One of the hardest realities to accept is that the WNBA doesn't have the room for all the athletes who deserve to be drafted — on April 14, thirty-eight young women will hear their names called, and hopefully at least half of them will be able to land a roster spot on a team.
The addition of the Golden State Valkyries (as well as the Toronto Tempo and an unnamed team out of Portland, Oregon) is making more space in the league, but for now, it's every woman for herself. The March Madness tournament helped shine a spotlight on athletes who didn't always get the attention they deserved in the regular season, and who will hopefully make it into the WNBA next week.
Here are 5 players who will hopefully hear their names called after standout March Madness performances.
Temira Poindexter, Kansas State
Poindexter was having a solid season for Kansas State ahead of March Madness; she averaged 12.5 points and 2.5 rebounds during the 2024-25 season. She was also a major factor in helping the program make it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2002. Poindexter transferred to Kansas State from Tulsa ahead of her senior year.
If her name sounds familiar, it's probably because she's the player who knocked down 8 3-pointers against Kentucky, ending the tournament run of fellow WNBA Draft prospect Georgia Amoore.
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Madison Scott is one of this year's biggest success stories and could even find herself sneaking into the first round of the WNBA Draft. Scott's season at Ole Miss was solid — she averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds this season — but her postseason tenacity was something else altogether.
Scott spent 5 years at Ole Miss, where she racked up 1,600 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. She also won the 2025 Gillom Trophy, which locked her in as the best women's basketball player in Mississippi.
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Sarah Ashlee Barker did a lot during the postseason to boost her name ahead of the draft. Though Alabama didn't make as deep of a run as the team might have liked, Barker attended the elite "So You Want to be a Coach" program during the Final Four.
Barker really set things off during Alabama's game against Maryland, when she hit 45 points. Alabama might have lost, but it's likely that performance will help Barker in a big way.
Ugonne Oniyah, Cal
Oniyah's athletic prowess has been part of her it factor all season. She averaged 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds during the regular season and landed 17 points and 15 rebounds during Cal's game against Mississippi State. Oniyah was also invited to participate in the Lily All-Star Combine and Game during the Final Four weekend in Tampa, where she continued to prove she has a place in the league.
Deasia Merrill, TCU
Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince got a lot of (justifiable) press this season at TCU, but Deasia Merrill was a big part of the team's success and a reason why the Horned Frogs made such a deep run during March Madness. She didn't get the most minutes at TCU this year, but when she was put into the game she made every single second count.