Kansas State women’s basketball guard Serena Sundell had been projected as a potential first-round selection Monday in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but instead she had a long wait before going to the Seattle Storm with the No. 26 overall pick to open the third round.
Sundell, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Maryville, Missouri, was a top 12 pick on several mock draft boards, which would have made her just the fourth K-State player iselected in the first round of the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York. Instead, she was the first pick of Round3 2.
Sundell, a two-time Big 12 all-conference selection and an honorable mention All-American this year, saved her best for last with an outstanding senior season in which she averaged a career-high 14.1 points and led the nation with 7.3 assists per game. She leaves K-State as the school’s all-time assist leader with 811.
Here is what the Seattle Storm is getting with Sundell.
The positives
Sundell is a versatile point guard who, at 6-1, can post up smaller guards, score underneath and get to the basket off the dribble. She is also a clever passer from anywhere on the floor.
Sundell also excelled in big games, standing out during K-State’s Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament run this year by averaging 19.7 points on 57.9% shooting and 9.7 assists. She had 19 points and a school-record 14 assists in the Wildcats’ 80-79 second-round victory over Kentucky.
The concerns
While Sundell is fundamentally sound, she is not an outstanding on-ball defender and could have trouble guarding quicker guards at the next level.
Sundell can score at all three levels and shot 50.1% overall for the season but she is an average 3-point shooter at best, making 24 of 75 attempts for 32%.
Final thoughts
Sundell arrived at K-State as a relatively unheralded recruit but started all four years and continued to grow her game throughout her career. There is no reason to believe that won’t continue in the WNBA.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Seattle Storm picks Kansas State guard Serena Sundell in WNBA Draft
Kansas State women’s basketball guard Serena Sundell had been projected as a potential first-round selection Monday in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but instead she had a long wait before going to the Seattle Storm with the No. 26 overall pick to open the third round.
Sundell, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Maryville, Missouri, was a top 12 pick on several mock draft boards, which would have made her just the fourth K-State player iselected in the first round of the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York. Instead, she was the first pick of Round3 2.
Sundell, a two-time Big 12 all-conference selection and an honorable mention All-American this year, saved her best for last with an outstanding senior season in which she averaged a career-high 14.1 points and led the nation with 7.3 assists per game. She leaves K-State as the school’s all-time assist leader with 811.
Here is what the Seattle Storm is getting with Sundell.
The positives
Sundell is a versatile point guard who, at 6-1, can post up smaller guards, score underneath and get to the basket off the dribble. She is also a clever passer from anywhere on the floor.
Sundell also excelled in big games, standing out during K-State’s Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament run this year by averaging 19.7 points on 57.9% shooting and 9.7 assists. She had 19 points and a school-record 14 assists in the Wildcats’ 80-79 second-round victory over Kentucky.
The concerns
While Sundell is fundamentally sound, she is not an outstanding on-ball defender and could have trouble guarding quicker guards at the next level.
Sundell can score at all three levels and shot 50.1% overall for the season but she is an average 3-point shooter at best, making 24 of 75 attempts for 32%.
Final thoughts
Sundell arrived at K-State as a relatively unheralded recruit but started all four years and continued to grow her game throughout her career. There is no reason to believe that won’t continue in the WNBA.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Seattle Storm picks Kansas State guard Serena Sundell in WNBA Draft
