Myth ladies’s basketball: Sleepers, breakouts and busts for 2025

• André Snellings

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  André Snellings

  ESPN Senior Author

  Dr. André Snellings is a senior author for males’s and girls’s myth basketball and sports activities making a bet at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year profession as a neural engineer, throughout which era he used to be additionally a author and analyst for Rotowire.

• Eric Moody

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  Eric Moody

  ESPN Author

  Eric Moody is a author for myth soccer, males’s and girls’s basketball, and sports activities making a bet at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after operating as a senior myth analyst at Professional Soccer Community. Previous to that, he spent a lot of his profession as a supervisor at a Fortune 100 monetary services and products corporate.

Apr 22, 2025, 10:00 AM ET

If you wish to collect an ideal myth ladies’s basketball roster, all of it begins with nice draft. And in an effort to have an ideal draft, you will have to know which gamers to focus on and which to keep away from.

Who will exceed their moderate draft place (ADP) this season and Who will take their sport to every other stage? Which participant may take a step backward?

Our myth professionals André Snellings, Eric Moody be offering their recommendation at the attainable sleepers, breakouts and busts in drafts forward of the 2025 season.

Sleepers

Sleeper: A participant who will a long way surpass their moderate draft place (ADP) in same old ESPN leagues.

Temi Fagbenle, C, Golden State Valkyries

Moody: Golden State is a thriller because the group hasn’t performed a sport but, however Fagbenle is value a late-round glance. She averaged 14.4 myth issues in simply 18.9 mins closing season and used to be environment friendly in restricted motion, and Indiana Fever enthusiasts were not satisfied to lose her within the growth draft. If Fagbenle cracks the beginning lineup, she has respectable sleeper attraction with actual upside. Stay her in your radar.

Chelsea Grey, G, Las Vegas Aces

Snellings: It feels ordinary to have Grey indexed as a sleeper, when in earlier years she used to be a famous person, however her damage and fight to go back to shape closing yr has dropped her ADP to 40.7 forward of this season. I be expecting Grey to far-outperform this rating. She already confirmed what she will do when wholesome in Unmatched, main Rose BC to the championship and incomes the Finals MVP after hanging up giant numbers all season. Grey established new career-best marks in scoring, assists, rebounds, and 3-pointers made in 2023, and I be expecting her to bounce-back to numbers corresponding to a top-20 participant.

Shakira Austin, C, Washington Mystics

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Moody: Accidents have restricted Austin to only 31 video games during the last two seasons, however her upside stays excessive. She averaged 24 myth issues according to sport in handiest 20 mins closing yr. There is a transparent trail to extra mins if she will keep wholesome, with Elena Delle Donne retired. Getting into a freelance yr, Austin is a high-risk, high-reward select value taking into account in drafts.

Chennedy Carter, G, Unfastened Agent

Snellings: Carter used to be probably the most main breakout gamers of closing season for the Chicago Sky and posting career-best marks of 17.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG in 26.0 MPG. Her numbers as a starter had been even higher, in particular as a scorer the place she averaged 20.7 PPG in her 20 begins. Carter has but to signal with a group and that uncertainty has led her to fall in myth hoops drafts (ADP 53.4). However Carter performed in a foreign country this offseason, averaging a whopping 31.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and six.0 APG in China, and must be poised to hit the bottom operating with whoever indicators her this season.

Breakouts

Breakout: A participant who will soar into or with reference to the higher echelon of gamers at their place for the primary time as a result of a dramatic build up in manufacturing in comparison to their earlier seasons.

Kamilla Cardoso, C, Chicago Sky

Moody: The No. 3 select in 2024, Cardoso averaged 10.0 PPG and eight.0 RPG closing season whilst taking part in along Angel Reese, and is poised to take a soar in 2025. She ruled in a foreign country, profitable WCBA World Participant of the Yr after averaging 20.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG in 38 video games. Even with Elizabeth Williams within the combine, Cardoso is a robust breakout candidate value concentrated on at her ADP.

Editor’s Selections

2 Comparable

Cameron Verge of collapse, F, Los Angeles Sparks

Snellings: Verge of collapse used to be the second one general select within the elite rookie magnificence of closing season and used to be neatly on her option to a very good marketing campaign ahead of she tore her left ACL in mid-June. Verge of collapse is scheduled to go back to sport motion in June of this season, so her breakout will likely be rather not on time, but when she returns at complete energy she must resume her ascent as probably the most supreme younger facilities within the sport. Verge of collapse used to be certainly one of 3 WNBA gamers to moderate greater than two BPG closing season, and he or she has the sport to problem for a double-double on a nightly foundation.

Busts

Bust: A participant who is predicted to be a forged starter in same old ESPN leagues however may fail to reside as much as the ones expectancies this season.

DiJonai Carrington may see a dip in manufacturing from closing yr becoming a member of a Wings backcourt with Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers. Picture by way of Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE by means of Getty Photographs

DiJonai Carrington, G, Dallas Wings

Moody: Carrington averaged 23.9 myth issues in 29.5 mins throughout a breakout yr with the Solar, incomes All-Defensive First Workforce honors. She used to be traded to Dallas within the offseason, however the Wings’ backcourt is crowded with Arike Ogunbowale and No. 1 select Paige Bueckers each commanding excessive utilization charges. Carrington may now not have as powerful a task within the Wings’ rotation as she did with the Solar.

Ezi Magbegor, C, Seattle Hurricane

Moody: Magbegor is not a concern at her present ADP. She averaged 13.0 PPG and eight.7 RPG thru 25 video games closing season, however her manufacturing dipped after Gabby Williams returned from in a foreign country play — right down to 9.0 PPG and six.5 RPG over the general 12 video games. With Seattle including Dominique Malonga and nonetheless that includes Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, Williams could also be the simpler price.

Brittney Griner, F, Atlanta Dream

Snellings: “Bust” is a relative time period for Griner’s myth manufacturing this season, as I do be expecting her to stay an All-Famous person caliber participant. However she has been the focal publish presence and probably the most number one scoring choices for the Phoenix Mercury her complete profession, and this season she should modify to a brand new group. The Dream is Rhyne Howard’s group, with Allisha Grey and Jordin Canada at the perimeter and Brionna Jones additionally contributing down low. I be expecting Griner’s numbers to dip sufficient in order that her 25.9 ADP could be just a little excessive for her precise manufacturing.