2024 WNBA Draft preview: A look at who the Sun, Liberty and Dream might select in the late first round

We’ve done draft previews for the Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx, as well as a peek at the Las Vegas Aces’ potential prospects in the second round.

Now, we will look at the options possibly available to the remaining teams first-round teams:

The Sun’s draft capital

• Round 1, Pick No. 10
• Round 2, Pick No. 19
• Round 2, Pick No. 22
• Round 3, Pick No. 34

The Sun’s potential draft strategy

Who should the Sun draft with the No. 10 pick? Connecticut is so well-balanced it’s hard to figure out who they should go for. This might be a take-the-best-player scenario, and nothing deeper beyond that. Alissa Pili from Utah would be a good pickup if she’s still on the board.

The Liberty’s draft capital

• Round 1, Pick No. 11
• Round 2, Pick No. 17
• Round 2, Pick No. 23
• Round 3, Pick No. 35

The Liberty’s potential draft strategy

Having made it to the WNBA Finals, the Liberty are knocking on the door of a title. If she falls to them, New York should draft UCLA’s Charisma Osborne. She could make the rotation as a rookie and provide a nice defensive guard to pair alongside Sabrina Ionescu, who can struggle on that side of the ball.

The Dream’s draft capital

• Round 1, Pick No. 12
• Round 2, Pick No. 20
• Round 3, Pick No. 32

The Dream’s potential draft strategy

At the end of the first round, it will be difficult for Atlanta to land one of the impact players who make this draft an exciting one Based on the needs of the roster, I think the Dream will aim for a guard, and if she’s still available, Nika Mühl from UConn seems like a good pickup. She’s an excellent on-ball defender, shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range this season and still has untapped offensive potential.

Note that the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm don’t have first-round picks, so they’ll have to wait until the second and third rounds to add players. While both teams will hope to pluck a player who contends for a spot on their final rosters, selecting draft-and-stash players might be a more likely outcome.