2025 WNBA Draft Stock Watch: Biggest Risers During March Madness

Now that Paige Bueckers and UConn earned their fairy tale ending by bringing another national title to Storrs, Connecticut, we have a more complete picture of several prospects as we inch closer to April 14's WNBA draft night.

Front offices and scouts have scoured the country over the last month to watch conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament. It's a time of year that can make or break top prospects.

Key performances on top of major decisions to stay in college—which are happening daily—can impact a draft stock. For instance, Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd announcing their intent to play another year of collegiate basketball vastly impacts the board as a whole.

Here are five of the biggest stock risers from the tournament.

Serena Sundell's stock has been on the rise steadily over the last two seasons during her impressive career at Kansas State.

Her stock increased even more these last three months when teammate Ayoka Lee went down, missing a large portion of the second half of the season with a foot injury. In her absence, Sundell elevated her play and showcased her versatility on a new level.

The 6'2" guard led the nation in assists with 262 this year and became the all-time assist leader in Kansas State history with 811 in her career. The funny thing about that, Sundell was not recruited to Kansas State as a point guard, but evolved into an elite playmaker and passer over the course of her career.

Sundell can play the 1 through 5 positions on the floor. When Lee went down, Sundell's assist numbers did not take a hit; instead she found ways to generate high-percentage shots for other great scorers on the roster. When it was time to take over offensively, Sundell did just that, proving she can be a multi-level scorer and even play with her back to the basket in the paint.

Once Lee returned to the court and Kansas State was able to go on a historic Sweet 16 run this March, Sundell's stock rose purely from increased visibility, and people are taking notice. The win over Kentucky was a critical moment for the senior guard as well, as she went toe-to-toe with one of the other top point guards in the country, Georgia Amoore.

Sundell had 19 points and 14 assists to help Kansas State beat Kentucky and advance to its first Sweet 16 in 23 years.

The 22-year-old has the IQ, size, versatility to play many different positions as a pro and is a phenomenal defender with great instincts. She is a true competitor and elite overall player.

Shyanne Sellers was already slated as a first-round pick in most mocks headed into March. Why wouldn't she be? The 6'2" point guard is the epitome of versatility with her overall size, athleticism, and skill set.

But now that Miles and Fudd will return to college next year, Sellers' stock increases as one of the top coveted first-round playmaking options.

She has run the point for Maryland, averaging 4.1 assists per game this season and accumulating 523 assists in her career. She can slide over and play off the ball as a combo guard capable of initiating the offense or moving over to the wing.

One of the biggest areas the 21-year-old improved on this season was her perimeter shot making, going from 31 percent a year ago to shooting a career-best 41 percent this season for the Terrapins.

Sellers went down with a right knee sprain in the middle of this season and got banged up a bit in early March but did not let that keep her from competing in the tournament. Her 28-point performance in Maryland's double overtime win over Alabama put her competitiveness and playmaking ability on full display.

Sellers will now focus on getting her knee 100 percent and prepare for the next phase of her career. She has length, is a multi-level scoring threat and can play-make. All of that along with her versatility make her a top option for front offices looking to beef up their overall backcourt depth.

Sarah Ashlee Barker has been a household name to those familiar with the SEC and Alabama in particular, but the 6'0" guard put the country on notice in her final collegiate game, dropping 45 points on 17-of-25 shooting in Alabama's loss to Maryland in double overtime.

Anyone who watched that game witnessed an emotional performance from a senior leader who absolutely refused to let her collegiate career come to an end. Nobody deserved to lose that specific game as players on both teams poured their hearts out for 50 minutes.

Barker's performance was one of the most heroic and relentless efforts I have ever witnessed. Watching her make play after play on both ends of the floor epitomized what March and a final senior season is all about. Those are the types of performances that make a front office take note of someone's inner drive, their inner relentlessness and no-quit approach. Those are the types of players WNBA teams want to give an opportunity to.

But when you take a step back from this specific March, Barker has been on WNBA radars for some time as a later-round prospect. She has been an elite competitor and two-way guard for years in the SEC. She has great length, is a great passer, can shoot (44.3 FG%) and defend multiple positions.

This year, Barker elevated her play to a new level, averaging career-bests in almost every statistical category at 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from the three-point line and 51 percent from the field.

Barker is playing the greatest basketball of her career at the right time, and her NCAA tournament performances turned a lot of heads.

Unless you're living under a rock, you've been made aware of Miss March: Hailey Van Lith, who took the women's basketball world by storm with her season at TCU. It's hard to imagine anyone else in any sport who's had a greater impact in one season than Van Lith had at TCU this year.

In a true redemption story, she led the Horned Frogs to their first-ever Big 12 regular-season championship, first Big 12 tournament championship, first 30-plus-win season and an Elite Eight appearance. She put up some of the best, most consistent numbers of her career at 17.9 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 35 percent from the perimeter.

The 23-year-old started her collegiate career at Louisville and transferred to LSU for one season before she eventually made her way to Fort Worth. The 5'9" point guard went from appearing out of position and uncomfortable during her time at LSU, to performing in the 2024 3x3 Olympics and bringing home a bronze medal. She then had one of the greatest final collegiate seasons we've seen in recent years.

Van Lith has been candid about her highs and lows and what the journey to TCU has meant for her. What we see now is one a confident floor leader, elite pick-and-roll decision-maker and one of the most confident playmakers in the country.

Van Lith's stock has been on the rise this entire season, but it shot through the roof in March when she put the world on notice by proving her ability as an elite playmaking guard, having averaged 18.0 points and 5.8 assists in four games of tournament action. She can play in a pro system, is ready to lead, has pro habits and is ready to make that next step.

Aneesah Morrow is a player I have personally been high on for years due to her high motor, consistency and no-quit approach to the game. With her 6'1" frame as a post player, some have questioned her ability to translate to the next level.

What I do know is that Morrow has consistently done what she has done in every step of her career. From the Big East, to the highest level of competition in the SEC, to the highest stages of March Madness, she gets it done and is a force to be reckoned with.

Morrow leads the nation in double-doubles with 30 this season and over 100 in her career through DePaul and LSU. She is second all-time in career double-doubles and is the only player to ever go over 2,800 points and 1,700 rebounds. She averaged 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game and shot 49 percent from the field this season.

It is a consensus among many WNBA front offices that Morrow's NCAA tournament performances increased her stock—in particular her 30-point, 19-rebound double-double to help No. 3-seeded LSU defeat No. 2 NC State to advance to the Elite Eight.

Top-tier players are able to throw their teams on their backs, perform on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the most extreme pressure. That's exactly what Morrow did this March.