WNBA draft story lines: Who will land Maddy Siegrist? Where will Keishana Washington be drafted?

After a year that saw two of the greatest seasons in City 6 women’s basketball history, the 2023 WNBA draft is right around the corner, and both of Philly’s stars in Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and Drexel’s Keishana Washington have declared.

Siegrist, who led the nation in scoring this season, is widely thought to be a lock for one of the top-five picks in the three-round draft, while Washington, the nation’s third-leading scorer, could be selected in the second or third round. In addition to the Philly duo, there are many interesting story lines to watch, and it will go down Monday at Spring Studios in New York (7 p.m., ESPN).

Here’s what to watch for in the league’s 28th draft:

This year’s No. 1 pick belongs to the Indiana Fever, which finished 5-31 and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. The consensus choice by prognosticators here is Aliyah Boston, who played her college ball at South Carolina under North Philly native Dawn Staley. The 6-foot-5 forward was the unanimous national player of the year in 2022 when she led the Gamecocks to the national title.

The Minnesota Lynx pick second after finishing 14-22 in 2022, snapping a streak of 11 straight playoff appearances. Diamond Miller out of Maryland frequently is projected here. The 6-foot-3 guard was named a second-team All-American after averaging 19.7 points and 6.4 rebounds during her senior season.

» READ MORE: How God and basketball teamed up to create Maddy Siegrist’s historic career at Villanova

The Dallas Wings own picks three and five, both coming via trade, and are a likely landing spot for Siegrist. In a mock draft from The Athletic, Siegrist went No. 3, and in a mock by ESPN, the 6-foot-2 forward went No. 5.

“For us in particular, she, like others in the draft, present a skill set that we’re looking for as we look to prioritize one or two things,” Wings president Greg Bibb said of Siegrist on a conference call. “… I think she is flat-out one of the best players in the draft, but I also think she has a skill set that translates well for a number of teams in the WNBA, including us.”

Despite scoring 27.7 points per game this season, including four 40-point outings, it’s no certainty that Washington will get drafted. A major concern surrounding Washington is her height, as the shooting guard stands at just 5-foot-7. Additionally, playing at a mid-major may make it harder for teams to project how she’ll fare in the pros.

“Size does matter,” ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said on the conference call. “5-7, I would say, is a little bit on the smaller side when it comes to your ability to get your own shot. But that’s what, if she gets drafted, and I haven’t had anyone speak to that as of yet as I’ve talked to teams and GMs, but if she gets drafted, I think they would be looking at can she create her own shot and how does she mesh with the team style, both offensively and defensively.”

» READ MORE: A day in the life of Drexel star Keishana Washington

In a recent mock draft by lines.com, Washington was picked late in the second round, 22nd overall by the Connecticut Sun, which puts her in the mix to be the second Drexel player ever drafted. But if she isn’t drafted, Washington could get an opportunity with one of the league’s 12 teams, even if it’s just a training camp deal.

With the new prioritization clause this season, ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo pointed out that veteran players must report to their team by training camp, instead of having extra time before they need to arrive, like in years past.

“You aren’t going to have as much opportunity to really evaluate some of those later-round picks or camp invitees,” Lobo said. “So it’ll be a little bit of an interesting situation as far as that goes this year.”

After the record viewership for the women’s Final Four and title game, eyes are on Monday’s draft and its viewership numbers.

“I’m really hopeful that the buzz carries over to the [WNBA], and the main reason for that is the product on the court has been living up to every bit of the hype,” Lobo said. “When you look at the playoffs last year in the WNBA, the WNBA Finals, the level of play on the court is the best we’ve seen. And we saw that this year with the Final Four as well. The level of play meets whatever the expectations are, and so I hope this creates more buzz around the league that people will continue to tune in because the WNBA doesn’t disappoint.”

» READ MORE: Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and Drexel’s Keishana Washington rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation in scoring. Here’s the reason why.