• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

WNBA Draft: Tourney Stars Face Tough Choices Amid CBA Uncertainty

Several top WNBA draft prospects have the option to return to college and go pro next year—when the league’s next CBA could take effect.

James Snook-Imagn Images

With all eyes focused on the women’s Final Four in Tampa this weekend, it’s easy to forget some of the NCAA’s top stars will turn pro in just two weeks. The 2025 WNBA draft is April 14, eight days after the national championship game.

The WNBA’s draft eligibility rules indicate that domestic players must be 22 years old in the year of the draft to declare. This means that, generally, college players would finish their four years of eligibility and then enter the draft, as is the case for projected 2025 first-round picks Kiki Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow. 

But there are several exceptions. Some players turn 22 in their junior year and could return to college, while others may have an extra year of eligibility after missing a season due to injury, or have gained a waiver during the pandemic-hampered 2020 season.

Draft Uncertainty

This year’s WNBA draft is particularly fascinating—not only because it follows a seminal season for the league in terms of viewership and attendance—but because it’s the last draft under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association opted out of the current CBA in October.

Players are expected to ask for significant salary increases in the next CBA. Next season, the minimum salary for a WNBA player is $66,079, per Spotrac, while the max is only about $250,000. The expected salary increase in 2026 is why every single WNBA player who is not on a rookie contract will be a free agent next offseason.

While it’s possible the CBA negotiations include an adjustment for players under contract, there is no assurance. That could be a deciding factor in NCAA prospects returning to college instead of going to the WNBA and locking into a multi-year rookie deal in 2025.

There have already been indications that the WNBPA would be willing to reach a work stoppage with the WNBA if both sides can’t agree on a new CBA. “No one wants a lockout, but I think we have to stand firm in what we think we deserve,” Napheesa Collier, VP of the WNBPA, said last week on ESPN’s First Take.

Who’s Going Pro?

Here’s the status of some of the most prominent NCAA prospects who have the option to return to college:

  • Lauren Betts, UCLA: The Wooden Award candidate said in February that she will return to the Bruins next year for her senior season. 
  • Paige Bueckers, UConn: The projected No. 1 overall pick will enter this year’s WNBA draft, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo reported Friday. She had a sixth year of college eligibility due to a combination of the COVID-19 waiver and missing the 2022–2023 season with a torn ACL.
  • Azzi Fudd, UConn: Bueckers’s teammate announced last week that she will play for the Huskies next season. She missed all of last season due to a torn ACL and meniscus.
  • Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU: Like Betts, Johnson is only a junior, but can declare for this year’s draft because she turns 22 in November. Following the Tigers’ loss Sunday in the Elite Eight, Johnson, who won a national title with LSU in 2023 alongside Angel Reese, said she has yet to make a decision on her future.
  • Olivia Miles, Notre Dame: Miles, who missed last season due to a torn ACL, was the projected No. 2 pick if she opted for the draft. ESPN reported Monday night that she’s hitting the transfer portal instead.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Michelle Wu

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.
Sep 10, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) fights to keep the ball in-bounds during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut AG Demands Documents From WNBA About Sun Sale Process

The WNBA reportedly prefers to move the team to Houston.
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of a Wilson basketball and the Dallas Wings logo during the game between the Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.

Democratic Women’s Caucus Urges WNBA to End CBA Stalemate

The league and WNBPA must reach an agreement by Oct. 31.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
September 8, 2025

Alcaraz and Sinner Have More to Gain in 2025 After Splitting Slams

Alcaraz and Sinner have split the last eight Grand Slams.
September 10, 2025

Kuminga, Grimes Remain Unsigned As Giddey Agrees to $100M Deal

Two of the four restricted free agents have inked deals.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 7, 2025

Alcaraz Beats Sinner, Wins $5M Prize, Reclaims World No. 1

Alcaraz won a record $5 million first prize at the US Open.
Angel Reese
September 5, 2025

Angel Reese Suspended For Half-Game After Ripping Teammates

The team is disciplining Reese for criticizing her teammates publicly.
Caitlin Clark
September 4, 2025

Caitlin Clark Says She Won’t Return From Injury This Year

She only played 13 games this season.
James Harden
September 4, 2025

James Harden’s Houston Restaurant Shut for Falling $2 Million Behind in Rent

A sign on the door says the locks have been changed.