Analysis: Five players Storm could pick with No. 2 pick in WNBA draft

SEATTLE — The college basketball season suddenly got a lot more interesting for the Storm who moved up seven spots and hold the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft following an impending three-team deal that will send Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and is expected to be finalized Saturday.

With about 11 weeks remaining before the WNBA draft on April 14, we take a look at five players who could be a good fit for the Storm.

Keep in mind, due to the NCAA's COVID waiver every player on this list can return to school next season. For the purpose of this exercise, we included four seniors and one junior who have appeared at the top of most mock drafts.

Paige Bueckers

School: Connecticut

Pos: PG/SG Ht: 6-0 Class: Sr. Age: 23

2024-25 stats: 19.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 56% FGs

The skinny: A gifted and highly efficient three-level scorer who shoots 42.5% on 3-pointers and 60.5% on effective field goals, which places greater value on 3-pointers, during her UConn career. Before Caitlin Clark, Bueckers was the consensus national player of the year in 2021 as a freshman. Several leg injuries, including a torn left ACL, limited her to just 17 games the next two seasons. She's been sensational this season and looks to be the presumptive top pick, which is owned by the Dallas Wings.

Why she fits with the Storm: By all indications, Bueckers would seamlessly slide into Loyd's spot and thrive in Seattle like so many former UConn stars including Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and to a lesser extent Gabby Williams, who was given core designation and is considered a cornerstone player. On a team with veteran standouts such as Skylar Diggins-Smith and possibly free agent Nneka Ogwumike, Bueckers, is an A-list celebrity who would be one of the brightest young attractions in a city that's short on big-name sports stars.

Olivia Miles

School: Notre Dame

Pos: PG Ht: 5-10 Class: Jr. Age: 21

2024-25 stats: 16.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.9 apg, 53.6% FGs

The skinny: Miles has skyrocketed to stardom from someone who many considered as Hannah Hidalgo's running mate to potentially the top pick in the 2025 draft. Miles elevated her draft stock last month when she recorded back-to-back triple-doubles — the first player to accomplish the feat since Caitlin Clark. Miles' six career triple-doubles are tied for the most in ACC history and she became the third player in Notre Dame history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, joining Loyd and Diggins-Smith.

Why she fits with the Storm: It's not an ideal fit considering the Storm already have a 5-10 point guard in the 34-year-old Diggins-Smith, who has indicated she wants to return to the Storm after her contract expires in 2025. However, Miles appears to be a franchise cornerstone, who has remarkably raised her 3-point shooting percentage from 22.8% as a third-year sophomore to 43.6% this season.

Kiki Iriafen

School: USC

Pos: PF/C Ht: 6-3 Class: Sr. Age: 22

2024-25 stats: 17.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 51.2% FGs

The skinny: There are several mitigating factors to explain why Iriafen's production has dipped during her first year at USC from last season when she registered career bests (19.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 54.6% FGs) at Stanford. She's sharing the court with a player of the year candidate in JuJu Watkins, learning new schemes, and according to USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb "being a little too unselfish" for the fourth-ranked Trojans (18-1).

Why she fits with the Storm: If the Storm re-sign Ogwumike, then it would be difficult for Iriafen to crack a starting front line that also includes Ezi Magbegor. Iriafen could spend her rookie year learning from WNBA All-Star post players and she would be a great insurance policy if the Storm were unable to bring back the 34-year-old Ogwumike in 2026. The Storm are in win-now mode and ideally the No. 2 pick is expected to make an immediate impact.

Aneesah Morrow

School: LSU

Pos: PF Ht: 6-1 Class: Sr. Age: 21

2024-25 stats: 18.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 53.0% FGs

The skinny: Despite being an undersized post player, Morrow is a relentless and hardworking rebounder who has registered 93 double-doubles, the second most in Division I women's basketball history behind former Oklahoma star Courtney Paris (128). She spent two years at DePaul where she averaged 23.8 points and 13.0 rebounds.

Why she fits with the Storm: Not sure if she does for all the reasons Iriafen isn't an ideal fit. Morrow has drawn favorable comparisons to former LSU teammate Angel Reese, who was taken seventh in last year's draft and was the second-best rookie last year after Clark while setting the WNBA single-season rebounding record. Given a do-over, several teams who underestimated Reese would have taken her higher in the draft.

Azzi Fudd

School: Connecticut

Pos: SG Ht: 5-11 Class: Sr. Age: 22

2024-25 stats: 10.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 46.7% FGs

The skinny: Fudd is a dynamic scorer who has a quick-release jumper and an ability to make shots off the dribble and on catch-and-shoot situations. This season her effective field goal percentage is 56.6% and she's shooting 39.1% on 3-pointers.

Why she fits with the Storm: It would be difficult to justify using the No. 2 pick on Fudd, who has played just 57 collegiate games and missed a significant amount of time in high school because of a litany of knee injuries. But if Bueckers and Miles aren't available, the Storm might gamble on Fudd staying healthy to help improve an offense that shot 28.8% on 3-pointers last season.