With playoff seeding on the line, the matchup between the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday was nothing short of tense. A'ja Wilson, who set the WNBA single-season rebound record two days after setting the scoring record, and Jackie Young dominated early for Las Vegas, leading 29-18 after the first quarter. Seattle fought back through the second and third quarter, but a scoring run by Tiffany Hayes off of the bench secured the win for the Aces.
Something lost within all the storylines around this game is the fact that the Aces and the Storm are the only two teams that have their second-round draft picks on their roster: Kate Martin and Nika Mühl. We dive further into how both college stars have been battling against the odds all season just to retain a roster spot.
Reality of The Second Round
Out of the three drafts leading up to the 2024 WNBA Draft, only seven out of the 36 second-round picks remain in the league. That percentage has now decreased this year, as the two rookies are the only 2024 second-round picks left standing.
Mühl was left on the bench this game, something not out of the ordinary this season. The Croatian has played in 15 games this season, averaging 2.9 minutes. Storm Head Coach Noelle Quinn's decision to keep Mühl’s minutes limited this season has been questioned by both fans and the media, but Mühl is not worried.
“Everybody looks at not playing as something so horrible and so bad, but behind the scenes, I'm working my butt off,” Mühl said before a game against the Connecticut Sun. “Our coach reminds us every day, ‘You're one of 144.’ That's not a lot of spots for the amount of talent and the amount of hardworking women that are in this league and not in this league at this moment. So just reminding myself every morning, when I wake up, that even though I don't get many minutes, it's still a huge blessing to be a part of this program, especially being a part of Seattle Storm.”
In the first half of the season, Martin managed to get significant minutes off the bench for the reigning champions and played in the majority of games. It seems that Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon had a clear role for the Iowa women’s basketball star when she was selected 18th overall. However, Martin’s minutes diminished down the stretch of the season, especially after an overtime loss to the rebuilding LA Sparks early in July, leading to her also staying on the bench Tuesday.
“Even though I don't get many minutes, it's still a huge blessing to be a part of this program, especially being a part of Seattle Storm.”
A Cut-Throat League
So if you want to get drafted into the WNBA, why are your chances of making a regular-season roster not guaranteed? Why is a 14th overall pick in the NBA very different from the WNBA?
It’s because there are 30 NBA franchises compared to the WNBA’s 12. Less players are needed, meaning the players on each team are most likely part of the best 144 players in the world. WNBA teams can only have 12 active players on their roster compared to the NBA’s 15. This can be attributed to the fact that the WNBA regular season is less than half the amount of games as the NBA’s regular season, and the quarters in game are shorter.
The WNBA also doesn’t have a developmental league like the NBA does with the G-League, where teams can send players to an affiliate to develop or even call up for some games. All of this results in extremely talented women’s basketball players not finding a place in the WNBA, and often going to play in the European leagues instead. Mühl and Martin still being on the teams that drafted them entering the playoffs is a testament to how hard the Final Four stars have been working.
Why the Expansion Matters
The good news is that WNBA expansion is afoot, meaning more college stars will have a chance to play in the United States. Three teams are set to join the league through the next two seasons: The Golden State Valkyries will debut next season, while 2026 will see the introductions of Toronto and recently-announced Portland. Not only does this mean that at least 36 more players will be in the WNBA, but it also could lead to expanded roster sizes as the game-load increases. "I'm thrilled we have household names coming in," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in April. "We need to market around that."
Expansion means every draft pick suddenly gets more valuable. The 14th spot where Mühl was selected becomes a first-round pick, and more talent gets spread out throughout the league, opening the doors for new players coming out of college. More players will get the chance to play consistently in the WNBA, something good for the growth of the league as women’s college basketball continues to produce more stars and personalities.
