When the 2023 WNBA Draft's return to New York was announced in February, prospects Aliyah Boston, Diamond Miller and Haley Jones were expected to lead the show. Since then, all three of them have made public announcements about their plans for the future.
Boston, the favored No. 1 pick, declared for the draft after South Carolina's Final Four Exit. Villanova star Maddy Siegrist did the same after she was eliminated from the Sweet 16. Oregon's Sedona Prince did not play this season and announced plans to plan for the league in October.
Players who made it to the Elite 8 had 48 hours following the conclusion of their final game to renounce their remaining NCAA eligibility and declare themselves available for the draft. However, Players who utilized all of their allotted collegiate years, including the additional season granted due to Covid-19, did not have to do so.
Because the important aspect is alerting the league, some players, like UConn's Lou Lopez Sénéchal, haven't made public announcements at all. Regardless, the league currently has a list of 78 players who have "filed for consideration as a candidate" for the draft.
Here are some of the players who recently announced they were declaring for the draft, which takes place on April 10.
Brea Beal, South Carolina
Beal was a four-year starter for the Gamecocks. She recorded a career-high 38% accuracy from 3 this season, averaging 6.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Beal is known as a defensive stopper for South Carolina, as she often guards the best perimeter player on each team and keeps players below their scoring averages. She was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention this season and was named to the SEC All-Defensive First Team.
Beal, Laeticia Amihere and Boston are part of "The Freshies" group that advanced to three Final Fours and won the 2022 national title, going 129-9 in their careers.
"To my teammates and The Freshies, thank you for the support through the highs and lows," Beal wrote in her announcement Tuesday.
Zia Cooke is also a member of that accomplished class, but she has not announced her plans.
Laeticia Amihere, South Carolina
Amihere is also known for her strong defense, but she's also a versatile forward that can play as a guard. Over her four years at the University of South Carolina, she averaged 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist per game. She holds the record for most blocks in an NCAA Tournament game with 9 vs. Texas on March 3, 2021.
Alexis Morris, LSU
Morris tallied 21 points and nine assists in the Tigers first national championship win. Transferring three times from Baylor, Rutgers and Texas A&M, she spent the past two seasons at LSU. A 2023 all-SEC first-team selection and Final Four all-tournament team member, she averaged 15.4 points, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season as a fifth-year senior.
Haley Jones, Stanford
Jones announced her WNBA plans after No. 1 seeded Stanford was upset by Ole Miss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 13.5 points, nine rebounds and four assists during her senior season on 43.2 percent shooting from the field. Her consistent production has landed her on the All-Pac-12 team three consecutive seasons.
Even though the guard played four college seasons, she could have returned for one more due to the extra year allowed after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Miller, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged a career-best 19.7 points per game this season. Her senior year also saw a career high of 219 rebounds (6.4 per game), 99 assists and 71 steals. The first-team All Big Ten selection finished with 1706 points in her four-year career.
She said she was undecided following Maryland’s loss to South Carolina in the Elite Eight, but made her announcement on Thursday.
Dorka Juhász, UConn
A transfer from Ohio State, Juhász spent two years in Connecticut. She dealt with multiple injuries, breaking her wrist in the Elite Eight during her first season and breaking her thumb in the second game of UConn’s most recent season.
She leaves the Huskies with 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, just three boards short of averaging a double-double.