The Sparks had the No. 9 pick in the draft after trading the No. 2 in a deal for Kelsey Plum. The Sparks took Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker, a 6-foot guard who averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a fifth-year senior this winter.

Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller said he woke up Monday feeling like it was Christmas morning, and by the end of the day his franchise was awarded its long-awaited present. The Wings selected UConn star and freshly minted NCAA champion Paige Bueckers No.

She was thrown a major wrench when she suffered a torn ACL before her junior year, forcing her to miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season. But Bueckers ultimately came back stronger for her final two seasons and willed the Huskies to a national title in 2025.