Sara Ashlee Barker and 2 other WNBA prospects drafted higher than expected

New York City – Before the WNBA Draft of 2025, most of the expected Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga and Sonia Citron complete the three best teams.

But, after that, drafts simulated in conflict. The last simulated ESPN draft projected that the USC striker Kiki Iriafen, the eaves of Lsu Anesah Morrow and the Maryland shipowner, Shyanne Sellers, would be selected fourth, fifth and sixth in general. SB Nations Mock Draft also caused Iriafen to be the room and sellers in sixth place, but the Saniya de NC State rivers were in fifth place.

Mock Draftts are always wrong in some projections, and the draft of Monday night was no exception.

Here are three WNBA prospects whose names were called far before the predicted majority.

JOZE JOCYTE, GOLDEN STATE VALKYRies

Photo by Borja B. Leaves/Getty Images

Juste Joctye was in the building on the night of the Draft, but became the first Draft selection of Valkyries when it was selected Quinta in general. Jocyte, a combined Lithuanian guard, is only 19 years old, but has been playing professional basketball in France since 2019.

Jocyte was projected that he was chosen 22º In the Simulacro de ESPN, so it was shocking to hear his name called SO TV. Jocyte has a high roof: Explorers liked their game to Luka Doncic, but it is not certain when he had come to the United States and many were predicted that they fell into the second round. And, there are questions about your ability to defend and its potential durability.

Georgia Amore, Washington Mystics

Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images

It was projected that Georgia Amore was a first round selection, but few predicted that he ended with a selection among the top six. The last draft of ESPN’s drill had it in ninth place, while Atlético predicted that he would be chosen 11.

The Australian base, who spent most of his career in Virginia Tech before a fifth year in Kentucky, was selected sixth in general by the Washington Mystics.

It is recently out of a professional year in which it averaged career maximums in points (19.6), assists (6.9), robberies (1.0) and assistance relationship (2.2). And Amore is one of the only three players in the history of the Women’s Division I with 2,300 pts and 800 AST.

The others? Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu.

Sarah Ashlee Barker, Los Angeles Sparks

Sarah Ashlee Barker, twice selection of the first All-SEC team, averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 robberies for Alabama last season, turning an efficient 51.4% from the floor and 37.5 from the depths. And, the draft of the ESPN drill projected that it would be selected 22 in general.

Barker ended up being the selection of the number 9 of Los Angeles Spark, a movement that seemed almost impossible only a few months ago, but came true after his performance of 45 points against Maryland in the NCAA tournament.

Barker ended before many other projected players in the first round, such as Shyanne Sellers de Maryland and South Fiagin from South Carolina, whom ESPN projected to be chosen sixth and tenth, respectively.

The general manager of Sparks, Raegan Pebley, approached the selection in an official statement.

“Sarah Ashlee is an elite competitor,” Peblery said. “His mental makeup, the ability to stretch the floor beyond the arch, the commitment to the defense, the will to bounce and the instincts that pass make it the total package. We are delighted to add its applaud and leadership.”

It was totally shocking to hear Barker’s name called because she wax One of the 16 players who were invited to attend the night of the draft in person. Even so, it was a special moment with Re -Family that few could have planned before the beginning of the NCAA tournament.