The IX Basketball’s 2027 WNBA Draft Board, V1.0

Strengths:

• Possibly the highest-level processor in the history of the sport
• Somehow capable of running 30%+ usage rates and being a plus defender
• Stellar lateral athleticism, hand-eye coordination
• The smoothest bucket anyone has ever been, incredible finisher, excels drawing fouls
• Extremely disruptive iso defender
• Active helper from everywhere with plus-plus defensive playmaking, projectable secondary rim projection

Questions:

• What are the long-term effects of Watkins’ ACL tear?
• Can her 3-point accuracy keep improving?
• Would her midrange shooting be better if she didn’t have to create an entire team’s worth of offense?

Strengths:

• Elite playmaker at her size and position
• Great defender across multiple positions both on and off the ball, uses her length well
• Awesome midrange scorer both off the dribble and coming off screens, can get her shot off over anyone and in any situation
• Has shown flashes of being an elite primary playmaker in situations when she is operating as the point guard
• Reads the floor very well on both ends and knows where to be at all times

Questions:

• Can Booker turn some of her pull-up 2-pointers into pull-up threes?
• Can she turn some of her pull-up two-pointers into getting all the way to the rim?
• How does she increase her physicality enough to hang with forwards at the next level?

Strengths:

• One of the few best jump-shooters ever, immune to defenders contesting
• Excellent handle and deep bag
• Improved playmaking vision, regularly hits skip passes out of the pick-n-roll (PnR)
• Takes advantage of mismatches in the post
• Great first step

Questions:

• Is a role 7 outcome possible here?
• Can Williams’ decision-making as a passer continue to improve?
• Is there a world in which she’s a starter but not the worst defensive starter in the league?
• Does it matter if her last step is mediocre?

Strengths:

• Elite hands, might be the most disruptive defensive guard of all time (came close to averaging six steals as a junior)
• Insane motor
• Intangibles through the roof, looks ready to run through a wall to help her team win at any given moment
• Elite transition scorer
• Quality passer who can make straightforward reads out of ball screens
• Plus-plus help defender even as the smallest player on the court — almost never misses when she makes a play on the ball
• Creative driver who gets to the rim and draws fouls with ease
• If you, as an offensive player, don’t know where Hidalgo is at any point, she’s probably already taken the ball from you

Questions:

• Hidalgo’s defensive playmaking can bail out her sometimes questionable gambles, but does that work at the next level?
• The offensive process is problematic, can she cut the bad jump shots from her game?
• Can she become enough of a threat as a shooter off the catch to make WNBA defenders care?
• Her finishing when she can’t draw a foul is mediocre, how much will that matter in the W?

Strengths:

• Outstanding off-ball shooter with an elite feel for perimeter movement and quick, repeatable mechanics off spot-ups, screens, and relocations
• Effective midrange scorer who consistently punishes closeouts and keeps things simple
• Smart, physical defender with high engagement level and discipline on and off the ball
• Quickly reads and reacts offensively, cuts well and keeps the ball moving
• Active in both help and ball-pressure

Questions:

• How much do Johnson’s handle, burst, and limitations as a pull-up 3-point shooter cap her upside?
• How does she fare defensively outside of South Carolina’s perfect structure/environment?
• Can she consistently navigate screens and stick with ball-handlers downhill at the WNBA level?

Strengths:

• Incredible all-around athlete for her size — elite footspeed, lateral movement, and vertical explosiveness
• Best interior defender in the class, with the versatility in any role: Watkins can stick with guards on switches, defend in PnR or protect the rim
• Unbelievable weakside rim protector thanks to her recovery speed and physical tools 
• Runs the floor hard in transition and shows flashes of handling in space and jump-shooting
• Good feel for off-ball movement and positioning
• Great rebounder on both ends

Questions:

• How much, if at all, did the torn ACL sap Watkins’ athleticism? If it did, is there enough skill growth to make up for it?
• Can she improve her touch around the rim or develop an average jumper either from the mid-range or three?
• Can she improve defending post-ups?
• Should teams be concerned about the pre-trial intervention she needed to have serious charges dropped two years ago?

Strengths:

• Transition dynamo, a flying terror of limbs with unmatched creativity and one of the best athletes we’ve ever seen
• Electric with the ball in her hands, maybe the best handle in the world
• Hilariously talented defensive playmaker who plays well above her height
• Ludicrous passing ability when she knows a teammate’s open
• Capable of stripping the ball at the point of attack or preventing a drive from anyone

Questions:

• Can Fulwiley ever play under control?
• How can you fit her into an offensive system with how often she freelances or misses an assignment?
• Can she stay locked in for starter-level minutes in a way she hasn’t in college?
• Is her left hand functional or will she keep making layups harder than they need to be?

Strengths:

• Great blend of scoring and playmaking skills
• High-level 3-point scorer off the dribble and the catch, has a clean and compact shooting motion that allows her to get the shot off very quickly
• Solid defender chasing off the ball and capable on the drive
• Processes the game at a high level, always plays at her own pace and controls the game
• Advanced playmaker with great timing and anticipation
• Has been a plus off-ball cutter, relocator and screener

Questions:

• Given her size and subpar numbers from two, can Johnson improve enough as a scorer inside the arc?
• How much can she avoid defending on the ball?
• Is she strong enough as a small guard to hang with pros on both ends?
• Why can’t she create any separation in the midrange?

Strengths:

• Elite shot-creator out of the PnR, with a tight handle, unreal pace-shifting and an elite feel for angles — creates paint touches for herself or the roller at-will
• Greatest foul-drawing prospect in WNBA history
• Good read-and-react passer who consistently capitalizes on the advantages she creates downhill
• Solid mid-range shooter, often getting defenders on her hip to create space 
• Efficient off-ball shooter, albeit on limited volume

Questions:

• How much does Nichols’ subpar burst limit her ceiling as a PnR creator at the next level?
• Can she increase her catch-and-shoot volume and speed up the release without sacrificing efficiency?
• Can she show more willingness as a cutter?
• Can she at least be serviceable defensively when she no longer has this insane offensive workload?

Strengths:

• Quick processor and plus positional passer
• Elite motor and offensive rebounding
• Smart positional defender who stays in front of her matchup and is reliable one-on-one
• Great feel for space and reliable midrange scorer, driver and post threat against mismatches
• Good screener affecting defenders and timing the roll, very good DHO hub
• Very good communicator on both ends

Questions:

• How much will Kitts’ stiffness athletically limit her at the next level?
• Can her shooting touch in the midrange translate into a 3-point shot?

Strengths:

• Exceptional athlete in every direction, paired with a relentless motor and physicality on both ends
• Elite POA defender: picks up full court, fights through screens and mirrors drivers in PnR
• Excellent off-ball defender — knows where to be in help, reacts quickly and causes chaos in passing lanes
• Great foul-drawer and cutter who is always looking to attack downhill
• The best pound-for-pound offensive rebounder in the country

Questions:

• Can Okananwa take more threes to become a merely average spot-up shooter?
• Will she ever learn to both slow down and make quicker decisions?
• If she can’t shoot or pass, does she do enough else to not be a clear negative on that end?

Strengths:

• WNBA size at 6’5 with very good movement skills
• Has shown willingness to step out and take 3-pointers and has shown very good touch inside the arc
• Flashes rare two-way play as a center
• Good hands and decent positioning make her a very solid rim protector
• Solid post bag with a go-to post fade that is very difficult to stop
• Good passing flashes, especially passing out of double teams

Questions:

• Can Strack keep from getting overpowered by elite post scorers?
• How much improvement can she realistically make as a jump shooter?
• Is Strack a good enough midrange shooter to make up for her low rim scoring volume?

Strengths:

• Elite preventing dribble penetration and contesting on the drive
• Excellent athlete
• Extremely distributive hands in help, smart defender
• Great handle
• Strong nose for getting to the rim and good finisher
• Capable playmaker as a primary ball-handler

Questions:

• Can Arnold learn to read and react faster and more decisively off the catch?
• Can she increase her volume from three and at the rim without losing efficiency?
• Is her passing velo good enough at the next level?

Strengths:

• Extremely fluid athlete
• Impactful cutter and roller who explodes downhill
• Moves very well defensively in space and holds up on switches
• Shows flashes as a floor-spacer; pretty smooth one-motion 3-point shot and a reliable free-throw shooter

Questions:

• A very raw player right now. Can Cisse improve her touch around the rim and make quicker decisions on both ends? 
• Will the jumper become a serious threat, and can she knock it down against contests?
• If she can’t shoot, is she just too much of a tweener?

Strengths:

• May have improved massively from her age-18 season to now
• Clean, quick 3-point shot she can hit both off the dribble and off screens
• Great hand-eye coordination and lateral quickness have led to strong flashes of defensive playmaking
• Got downhill often in U20s and flashed decel

Questions:

• What is more representative of Giacchetti’s shooting talent: 21-for-her-last-57 from three in club play or the 6-for-49 she shot in U20s? And why can’t she make free-throws?
• When will she start driving more in club play?
• Does she need to tighten up her handle?
• Can she learn how to get over a ball screen?