Storm WNBA Draft: 8 Late-Round Prospects to Watch

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"]

TCU guard Hailey Van Lith celebrates a bucket during the team’s game against NC State on Nov. 17, 2024. Credit: Hailey Van Lith/Instagram [/caption]

The WNBA Draft is less than a month away, and the Seattle Storm have four selections. After the No. 2 overall pick — the team’s highest selection since 2016 — the Storm don’t pick again until the third round.

Seattle owns picks No. 26 (from Los Angeles), 29 (from Washington) and 34. Everyone the team brings in with those picks may not even make the roster, but they will provide training camp competition at the very least. A surprise standout could emerge.

Due to salary cap limitations, the Storm may not be able to field more than 11 players on their regular season roster, and nine of the 14 players currently signed are essentially guaranteed to remain. With the No. 2 pick factored in (projected to be a top-end guard), that leaves one or two more spaces maximum.

Still, the team will either trade or spend the picks. The WNBA draft is unpredictable beyond the first round, but here are eight prospects the Storm may have their eyes on in the third round.

Hailey Van Lith, TCU, Guard

2024–25 statistics: 17.9 pts, 4.4 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.2 stl

Van Lith almost makes too much sense for the Storm. She is from Wenatchee, WA, and played her prep career at Cashmere High School before heading to Louisville for the first three seasons of her college career. Van Lith has since played one season each at LSU and TCU.

She may be a reach to still be on the board in the third round but selecting her at No. 26 is a very real possibility. TCU is currently 31-3 and landed a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Serena Sundell, Kansas State, Guard

2024–25 statistics: 13.6 pts, 4.5 reb, 7.1 ast, 1.0 stl, 0.9 blk

Sundell is an excellent facilitator at the guard spot with her size (6-foot-1) and has the scoring output to make her an intriguing backcourt prospect. Like Van Lith, she may come off the board earlier, but the potential is there to bring her in.

Gianna Kneepkens, Utah, Guard

2024–25 statistics: 19.2 pts, 5.1 reb, 3.1 ast, 1.1 stl

Kneepkens is the last guard on this list considering the Storm are expected to land either UConn’s Paige Bueckers or Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles at No. 2 overall. But Kneepkens offers an impressive scoring ability, shooting 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame, Forward

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"]

Notre Dame forward Maddy Westbeld shoots a jumper versus Florida State. Credit: Maddy Westbeld/Instagram [/caption]

2024–25 statistics: 7.6 pts, 3.0 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.0 blk, 1.1 stl

Westbeld missed the beginning of the season and has seen her statistics drop fairly dramatically from 2023–24 after averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds, but she still has a lot of untapped potential. Her injury history is the reason for concern, however, if she is healthy and ready for training camp Westbeld would be one to watch in training camp.

Madison Scott, Mississippi, Forward

2024–25 statistics: 11.9 pts, 5.3 reb, 3.9 ast, 0.9 blk, 1.0 stl

Scott has never been an excellent scorer or had flashy defensive stats, but she’s a scrappy forward and has always been efficient, shooting a career 49.7 percent from the field. With multiple of the Storm’s post players nearing the end of their careers, Scott is worth at least taking a flyer on.

Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga, Forward

2024–25 statistics: 20.6 pts, 8.9 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.2 stl, 1.0 blk

Ejim may be one of the more under-the-radar prospects in this year’s draft. That likely stems from her being undersized (6-foot-1) even for a small forward. But she’s potentially on her way to landing a West Coast Conference Player of the Year honor and is already Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer. If Seattle thinks Ejim can contribute, they will probably be able to bring her in.

Ayoka Lee, Kansas State, Center

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"]

Kansas State center Ayoka Lee shoots a free throw during a regular season game. Credit: Ayoka Lee/Instagram [/caption]

2024–25 statistics: 15.5 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.2 blk, 0.7 stl

Lee, at 6-foot-6, is one of the better centers the Storm could acquire in the later rounds, but she’s also been frequently injured during her college career. She missed the 2022–23 season due to a knee injury and has played just 19 games this season while battling a foot issue.

If Lee’s health wasn’t a question, she would undoubtedly be a first-round pick. That could also make her the steal of the draft.

Sedona Prince, TCU, Center

2024–25 statistics: 17.5 pts, 9.6 reb, 2.4 ast, 3.0 blk, 1.0 stl

Prince may be gone in the first round, but she could slide down the board and still be available at No. 26. Prince has the potential to be a quality post in the WNBA both offensively and defensively. She’s also shooting 58.7 percent this season, making her one of the more impressive center prospects in this year’s draft.