The WNBA will finally be able to welcome Paige Bueckers to the league.

The versatile UConn standout is the odds-on favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings. She spent five years at Connecticut after being sidelined by injuries. Bueckers will have plenty of company Monday night, especially with the WNBA having its first expansion team in 17 years in the Golden State Valkyries making their debut draft selection at No. 5 overall.

This is the 29th draft in league history. There will be 13 franchises making a combined 38 draft selections over three rounds. The first round will feature 12 picks with 13 in each of the final two rounds. After Dallas makes its pick, the Seattle Storm hold the No. 2 selection overall with the Washington Mystics having both the third and fourth picks.

Clark, fresh off leading the Huskies to their 12th national championship, should be a big piece on and off the court for the Wings.

Seattle has the second pick and potentially could take France’s Dominique Malonga. The 19-year-old helped France win the silver medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer. If she’s drafted second, she’d be only the fifth foreign player to go in the first two picks in the history of the league. Margo Dydek went first in 1998 and Lauren Jackson was the No. 1 pick three years later. Liz Cambage was drafted second in 2011 and Awak Kuier went No. 2 in 2021.

The Washington Mystics will control the direction of the draft after the top two picks, having the third, fourth and sixth picks. Washington has a new coach and general manager.

“This is a year where Washington is a team that you want to be drafted by because they have so many roster spots available,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “This is a team that if you go there, you’re going to have a chance to, one, make the roster, and two, become a part of their rotation.”

Five teams don’t have picks in the opening round as New York, Indiana, Phoenix and Atlanta all traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its pick following an investigation by the league in 2023 that found the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.

The Golden State Valkyries are entering the league as an expansion franchise and have the fifth pick in the draft. The Valkyries had their expansion player draft and will now look to potentially find a cornerstone player to go with them. Potential candidates for the Valkyries include USC’s Kiki Iriafen and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow.

“I do think a rookie could come in and contribute because this is — it’s a new team,” ESPN analyst Andraya Carter said. “It’s a new team that is developing, and I think this pick will be chosen specifically to try and fit what the Valkyries are trying to build. They’re starting their franchise, so I expect the Valkyries to be very intentional with this pick, as someone that fans will be excited about, that will fit the culture, fit the system.”

The draft will be held in New York at The Shed and will have fans in attendance for the second consecutive year.