Bueckers, go among the WNBA prospects to see in March Madness

Paige Bueckers of UConn was established as the probable selection No. 1 in the next WNBA draft long before organizing a second highlight and named Big East player of the year for the third time.

The only question is whether she wants to change Pro now or wait for another year.

Bueckers, a fifth -year senior guard, still has one more year of remaining eligibility if you want to stay in Uconn. Azzi Fudd, his teammate in UCONN and another possible first round selection, will face a similar decision at the end of the NCAA de UCONN tournament.

Bueckers arrived in Uconn in 2020 enormously huge expectations and responded emerging as the national consensus player of the year in their first year. He played only 17 games the following season and the entire 2022-23 campaign was lost with a torn previous cross ligament, but since then he has responded with two consecutive seasons.

Now she has the opportunity to win the national title that has eluded her so far. The six-foot guard of Hopkins, Minnesota, has averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2 robberies this season while helping UConn (31-3) to win 10 consecutive games. Uconn (31-3) is a seed number 2 and houses the state of Arkansas (21-10) on Saturday.

“There is a lot of pressure on her, there are many demands from many different sources,” said UConn coach, Geno Auriemma, journalists after Bueckers won his third prize to the most prominent player in the Big East tournament. “It is a heavyweight everywhere.

Here is a look at other players in the this year’s NCAA tournament that believes that it is taken at the beginning of the WNBA draft next month:

Kiki Iriafen, F, South of California
First round game: Saturday vs. UNC Greensboro.

Grades: After averaging a double (19.4 points, 11 rebounds) for Stanford last season, Iriafen was transferred to USC (28-3) and had a similar production with 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The six -foot and three -inch striker is shooting 49.9% this season after making more than 53% of his shots each of his three years in Stanford, but continued showing why he is one of the best players on the front field eligible for the Draft.

Olivia Miles, G, Notre Dame
First round game: Friday vs. Stephen F. Austin.

Grades: Miles lost the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury, but returned as a more complete player. The five -foot and 10 -inch guard had made only 24.6% of the 3 -point attempts at his career before the injury. He is doing 40.9% of his attempts from beyond the arch this season. Thousands had already caused a great impression on the explorers with their ability to play. Her improved shot makes her even more attractive. Miles is not the only Notre Dame (26-5) player who considers being selected at the beginning of the Draft. Sonia Citron is also a probable first round selection.

Aneeesah Morrow, F, LSU
First round game: Friday vs. State of San Diego.

Grades: After presenting large numbers in Depaul in his first two seasons, Morrow has maintained a similar production while playing more talent around him in LSU (28-5) in the last two seasons. The six -foot striker has 13.6 rebounds per game to lead all the players of division I and also has 18.5 points per game. She was a selection of the All-Southeaster Conference of the first team that also formed the league defense team. Morrow has averaged at least 2.5 robberies every season.

Te-Hina Paopao, G, South Carolina
First round game: Friday vs. Tennessee Tech.

Grades: Paopao is in his second season in South Carolina (30-3) after playing three seasons in Oregon. The South Carolina coach, Dawn Staley, has referred to the five -foot Paopao as an “elevator” because he elevates the entire team. Paopao is averaging a career in his career 9.8 points this season, but he has 1,692 running points and has shown his shooting capacity by doing 40% of his attempts at 3 points of his career.

Saniya Rivers, G, NC State
First round game: Saturday against Vermont.

Grades: Rivers certainly impressed the WNBA explorers last month when he collected 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists when NC State (26-6) won a 104-95 dual extra time victory over a then not. 1 Notre Team Give me with the rear track full of stars of thousands and Hannah Hidalgo. Rivers has averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season to win the honors of the Atlantic Coast Conference of the first team along with its teammate Aziaha James, a WNBA perspective in its own right. The six -foot and one rivers are four inches higher than James, which could allow him to be recruited before.

Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
First round game: Saturday vs. Norfolk state.

Grades: Sellers has been a selection of the first All-Big Ten team of the media of the League each of the last three seasons and has won that honor of the league coaches during two consecutive seasons. The Senior of six feet and two inches is the first player in Maryland’s history in having 1,500 running points along with 500 rebounds and 500 assists. It has 14.1 points per game for the Terrapins (23-7) this season after averaging 15.6 last season and 13.9 in 2022-23. She is also filming the best 44.4% of the race from the range of 3 points.