March 24, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Top international prospects for the 2024 WNBA Draft
By The Next
Our WNBA Draft experts break down four intriguing players from overseas
We’ve known about many of the American stars set to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft for years now, and most of those prospects are currently wrapping up their collegiate careers in the NCAA Tournament.
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But what about the international prospects, the players from countries overseas that could shake up the WNBA Draft board?
On Saturday’s episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, our draft experts Em Adler, Hunter Cruse and Lincoln Shafer dove deep on the top international prospects for the 2024 WNBA Draft. We’ll be using the draft team’s first version of their Big Board, which was published back in November.
(Note: The player’s age listed here will be how old they are on the night of the draft.)
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First, there’s Leila Lacan from France, a 5’11 combo guard who has already impressed with her playmaking ability and processing. The draft team at The Next had the 19-year-old ranked as the fifth-best prospect in November, and that was with Paige Bueckers still listed. Now, all three of Adler, Cruse and Shafer have Lacan third in their updated big board.
Next up was Nyadiew Puoch, a 6’3 combo forward from Australia. The 19-year-old is someone who can impress with her defensive ability — you don’t get a nickname like “The Block Doctor” for nothing, folks — and a solid 3-point shot from the corner. Initially ranked No. 11 on the November big board, our experts firmly believe Puoch will land in the first round somewhere.
The next player was another French guard in Carla Leite, the 5’9 true point guard. The 20-year-old is what the trio called the “platonic ideal” of a lead guard in the pick-and-roll game while also having strong processing skills. She was ranked No. 14 on the November big board, and our experts report that there is WNBA interest in Leite — albeit as a possible draft-and-stash candidate.
Finally, there’s Isobel Borlase, a 5’11 off-ball guard from Australia. The 19-year-old was not on the November big board in a ranked spot, but was considered a draft-and-stash candidate. But Borlase has been able to put up solid offensive numbers and is the youngest prospect in the class, which may make her an intriguing pick for WNBA teams.
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