It’s that time of the year for WNBA mock drafts, where pundits and analysts give their best predictions for how the draft selections will play out on Monday night in New York City.

At Just Women’s Sports, we decided to add a wrinkle to the projections. Lyndsey D’Arcangelo, Rachel Galligan and Hannah Withiam got together to simulate the first and second rounds of the WNBA Draft from the general managers’ point of view. The list of prospects and draft boards are set, but there are always surprises on draft night.

After doing rocks, paper, scissors to determine the draft order (Lyndsey first, Rachel second and Hannah third), we set out to make each team’s best draft decisions in real time.

Editor’s note: This mock draft was completed before the Minnesota Lynx traded the No. 8 and No. 13 picks to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday in exchange for the Aces’ first- and second-round picks in 2023.

1. Atlanta Dream (Lyndsey)

Rhyne Howard, G, Kentucky

With the first pick in the draft as Atlanta’s general manager, I felt I couldn’t go wrong with either Rhyne Howard or NaLyssa Smith. Ultimately, I’m going with Howard. She’s an all-around playmaker and scorer (20.5 points per game) who can come in and make an immediate impact as the Dream look to build around her for the future.

2. Indiana Fever (Rachel)

NaLyssa Smith, F, Baylor

Indiana is in a great position here to get a No. 1-caliber player regardless of who falls to them. Smith has the impact potential the Fever can build around for the future, and she fills an immediate (and desperate) need on their roster with her size, competitiveness and athleticism. The best part is Smith hasn’t even come close to hitting her ceiling.

3. Washington Mystics (Hannah)

Shakira Austin, F/C, Ole Miss

With Howard and Smith off the board first, as expected, the Mystics have a few directions they could go here. Head coach and GM Mike Thibault said on a media call Thursday that he has three prospects ranked as the best in this draft, which is why he felt comfortable trading the No. 1 pick to Atlanta earlier this week. Nyara Sabally and Emily Engstler are intriguing possibilities, but Austin’s pro-readiness is too appealing to pass up, especially as Elena Delle Donne’s health remains up in the air.

4. Indiana Fever (Lyndsey)

Nyara Sabally, F/C, Oregon

The Fever have the chance to scoop up enough first-round picks in this year’s draft to put together a competitive team full of college stars who are more than ready to make the leap to the pro level. Since Hannah took Austin with the third pick for the Mystics, I’m jumping on the chance to get Sabally and add her to the growing list of young talent on the Fever roster. Injury history aside, she’s got all the intangibles to be successful in the WNBA.

5. New York Liberty (Rachel)

Emily Engstler, G/F, Louisville

Between the prospect of a homecoming and an addition to the Liberty-Louisville pipeline that has been established in recent years, this pick almost feels poetic. Engstler demanded respect night in and night out for Louisville this season with her competitiveness on both ends of the floor. She is unlike any other player in this draft and would be a great addition to the Liberty as they continue to build the franchise into a playoff contender.

6. Indiana Fever (Hannah)

Destanni Henderson, G, South Carolina

The Fever have already addressed their needs in the post with Smith and Sabally, so it’s time to turn to the backcourt after losing guards Kysre Gondrezick and Julie Allemand to trades this offseason. With Engstler off the board, I could go with a wing like Kierstan Bell or a shooting guard like Christyn Williams, but I need a floor general to create shots for Kelsey Mitchell and Bria Hartley and to spell 32-year-old point guard Danielle Robinson. Henderson’s motor and offensive skill set should fit right in.

7. Dallas Wings (Lyndsey)

Kierstan Bell, G, Florida Gulf Coast

The Wings’ roster is already chock full of talent and space is limited. But with Bella Alarie opting out for the season, there’s space to add additional talent. Bell would be a great complement to the roster as a pro-ready guard who can do it all on the court. She should also get the playing time necessary to improve her game on the defensive end and from beyond the arc.

8. Minnesota Lynx (Rachel)

Sika Kone, F, Mali

Barring any late moves, the Lynx are in a tough position with their cap space. Given this is Sylvia Fowles; last year in the league, the team has an opportunity to look ahead and add an asset for the coming years. At 19 years old, Kone is extremely young, but what she could become with WNBA coaching is highly intriguing.

9. Los Angeles Sparks (Hannah)

Christyn Williams, G, UConn

The Sparks were one of the best defensive teams in the country last season but dead last in offensive output, averaging just 72.8 points per game. Their frontcourt is stacked with the addition of Liz Cambage and returns of Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike and Amanda Zahui B. Williams’ transition game and shooting ability will help the Sparks open up their offense and draw defenders out so those players can produce in the paint.

10. Indiana Fever (Lyndsey)

Elissa Cunane, C, NC State

Linn Dunn said in the pre-draft media call that the Fever are going into this draft knowing exactly what they need. Indiana is desperate for frontcourt depth and especially thin at the center position. Adding Cunane here not only fills that hole, it also gives Indiana a shot at redemption in developing a big after the early departures of Teaira McCown and Lauren Cox.

11. Las Vegas Aces (Rachel)

Naz Hillmon, F, Michigan

Hillmon might be undersized, but her work ethic, rebounding ability and efficiency around the basket can’t be denied. Las Vegas could use additional depth in the paint and a player who can complement A’ja Wilson while developing into a greater perimeter threat. Hillmon is a great candidate for both.

12. Connecticut Sun (Hannah)

Nia Clouden, G, Michigan State

The Sun have a set lineup of veterans and don’t have much cap space to work with as a result. If Clouden, one of the purest shooters in this draft class, is still on the board with the last pick of the first round, she has a shot to compete for one of the final guard spots in training camp and ease Connecticut’s cap concerns with her rookie contract.

13. Minnesota Lynx (Lyndsey)

Rae Burrell, F/G, Tennessee

With limited cap space, the Lynx are in an interesting position in this draft. They might not be able to sign any draft picks unless they make some moves to free up cash. Still, taking the best talent available here makes the most sense. If Burrell is still on the board, she’s a solid player who can come in and compete for a roster spot — if there’s one available.

14. Washington Mystics (Rachel)

Veronica Burton, G, Northwestern

Burton would add depth at the guard spot and bring a defensive tenacity and toughness that Thibault seems to covet in his guards. Burton can score the ball and facilitate, and she plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor, most notably as an elite on-ball defender. She has a chance to make a lot of noise in the league.

15. Atlanta Dream (Hannah)

Lorela Cubaj, F, Georgia Tech

Burrell and Burton would have warranted consideration if still available at this spot, but now that the Dream have Howard, Erica Wheeler, Tiffany Hayes and Aari McDonald in the backcourt, they can look to add depth in the post. Cubaj has intriguing WNBA potential with her mobile 6-foot-4 frame and elite rebounding and defensive skills.

16. Los Angeles Sparks (Lyndsey)

Queen Egbo, F/C, Baylor

I can’t think of a better fit here for the Sparks’ roster of dynamic personalities than Egbo, who averaged 11 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season. She adds depth at the center/forward position and will most certainly learn a post move or two from Liz Cambage.

17. Seattle Storm (Rachel)

Khayla Pointer, G, LSU

When looking at the post-Sue Bird era, the Storm have to be eyeing the hole she’ll leave at the point guard position after this season. Pointer carried a big load during her five years at LSU, and it will be interesting to see how her game translates to the pros, but two things are for certain: Pointer will work and she does not shy away from the moment. She is a high-level competitor who’s eager to learn and would be a great pick at this phase of the draft.

18. Seattle Storm (Hannah)

Olivia Nelson-Ododa, F, UConn

Any player selected at this point in the draft has tough odds of making a WNBA roster, and the Storm are in win-now mode with a handful of veterans on one-year contracts. So, if they’re going with the best player available, Nelson-Ododa brings a UConn pedigree (and connection with Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Gabby Williams) as well as a disruptive presence in the paint.

19. Los Angeles Sparks (Lyndsey)

Evina Westbrook, G, UConn

Again, at this point in the draft, I’m going to go with the best talent available on the board. Westbrook has the UConn pedigree, size and athletic versatility to take her game to the next level. And she’ll have an opportunity to learn from the Sparks’ veteran core of guards.

20. Indiana Fever (Rachel)

Lexie Hull, G, Stanford

Indiana has a chance to add potential assets at nearly every position on Monday. Hull would bring length on the wing, strong perimeter shooting and elite basketball instincts. Though she might have a learning curve with the physicality of the WNBA, there is no doubt that Hull’s stock rose significantly during the NCAA Tournament.

21. Seattle Storm (Hannah)

Kianna Smith, G, Louisville

The Storm have gone with a point guard and post so far in this draft, and at this point, you can never go wrong with more pure shooters. Seattle could use more deep threats after losing Katie Lou Samuelson to the Sparks, and Smith brings just that after shooting 36.7 percent from 3 and 37 percent from the field for Louisville this season.

22. Minnesota Lynx (Lyndsey)

Aisha Sheppard, G, Virginia Tech

As already mentioned, I’m not sure if the Lynx can even afford their first- and second-draft picks, so this might be a wasted pick altogether. But Sheppard is an excellent 3-point shooter (38.7 percent) and deserves an opportunity to showcase her skills. If she does end up getting cut by the Lynx, perhaps she’ll be picked up elsewhere.

23. Las Vegas Aces (Rachel)

Macee Williams, C, IUPUI

Williams is a potential sleeper in this draft class, with the power, footwork, efficiency and strength to make a good run at a roster spot. Las Vegas can afford to add depth on the interior, and Williams has many of the tools needed to thrive in the WNBA.

24. Connecticut Sun (Hannah)

Ali Patberg, G, Indiana

Picks at this stage of the draft are for insurance, since it’s unlikely the Sun will have enough cap space to keep them on the roster. Patberg has a personal connection to the Connecticut staff, as head coach and GM Curt Miller and assistant coach Brandi Poole tried to recruit her to Indiana when they were on staff there. Patberg’s experience and intangibles would fit well in Connecticut if she sticks around.

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering the WNBA and college basketball. She also contributes to The Athletic and is the co-author of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.” Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21.

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

Hannah Withiam is the Managing Editor at Just Women’s Sports. She previously served as an editor at The Athletic and a reporter at the New York Post. Follow her on Twitter @HannahWithiam.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by espnW (@espnw)

According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LPGA Tour (@lpga_tour)

The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.