WNBA draft reaction: Breaking down best picks, shocking trade and more

The real evaluation of any draft comes after we've seen rookies perform for at least a year or two. But Monday's WNBA draft gave us plenty to ponder heading into the league's 30th season, which begins May 8.

Was Azzi Fudd the right No. 1 choice for the Dallas Wings? How much impact will the record-breaking six UCLA players chosen make on the WNBA? Who are the potential franchise-changers? Who are the steals?

The top four picks sorted themselves out a few days before the draft, with Olivia Miles following Fudd at No. 2 to the Minnesota Lynx, Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3 to the Seattle Storm and Lauren Betts at No. 4 to Washington Mystics.

After that, there were some unexpected twists and turns. ESPN's final mock draft had 13 of the 15 players who were taken in the first round but predicted only six in the correct spots. The second and third rounds, as usual, defied predictions.

Now, as the real work starts for the rookies and their teams, we take time to digest the draft details.

What do you make of Golden State's stunning trade after drafting Flau'jae Johnson?

Michael Voepel: It was odd that Golden State Valkyries general manager Ohemma Nyanin seemed to struggle with an explanation of this. Initially, she told the media she needed more time before explaining it, then later Monday told ESPN's Kendra Andrews that Golden State and Seattle had agreed to trade these picks Monday before the players -- LSU guard Johnson at No. 8 and TCU forward Marta Suarez at No. 16 -- were selected.

Nyanin seemed wary of sounding critical of Johnson, but she also wouldn't say the trade was a salary cap decision ... but it seems like it was. The No. 8 pick gets $309,622 her first season, compared to $270,000 for second- and third-round picks such as Suarez. Nyanin could have just said there wasn't a player she thought filled the Valkyries' needs at the No. 8 salary, and that they might use the nearly $40,000 difference (if they keep Suarez) in another way. Considering Johnson went eighth, Golden State wasn't the only team to bypass her.

Kendra Andrews: This trade would have been a surprise regardless, because of Johnson's stardom -- but the shock value blew up even more because of the fallout that ensued, as Voepel outlined. If the events leading up to the trade were made more transparent, it would not have become such a big story.

Sources told ESPN that because the trade was agreed upon before any selections were made, Seattle instructed the Valkyries to take Johnson, and then Golden State did the same, telling Seattle to select Suarez at No. 16. This kind of thing happens all of the time on draft night, but the way it was handled was peculiar.

As for the fit, Suarez gives the Valkyries a big who can also stretch the floor -- the kind of player they had last season in Monique Billings, but lost in free agency.

Which top-10 pick do you think will make the biggest immediate impact on her team?

Voepel: No. 2 pick Olivia Miles of TCU could be a big part of a youth movement for Minnesota. Even with veteran guards Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride returning, there is space for Miles. She is a true point guard who will get to work with Lynx assistant Lindsay Whalen, a Hall of Famer who is one of the best point guards in women's hoops history.

Andrews: I agree with Voepel -- Miles is one to watch immediately. Another player I'll have my eyes on is Lauren Betts. There are only a handful of traditional dominant bigs left in the league, and even fewer on the younger side of the age spectrum. But teaming up with an exciting young core already in Washington -- and reuniting with her UCLA teammate Angela Ducalig -- Betts should be able to have an early impact. I don't see her being bullied down low, and she will be able to be disruptive in the defensive end as well.

Alexa Philippou: Aside from those players, I'd point to Fudd. She won't be required to carry Dallas this year, but I want to see how she can bring her 3-point prowess to a Wings team that desperately needs it: They ranked 11th out of 13 teams last season in 3-pointers per game, as well as 12th in 3-point field goal percentage.

The Sun's rookies -- Nell Angloma, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Taylor Bigby -- also have an opportunity to make a splash for a franchise that is unequivocally building toward its future. It might not be the sort of impact that results in playoff contention, but they will have an opportunity to carve out meaningful roles for a team with a ton of youth and leadership that should be willing to experiment.

Who is the one player you would like to plant your flag on as the biggest steal of the draft?

Philippou: Maybe the No. 3 pick can't qualify as a steal -- but there are a lot of evaluators who believe Fam Thiam has the highest upside of anyone in the draft. And with Dallas and Minnesota opting to select guards, she was available for the Storm, who gladly took her even though they already have a stacked frontcourt with Dominique Malonga (last year's No. 2 pick) and Ezi Magbegor (who just signed the most lucrative contract in WNBA history), not to mention veteran center Stefanie Dolson. It'll be fascinating to see how Fam Thiam and Malonga develop long term and how Storm coach Sonia Raman looks to unlock their individual potential while also blending their talents for the team's broader success.

Andrews: Does top 10 count as a steal?! Raven Johnson's selection by the Fever at No. 10 is a massive win for Indiana. When the roster is healthy, the Fever are an incredibly balanced team and weren't in dire need of any one thing. So they drafted the best player available, and that player happened to be an elite defensive point guard who just put up career-best shooting numbers.

Voepel: South Carolina guard Ta'Niya Latson, the No. 20 pick by Los Angeles. In three seasons at Florida State, she averaged 22.5 points in 93 games. This season, she averaged 14.1 points at South Carolina with more talent around her. Her 48.6 shooting percentage was the best of her career, but she struggled to make 3-pointers (32.5%). She had ups and downs in the postseason. The biggest downs came in losses in the SEC final and the national championship game, though she played well in the semifinal against UConn. That inconsistency contributed to Latson dropping in the draft. Now she has the chance to prove she can be an effective scorer at the pro level.

What was your biggest takeaway from this draft?

Voepel: The patterns are set: WNBA teams are pretty clear on the types of players they draft.

Traditional guards need a high-level offensive skill set. Defensive prowess is valued, but no guard will be picked only for defense. The four guards taken from UCLA -- No. 5 Gabriela Jaquez, No. 6 Kiki Rice, No. 15 Gianna Kneepkens and No. 18 Charlisse Leger-Walker -- show that. They can defend, but all bring important offensive tools that helped make the Bruins unstoppable in the NCAA final.

Big players (6-3 or taller) who can reliably shoot 3-pointers usually will get picked. Examples this year were No. 9 Angela Dugalic (UCLA), No. 16 Marta Suarez (TCU), No. 19 Cassandre Prosper (Notre Dame), No. 25 Justine Pissott (Vanderbilt) and No. 35 Amelia Hassett (Kentucky). One player who fit that bill, Yarden Garzon of Maryland, wasn't drafted. But she might still get a chance to play in the WNBA.

For traditional centers, the odds of being drafted are likely low. Three players listed at center were taken in the first round: No. 2 Awa Fam Thiam (Spain), No. 4 Lauren Betts (UCLA) and No. 13 Madina Okot (South Carolina). They are all talented beyond the traditional low-block skill set. Meanwhile, centers such as Oklahoma's Raegan Beers, Miami's Ra Shaya Kyle and Texas' Kyla Oldacre were not selected. They could get training camp invites instead.

Same goes for college players who are not from either a Power 4 conference or UConn. Only one mid-major player was selected this year: Davidson guard Charlise Dunn (No. 36). That had a lot to do with her being Australian and known to Toronto coach Sandy Brondello, a longtime Australian national team coach.

Philippou: The rookie salary for last year's No. 1 WNBA draft pick, Paige Bueckers, was $78,831. The rookie salary for Fudd this year is $500,000. The average first-year salary for first-round picks last year was about $75,000, while the average first-year salary for first-round picks this year is $386,000.

It's been the case for the past week with free agents as they've signed the first million-dollar contracts in league history, but it was definitely a cool moment Monday to recognize the massive salary changes that have happened under this new collective bargaining agreement, and what it'll mean for the lives of incoming WNBA athletes.

On another note: Having free agency start the week before the draft, which on its own is already just six days before training camp, is an exercise no one across the league wants to relive again. The good news is that the reward is in sight: at long last, a 2026 season.