connecticut in #22, or of Brea Beal, the defensive machine of South Carolina, last member invited to the green room to find a shoe that fits. Beal was also “saved” by the Lynx, who skillfully maneuvered in this Draft. Among those who are unlikely to survive training camp but still hope to create a surprise, we find Monika Czinano, the acolyte of Caitlin Clark in Iowa, at the Sparks, or the French winger of USC, Kadi Sissoko, who will have a chance with Phoenix in the future.
13- Taylor Mikesell (Indiana)
14- Shaneice Swain (Los Angeles)
15- Leigha Brown (Atlanta)
16- Dorka Juhasz (Minnesota)
17- Ladazhia Williams (Indiana)
18- Madi Williams (Seattle)
19- Ashley Joens (Dallas)
20- Elena Tsineke (Washington)
21- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (Seattle)
22- Alexis Morris (Connecticut)
23- Kayana Traylor (Chicago)
24- Brea Beal (Minnesota)
3e tour
25- Victaria Saxton (Indiana)
26- Monika Czinano (Los Angeles)
27- Destiny Harden (Phoenix)
28- Taylor Soule (Minnesota)
29- Kadi Sissoko (Phoenix)
30- Okako Adika (New York)
31- Paige Robinson (Dallas)
32- Txell Alarcon (Washington)
33- Jade Loville (Seattle)
34- Ashten Prechtel (Connecticut)
35- Kseniya Malashka (Chicago)
36- Brittany Davis (Las Vegas)