GSV draft prospects 12 & 13: Te-Hina Paopao and Ajsa Sivka
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Don’t miss the index for the entire 2025 Valkyries Draft Prospects series.
Apricot: I am including all candidates that are put in the mock drafts because they are stellar prospects. However, guard your expectations. I question whether players will come out for the 2025 Draft if they have more college eligibility, because (1) there will be a new collective bargaining agreement for the 2026 season and they will likely want to enter the draft with the higher rookie salaries; and (2) with the rise of NIL deals, they may be able to make as much or more money than the WNBA by staying in college.
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Te-Hina Paopao, SG/PG, South Carolina
The Sky are already set in their frontcourt with the trio of Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams, but have glaring needs everywhere else. With the futures of Chennedy Carter and Dana Evans uncertain at best, Chicago could use another guard—preferably one who can shoot, as the team ranked last in the WNBA by a country mile in 3-point attempt rate last season.
Paopao would check both of these boxes. Steady-handed with the basketball and a massive threat from deep, Paopao has shot 46.8 percent on 3-pointers since transferring to South Carolina, and her ability to play without the ball would allow her to play with whichever guards Chicago decides to retain from 2024. It’s possible the Sky use this pick on a player with more length instead, but if they want a fast-learning ball handler who has the offensive skillset to fit with their stars in the frontcourt, Paopao would be a safe choice at No. 3.
ESPN:
The current team dynamics in Seattle suggest veteran guard Jewell Loyd isn't happy there and might want a trade. That could mean Seattle would look more for a guard in the draft.
Paopao returned for a fifth year of college after winning the national championship with the Gamecocks last season. Her 3-point shooting accuracy could be appealing at the next level. In her college career (the first three years at Oregon), she has shot just over 40% from behind the arc. That includes 46.8% last season. And playing for South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has improved her defense, too.
This is Year 5 of college basketball for Paopao. After three years at Oregon, she won a national championship in her first year at South Carolina and will look to finish out on top in 2025.
Paopao is a career 40.9 percent 3-point shooter, a heady playmaker and has pre-existing chemistry with Cardoso. This aligns with the Sky's plan to continue to build the right way with skilled players.
The reigning champions have jumped to No. 7 thanks to their pick swap with the Mercury. That will allow them to take Paopao, who would almost certainly be off the board by the time their original No. 12 pick comes up. Even if Marine Johannes returns in 2025, the Liberty need a guard for the future with Courtney Vandersloot nearing the end of her career. Paopao is a remarkable shooter who can play on or off the ball, and is experienced enough to help a contender right away.
Ajsa Sivka, SF, Famila Schio (Italy pro)
If the Sky get who they want at No. 3—whether that’s Paopao or someone else—they may be more inclined to take a swing at No. 10. Sivka is the kind of player Chicago desperately needs: a taller forward (6-foot-3) who can play on the perimeter and knock down 3-pointers at a high clip. Through six EuroCup Women games for French basketball club Tarbes, Sivka is averaging 12.7 points and shooting 48.6 percent on 3-pointers, which would be quite valuable to a Chicago roster that lacked firepower on the wing last season. Sivka is far from a finished product—she’s just 19 years old—but if the WNBA is in her future plans, the Sky might be interested in drafting her.
Depending on how the offseason goes, Phoenix could have a GOAT-sized void to fill. You don't fill such a void with one pick, but a player of Sivka's caliber is a start.
The 19-year-old is 6-4 and extremely skilled. Sivka put her skills on display at the FIBA Women's U18 European Championship, but the biggest takeaway is that she can flat-out shoot the ball. That skill aligns perfectly with the vision head coach Nate Tibbetts has for the franchise.
With two picks in the top-six, the Mystics have the ability to take a bit of a risk here. The 18-year-old Sivka, who hails from Slovenia and currently plays professionally in France, may not be ready for the W for a few years. She is already an elite shooter, though, and has shown some incredible playmaking flashes for a forward at her size. Perhaps no team in the league needs a star as desperately as the Mystics, and Sivka could be one down the line.