1 day Ago
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow, Sarah Ashlee-Barker and, yes, Paige Bueckers have raised their draft stock so far in the NCAA tournament. There are still a few weeks left before March Madness ends and a single team in women’s college basketball is crowned, but already, several players have elevated their WNBA draft stock. Hailey Van Lith, who few projected going in the first round, has taken the tournament by storm and has led TCU to her fifth Elite 8.
Aneesah Morrow has reminded people that she’s an all-time rebounder. And, Sarah Ashlee Barker’s all-time performance against Maryland threw her into the draft conversation, too. Hailey Van Lith, TCU Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Hailey Van Lith has been lighting it up through March Madness so far.
The 5’7 guard — who has now made five Elite Eight with three different teams — outplayed Notre Dame’s trio of star guards (Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron, and Olivia Miles) ahead in the Sweet 16, exploding for 26 points and carrying TCU to the win. Her tournament run ended with a loss to the Texas Longhorns on Monday, but even in that one, Van Lith recorded 17 points and 8 rebounds to lead her team. Van Lith had very well-chronicled down year at LSU, but has bounced back well in her fifth season, averaging 17.
9 points and 5.5 assists at TCU. Her play helped TCU secure its first-ever Elite Eight appearance and elevated Van Lith to the first round of numerous mock drafts, including ESPN’s and Yahoo Sports.
Van Lilth is undersized and is not a great shooter, but she’s a strong player who can score in a multitude of ways. She’s also the only woman in college basketball with an Olympic medal to her name, as she was a leading member of the 3x3 women’s basketball team who won bronze in Paris. Aneesah Morrow, LSU Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images Aneesah Morrow had a great tournament run for LSU.
After averaging 18.8 points and 13.7 rebounds per game this season — and shooting 49.
4% from the field — she opened up the tournament with 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Round of 32 against FSU, and followed that up with 30 points, 19 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in the Sweet 16 against NC State. Morrow struggled against the 6’7 Lauren Betts in the Elite 8 against UCLA (15 points on 7-9 shooting), but overall, she was very effective in the tournament. Morrow is one of the best collegiate rebounders of all time — she’s grabbed the fifth-most rebounds in NCAA history.
Her March Madness run served as a reminder of her rebounding (and scoring) prowess. Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images Sarah Ashlee Barker wasn’t on mock drafts a couple of weeks ago, and her NCAA tournament run was short-lived. But, Ashlee Barker’s performance against Maryland in the second round of the tournament was so spectacular it might have pushed her into the draft conversation.
The Alabama guard exploded for an astonishing 45 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in the double-overtime loss, hitting three clutch free throws at the end of the first overtime. Sarah Ashlee Barker knocked down 3 straight free throws to force OT and finished with an Alabama women's record 45 POINTS (17/25 FG)! Most PTS in Tournament HistoryLorri Bauman: 50Sheryl Swoopes: 47Jayne Appel: 46Kelsey Mitchell: 45Barker: 45pic.twitter.
com/7wZM2m9488— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 25, 2025Ashlee Barker’s career accolades speak for themselves; she’s a two-time First Team All-SEC player. In her final collegiate season, she averaged 18.
2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2 steals per game — while shooting 51.
4% from the field and a career-best 37.5% from three. At 6’0 feet, she has the length to be a WNBA guard.
She also has the athleticism and quickness to get to the basket. She’s unlikely to be a first-round selection, but Ashlee Barker’s NCAA tournament likely did enough to get her into the second round. Paige Bueckers, UConn Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images Bueckers might be a strong inclusion on this list, considering the fact she was already a consensus pick for the No.
1 pick. But, if there was any doubt about whether Bueckers should go No. 1, there’s no more.
Bueckers has been on an absolute tear this postseason. In the Round of 32, she exploded for 34 points on 14-21 shooting, to go along with 4 assists and 4 steals. Then, in the Sweet 16, she recorded a new career-high, racking up 40 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
It’s the first time a UConn player has reached 40 points in a tournament game — an impressive fact made even more impressive when you consider that Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and a whole bunch of all-time greats played at UConn. Bueckers was always going to go No. 1.
But, any concerns about her potentially being more of a role player than a star have been quelled this month. Bueckers has shown that she’ll always be wildly efficient — but this tournament, she’s also shown that if she has to step up,.
