The 2025 WNBA Draft wasn’t just another night of pro hoop dreams realized. It was a reminder that the journey from rec league to the professional ranks is winding, unique, and evolving fast—especially for girls.
For me, it hit a little different this year. My dad, Brian Winters, spent time coaching in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever. My sister, Meghan, played college ball at Gonzaga. And now, my own 9-year-old daughter is suiting up for her first season with Pro Skills Basketball. It’s kind of a full circle moment.
As someone who lives and breathes youth basketball through Pro Skills, I couldn’t help but watch this year’s draft through a different lens. What do these women’s stories say about the future of girls basketball? What can we learn at the grassroots level to better support the next generation of hoopers?
Spoiler: It’s not just about scoring 30 at age 10 or chasing a college offer by middle school.
Let’s break it down.
There’s No One Path Anymore
This year’s draft class was a wild mix of journeys.
You had Paige Bueckers, a household name since high school, who battled injuries, stuck it out at UConn, and just led her team to a national title.
You had Georgia Amoore, an Australian guard who came to the U.S. to play at Virginia Tech and ended up going 6th overall—the highest WNBA pick for an Aussie since Liz Cambage in 2011.
Aneesah Morrow transferred from DePaul to LSU. Juste Jocyte, a teenage phenom from Lithuania, didn’t even come up through the U.S. system.
There is no blueprint anymore. And that’s a good thing.
For players, it means you don’t have to check every box by 8th grade. Your journey is yours.
For coaches, it’s a reminder to zoom out. Don’t coach for the next tournament. Coach for the long run. The goal isn’t to be the best 12-year-old—it’s to be ready when your opportunity comes, whether that’s in high school, college, or beyond.
At PSB, that’s what we preach. Our girls teams in cities like Austin (shoutout Ashlie Langlinais), Richmond (Rasheed Wright), Nashville (Cassi Whitworth), Charlotte (Kenny Hairston and Maiah DeShazer), Dallas (Tim Maina and Ariana Whitfield), Denver (Shane Goodrich and Sarah Mathers), Memphis (Dennis Velasco) and San Antonio (Kristina Patino) are all built around development, not early clout.
Skill and Substance Beat Rankings and Hype
Here’s a hot take: A lot of the players drafted this year weren’t viral stars or #1 in their class by 14.
Sonia Citron out of Notre Dame was the 3rd overall pick. She’s not flashy—she’s just consistently good. Kiki Iriafen played behind stars at Stanford, transferred to USC, and balled out.
None of them built a brand before they built a game.
That matters.
Because in youth basketball right now, especially on the girls side, we see this pressure creeping in: to post the mixtape, get the likes, go viral. But the reality is this: the game will always find the real ones.
Parents, players, coaches—don’t fall for the hype machine. You don’t need to be internet famous to be draft-worthy. You need to rebound, defend, make decisions, and be coachable.
Those are the traits that last.
Adaptability Is the New Superpower
Look at Hailey Van Lith. She started at Louisville, transferred to LSU, then landed at TCU. She changed systems, roles, expectations. And she still got picked 11th overall.
Georgia Amoore moved across the world as a teenager.
The message here?
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
We tell our PSB girls this all the time: there’s no growth in the comfort zone. Whether it’s playing with new players, playing up an age group, or taking on a new role, the best players lean into the challenge.
And with things like the transfer portal, NIL, and global scouting, change is now a constant. The sooner young players learn to adapt, the better prepared they’ll be for whatever comes next.
Versatility and Basketball IQ Are In
Gone are the days when a 6’2″ girl was automatically a post. Now? She better be able to guard the perimeter and hit an elbow jumper.
Watch this year’s draftees: Kiki Iriafen, Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James. These are Swiss Army knife players who can do a little bit of everything.
At the youth level, we should be developing basketball players, not just positions.
- Teach them how to read a defense.
- Let them bring the ball up.
- Put them in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 settings where they have to make decisions.
It’s not about running set plays and yelling “shoot!” every possession. It’s about helping players think the game. That’s what the pros look for.
Club Culture Matters More Than Ever
This is the part I care about most.
The youth basketball world is noisy. Exposure events, rankings, tournaments every weekend. It can feel like if you’re not “seen,” you’re falling behind.
But the WNBA Draft tells a different story. Many of these players came up through great development programs, not hype factories.
They had coaches who taught them how to lead. They had teammates who pushed them. They had environments where it was okay to make mistakes.
That’s what we’re building at PSB.
We believe in fewer games, more practices. Real coaches, not volunteers. Programs where girls are taken seriously and held to high standards while still being supported.
That includes my daughter. She’s just getting started, and I want her to love the game, not burn out by 11.
And I want her to be surrounded by strong female role models—like the ones leading our girls teams across the country. Ashlie. Cassi. Maiah. Kristina. Etc. Coaches who care more about who the player becomes than just what they produce on the scoreboard.
So What Does All This Mean?
It means that the 2025 WNBA Draft isn’t just a feel-good night. It’s a case study in how to raise up the next generation of hoopers.
- Don’t rush the process.
- Build skills that translate.
- Prepare for change.
- Value intelligence, toughness, and leadership.
- Choose club environments that prioritize development over drama.
We’re proud that Pro Skills Basketball is helping lead that charge.
And who knows? Maybe 10 years from now, we’ll see one of our PSB girls on that draft stage, heels on, family crying, name called.
But the real win? Helping thousands of girls fall in love with basketball, build confidence, and carry those lessons into life—on and off the court.
That’s what we’re here for.
Let’s keep growing the girls game.
Interested in learning more about our PSB Girls programs? Check out what we’re doing in cities across the country.
