Young Stars Revolutionize the WNBA: The Future of Women’s Basketball
A torrent of young talent is transforming the WNBA. Rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese made an immediate impact last season, and the first-year players of 2025 have followed suit. Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen were named All-Stars this summer, while the number 2 draft pick, Dominique Malonga, has set production records in the WNBA as a teenager.
This year, the six All-Stars under 25 are the most since 2011. The 2024 (two) and 2025 (three) drafts have already produced as many or more All-Stars than the total between 2021 and 2023 (Aliyah Boston and Rhyne Howard).
Classifying these young players required making difficult decisions, especially at the top, where Boston, Bueckers, and Clark have shown MVP potential. We have ranked them according to their expected maximum value rather than their current production, which means that Malonga, the youngest player in the league at 19, receives extra credit for her potential compared to players whose performance is more consistent at the moment.
To be eligible for Alofoke Deportes’ “25 Under 25” list, players must have played in the WNBA. With this in mind, let’s review the brightest young talent in the WNBA.
The WNBA’s 25 Promises
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever, PG, 6-feet
Due to injuries, she has been limited to 13 games this season, averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. But when healthy, Clark’s impact is huge: she stretches the court with her shooting range, pushes the pace, and dismantles defenses with her passes. The 23-year-old player brings an unparalleled excitement factor every time she is on the court, and her confidence extends to the entire team. She is also the biggest away-game draw of any WNBA player, so her effect on the entire league is enormous.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings, G, 6-feet
Expectations were high for Bueckers entering the professional league. In the first year, she has largely lived up to expectations and is on track to join Clark as the only players to average 19 points and 5 assists in their rookie season. Bueckers’ efficiency has largely been maintained from UConn, with her 46.6% field goal percentage, the best of any guard averaging at least 16 points in the league. Her greatest achievement came last week when she became the first player to score more than 40 points in a game with 80% efficiency.
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever, C/F, 6-5
The Fever began its reconstruction long before Clark arrived in Indianapolis. Boston, the No. 1 pick of 2024, is as crucial to the Fever’s success as Clark and has been a major factor in keeping the team afloat this season while dealing with injuries. Boston averages 15.2 points, the fourth-best among players under 25, and is shooting an efficient 54.6% from the field, the third-best in the same group. She has a franchise record of 15 double-doubles this season, the fourth-most in the league. Boston can continue to improve. Her first year focused on playing in the post. Last season was about evolving the pick-and-roll with Clark. During the offseason, Boston focused on conditioning, and this summer she has become a more important part of the offense. Next is to take more three-pointers and become a three-level scoring threat and a floor spacer.
Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm, C, 6-6
There are no regrets from the Storm for having passed on a couple of All-Star rookies to take Malonga. Growing throughout her first season in the United States, the number 2 pick has flourished in August, averaging 13.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG with 60% shooting. Malonga’s athleticism allows her to make plays that no other player of her size can make, and she also shows incredible touch as a shooter. Given that Malonga would be entering her second college season if she were American, she has years of development ahead. That gives Malonga, whose three 20-point games are the most in WNBA teenage history, MVP potential.
After breaking rebounding records as a rookie, the biggest question surrounding Reese was how she could evolve and grow in her second year. She spent a large part of the season working on her shot, and it shows: her scoring and efficiency have improved this season in the W. But Reese’s biggest offensive leap has been in her playmaking. She’s averaging 3.7 assists per game, among the top 5 among all forwards and the most among WNBA players under 25. She excels at post passes, a nod to her chemistry with Kamilla Cardoso, and better understands how her presence in the paint opens up more for her teammates. On defense, her rebounds are as good as ever. She leads the league with 12.2 rebounds per game, and in just 25 games she has already tied her rookie record as the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 rebounds in a single season.
Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics, G/F, 6-1
The number 3 pick in this year’s draft has exceeded expectations for her rookie season, emerging as Washington’s leading scorer after the Brittney Sykes trade, as well as a legitimate perimeter defender. Citron is averaging more points (15.2) in the W than as a college senior (14.1) but has maintained her efficiency, shooting 42% from three and 88% from the line. Citron’s .608 true shooting percentage ranks among the top 10 in the WNBA. And at 21, she is younger than the typical college product.
Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky, C, 6-7
The number 3 pick in the 2024 draft, Cardoso has improved her stats since her rookie season in all areas, averaging 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. The Sky, with a 9-28 record, has struggled and will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. But at 24 years old, Cardoso has shown the kind of progress a young post player needs, which bodes well for a long career.
Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks, F, 6-2
Observers predicted Jackson was ready for the professional league since her days in Tennessee, and since she arrived as the number 4 pick in 2024, she has shown why. She can be a nightmare for opposing defenders and, at her best, is a prolific scorer and stellar shot creator, as she has eight games of over 20 points for the Sparks since mid-June. The more efficient and consistent she can be offensively, and if she can remain steady on defense, the more Jackson will establish herself as one of the best young talents in the game.
Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks, F, 6-4
Brink was one of the most difficult players to evaluate for our panel, given that she has only played in 26 games in two years and is still regaining her full form after an ACL tear in June 2024. But it was easy to see why she was No. 2 in the 2024 draft, particularly shining on the defensive end as an elite rim protector. While she is still recovering after returning to the court in late July, her 3-point shot (20 of 44, 45.5%) has been excellent, a good sign for her offensive development.
Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics, F, 6-3
The number 4 draft pick in April, Iriafen turned 22 this week. She was an All-Star after showing how quickly she adapted to the professional game, especially her ability to rebound at an elite level. She averages 12.9 points and 8.7 rebounds and has started every game for Washington. She and fellow rookie Sonia Citron appear to be the key factors for the Mystics to rebuild.
Leila Lacan, Connecticut Sun, G, 5-11
Lacan was the Sun’s first-round pick in 2024, although she didn’t debut in the WNBA until this July. But in 20 games, she has been worth the wait. The 21-year-old French player boasts an astonishing net rating of more than 20.3 for the Sun, and her impact on both sides of the court has revitalized a team that had only two wins before her arrival. (The Sun has won seven games since then). Her defensive prowess has translated immediately: her 2.4 steals per game are tied for the most in the league, and she is an outstanding facilitator, having recorded a game of 14 assists and 0 turnovers earlier this month.
Saniya Rivers, Connecticut Sun, G, 6-1
The Sun has had a difficult year, but it’s easy to see the promise of its young core, including this 2025 first-round pick. The former NC State standout and No. 8 pick has established herself as a stellar defender (1.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG) with the potential to be a perennial All-Defensive Team selection. Her offensive game (8.3 PPG, 41.4% FG, 32.3 3FG%) has room for growth, but she has shown bright spots with her facilitation (including a handful of games with six or more assists) and scoring that the Sun can build on.
Monique Akoa Makani, Phoenix Mercury, G, 5-11
Akoa Makani moved from Cameroon to France as a child and has played professionally there for several years. At 24 years old, she made her WNBA debut this season and started in 32 games as a key part of the new Mercury. Most WNBA fans didn’t know much about Akoa Makani, but they have seen how well she has adapted to the league. She averages 8.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds.
Jordan Horston, Seattle Storm, F, 6-2
When we last saw Horston in the WNBA, she tore her ACL during the Athletes Unlimited game in April, which sidelined her this season. She had received votes for Most Improved Player and Sixth Player in 2024. After playing a lot at power forward as a rookie in 2023, the versatile Horston moved to the wing and shot 57% on her 2-point shots. Seattle’s bench has missed that punch, as well as Horston’s ability to accumulate steals and blocks. If she can improve her career 25% 3-point shooting, it will define Horston’s potential.
Andrea Cardani/NBAE via Getty Images
Iliana Rupert, Golden State Valkyries, C, 6-4
After averaging less than four points in her first two seasons in the WNBA with Las Vegas and Atlanta, Rupert is scoring 9.0 points per game with 46.3% from 3-point range, the third-best mark among players under 25, giving the Valkyries a big body to stretch the court. Part of her growth has come from more playing time with Golden State. But she also developed her finishing ability around the rim with the French national team for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Te-Hina Paopao, Atlanta Dream, G, 5-9
Paopao’s slide to the second round of this year’s draft has paid off for the Dream, who have included her in their guard rotation after trading their first-round pick. A national champion at South Carolina in 2024, Paopao has contributed to Atlanta’s rise in the standings by shooting 42% from the 3-point line. Only Citron has been more accurate among rookies this season.
Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries, F, 6-2
Salaun is another player whose impact and potential can be better measured by observing her career abroad. In the 2024-25 season with Famila Schio in Italy, she helped the team win the national cup and the league championship and was named Finals MVP, averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in the five-game series for the league championship. With the Valkyries, she has been a staple in the starting lineup and a reliable scorer. Her reliability and availability have been two of her strongest attributes; apart from the three games she missed competing in the EuroBasket, she has appeared in every WNBA contest this season and dressed for all 30 games with Famila Schio.
Aneesah Morrow, Connecticut Sun, F, 6-1
He averaged a double-double (20.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG) in college, spending two years at DePaul and two at LSU. Undersized in the WNBA, she is now adjusting her skillset. Still, Morrow has started in 16 games for the Sun and averages 7.5 points and 6.4 rebounds. Expect the 22-year-old to improve her perimeter shooting, she is at 26.7% from the 3-point line, as she progresses as a professional.
Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun, F, 6-3
Edwards was relegated to the rotation in Washington, but had enough moments in her rookie season that should excite the Sun about her potential. She averaged 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes and started 17 of 34 games last year. Her averages have gone down this season, but she remains incredibly efficient. Playing time and usage haven’t increased since her arrival in Connecticut, but it’s easy to believe she has more growth ahead, given time and opportunity.
Diamond Miller, Dallas Wings, F, 6-3
Miller is another difficult player to evaluate, as she has yet to find a stable role in the league. She was selected at number 2 in 2023, highly regarded for her athleticism and versatility, and averaged 12.1 points as a rookie with Minnesota. But she saw minimal time there the last two seasons, after being hampered by injuries and falling out of the rotation. After being traded last month, she has the opportunity to regain her position in Dallas and brings a different look to the wing with her size compared to several of her smaller teammates.
Aziaha James, Dallas Wings, G, 5-9
A fixed element in the Wings’ rotation in July, James averaged 9.4 PPG to rank sixth among rookies that month. James has faded in August, in part because she has shot 28% from the 3-point line. James, a 34% 3-point shooter during her last two seasons at NC State, has room for improvement. That and her superior size give her the edge over fellow Dallas rookie JJ Quinerly, whose season ended this week due to an ACL sprain.
Carla Leite, Golden State Valkyries, G, 5-9
Leite averages only 7.3 points for the Valkyries, playing 17.8 minutes off the bench, but her play in Europe suggests she has a much higher offensive ceiling. This year she was named Finals MVP after leading the French club Villeneuve d’Ascq to a EuroCup championship in April, averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds.
Awak Kuier, Dallas Wings, F, 6-6
The number 2 pick in 2021 has yet to make a big impression in the United States, averaging 2.6 PPG in three seasons in Dallas. However, since last appearing for the Wings in 2023 at age 22, Kuier has shown spectacular development in Europe. Kuier averaged 16.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG for Umana Reyer Venezia in EuroLeague play last year, ranking third in scoring behind WNBA All-Stars Brionna Jones and Emma Meesseman.
Makayla Timpson, Indiana Fever, F, 6-2
It was the number 19 pick in April from Florida State and has been a good option as a substitute for the injury-plagued Fever. Timpson has another former Seminoles star, Fever veteran forward Natasha Howard, to learn from. Timpson, 22, averages 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. Her playing time has fluctuated a lot, but she has shown promising moments. It will be a great offseason for her to develop her game.
Laeticia Amihere, Golden State Valkyries, F, 6-3
After being drafted at number 8 in 2023 by Atlanta, Amihere has found a home with Golden State. She had her first season with the team during training camp, where she averaged 12.5 points on 60% shooting in 17.4 minutes. She was waived, but rejoined the team in June and has been a consistent role player ever since.
