The Next<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n
The No. 1 pick is still up for debate now, but the candidates are different this time around. Cruse, Adler and Shafer debate the merits of Kuier, No. 19 pick DiJonai Carrington<\/a>, undrafted player Janelle Sala\u00fcn<\/a> and undrafted player Monique Akoa Makani<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old Kuier has played three WNBA seasons and has averaged 2.6 points<\/a> in 11.1 minutes per game. The 27-year-old Carrington is in her fifth season and has averaged 8.6 points<\/a> in 20.2 minutes per game. Sala\u00fcn and Akoa Makani are rookies this season with the Golden State Valkyries and Phoenix Mercury, respectively.<\/p>\n Cruse makes the case for Sala\u00fcn at No. 1 in this redraft:<\/p>\n \u201cI have DiJonai at [No.] 2, but the reason I have Sala\u00fcn a little bit higher is I\u2019m very concerned about DiJonai\u2019s archetype and how it breaks down deep in the playoffs, and what that means for winning. Because I\u2019m not too high on just the feel, the processing, the passing ability. The finishing\u2019s a huge concern. How does she add value in the halfcourt on offense when the game slows down is my main concern with her game.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Janelle Sala\u00fcn, I think you see a lot of the shot creation, the shot-making from three. There\u2019s obvious worries about the overall shot selection at times. But, I mean, you have the same concerns with DiJonai Carrington, and Sala\u00fcn\u2019s just bigger. Not as good of a defender, obviously, but I just think that she\u2019s being overtaxed right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX<\/a> and receive our independent women\u2019s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. <\/p>\n Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball podcast<\/a> to keep learning about the WNBA, women\u2019s college basketball, basketball history and much more!<\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1749940210_74_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
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