2025 WNBA Draft: Explaining the current eligibility rules for domestic and international players

The 2025 WNBA Draft is just a few days away, with all the action set to take place from New York City on Monday night. UConn star Paige Bueckers is widely projected to the be the No. 1 overall pick to the Dallas Wings, but there’s plenty of uncertainty after that. 

Among the many reasons this draft is tricky to project, some key players have opted out and will return to school. Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, who was expected to be the No. 2 overall pick, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd all would have been first-round selections, but decided to forgo the draft and will turn pro in 2026 instead. 

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Jack Maloney

Johnson’s decision, in particular, has raised a lot of questions about draft eligibility rules because she was only a junior last season. The topic has also been broached in regard to Justė Jocytė, who was born in the United States but grew up in Lithuania and has only played overseas. She was eventually ruled an international prospect and is eligible for this year’s draft. 

There has also been plenty of discussion about how the current labor negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA, which should result in a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the 2026 season and draft, could change things in the future. 

Before Monday night, here’s a refresher on the WNBA’s current rules regarding who is eligible for the draft, which differs between domestic and international prospects. 

Domestic draft prospects

Domestic prospects are eligible for the draft if:

• “She will be at least twenty-two (22) years old during the calendar year in which such Draft is held and she either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft”
• “Has graduated from a four-year college or university prior to such Draft, or ‘is to graduate’ from such college or university within the three (3)-month period following such Draft and she either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft”
• “Has attended a four-year college or university, her original class in such college or university has already been graduated or “is to graduate” within the three (3)-month period following such Draft, and she either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft”

Note: Above information via the current collective bargaining agreement. 

International draft prospects

International prospects are eligible for the draft if:

• “She will be at least 20 years old during the calendar year in which such Draft is held”

An international prospect is defined as “any person born and residing outside the United States who participates in the game of basketball as an amateur or a professional. An international player who exercises intercollegiate basketball eligibility in the United States shall be subject to the eligibility rules set forth above.” 

Note: Above information via the current collective bargaining agreement. 

Will the draft rules change with the new CBA?

Last October, the WNBPA announced its intention to opt out of the current CBA at the end of the 2025 season. 

In a statement at the time, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said the players are looking for “transformational change.” She added, “Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks — it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come.”

There has not been much public information regarding the players’ demands outside of higher salaries, and it’s unclear if lowering the draft age limit will be on the table. For what it’s worth, Hall of Famer Sue Bird said during last year’s NCAA national championship game that players had brought up the topic during the most recent CBA negotiations in 2019, but “just couldn’t get to it” with more pressing needs. 

It’s certainly possible that that could be the case again this year. After all, it’s not necessarily in the current WNBA players’ best interest to fight for college players to have more freedom to potentially take their spots. 

To little surprise, current college players think they should at least have the option to leave school early if they feel like they’re ready. 

“I definitely think we should have the option,” USC star JuJu Watkins said earlier this year. “There’s just been such a growth in college basketball where it’s like, ‘Why would you want to leave?’ Because you’re able to have that experience and build your brand here in college as well. I would definitely say we should have the option, but I think college is a way to prepare us for the pros as well. So, I don’t know. It’s a touchy subject, but I’m for it.”

So much remains up in the air about the current labor negotiations, but one thing is for certain: If the draft age limit is not lowered in the new CBA, the drumbeat to do so will only grow louder over the coming years.