Could LSU's Aneesah Morrow and her head-turning March Madness reset 2025 WNBA Draft board?

USA Today

29-03-2025

Could LSU's Aneesah Morrow and her head-turning March Madness reset 2025 WNBA Draft board?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Games to watch in the women's March Madness Sweet Sixteen
The women's March Madness tournament is heating up, and Meghan Hall gives some of the best matchups to watch in the Sweet Sixteen.
Sports Seriously
During a top-seed March Madness cinematic event Friday evening, LSU forward Aneesah Morrow ran down the court, nearly in parallel with teammate Flau'jae Johnson, preparing to set up the Tigers' halfcourt offense.
NC State guard Aziaha James was waiting, picked up Johnson near the sideline and ran with her as she pushed the ball further into the court. Morrow broke free from her stride, set an unsuspecting ghost screen on James, and slipped out of it at the last second. James continued to follow Johnson and eventually, with help from Madison Hayes, surrounded the LSU guard.
Johnson immediately looked for help and found a wide-open Morrow waiting at the elbow. She pivoted and quickly flicked the ball in Morrow's direction, forcing Hayes to react. Hayes ran toward Morrow, hoping to stop what she inevitably knew was coming, but it was too late. Morrow drained a gorgeous, high-arching 3-point basket as a defeated Hayes zipped past her.
NC State senior Saniya Rivers, who was underneath the basket as the ball went through the net, could only hold up her arms in frustration as Morrow made her second three of the night.
It was a small moment ― a barely-there wrinkle ― in the grand scheme of Morrow's phenomenal March Madness standout performance. However, it was a pivotal moment for the WNBA draft hopeful.Morrow, typically known for her paint prowess, had possibly shown league general managers something they hadn't noticed before: a confident perimeter shooter. The LSU forward has only taken 36 shots from beyond the arc this season, making 10. However, her pair of 3-pointers against the Wolfpack during the Sweet 16 felt immensely different. Morrow shot them like she couldn't miss; it felt that way Friday night.
"Morrow, she's killing us," an exasperated Wes Moore said during a mid-game interview. "She's willing them by herself."
"Willing them" was putting it lightly. Morrow was flat-out dominant.
She'd unlocked the essence of her fitting on-court nickname: "Nees the Beast." By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the 6-foot-1 forward already had 24 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and five boards in the third alone. Her incredible performance caught the eye of former teammate and current Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
"Me [and] Nees gon' be killing each other for rebounds in the [WNBA]," Reese tweeted.
The thought of Reese and Morrow jockeying for position to grab rebounds against some of the league's elite post players could be a tangible reality when the season starts May 16. Morrow's final stat line of 30 points, 19 rebounds, three steals and two blocks against the 2-seed Wolfpack was impossible to ignore. Many WNBA mock drafts have Morrow teetering the line of the fifth pick, and some have her lower.
However, after a standout performance like that, it feels right to ask if Aneesah Morrow firmly catapulted and planted herself into the top five selections. League front offices could be faced with an agonizing decision: Would they take Aneesah Morrow over French center Dominique Malonga or USC Trojans star Kiki Iriafen? At the very least, Morrow's efforts have made the choice a legitimate conversation.
"She just works," LSU coach Kim Mulkey said of Morrow postgame.
"We only hit three 3s tonight. So, for you WNBA scouts, I think she lit it up from out there. I think they forget she can shoot the 3-ball because that's all she did when she was at DePaul, but for us, it's not needed. So when she hit those two threes, I thought, 'OK, Nees has got it going on tonight' ... She's just one you want on your team."
LSU has an impending Elite Eight date with the UCLA Bruins on Sunday, the same team they sent home during the Sweet 16 in 2024. Aneesah Morrow and Lauren Betts will rightfully garner attention, and more questions will start. Who wants it more? Who will crash the glass?
Which post player wins the paint party and elevates their team to the Final Four in Tampa?
For LSU, it has to be Morrow, and when teams like the Bruins inevitably throw everything but the kitchen sink at her as NC State did, she'll be ready. "It's what I do every night," Morrow said. "And I know my teammates are gonna depend on me, and I gotta have [their] back ... I know that they might throw three ― four ― people at me, but I gotta be able to compete and gotta be able to be dominant."
WNBA general managers, the 2025 draft clock is ticking, and the choice is now yours. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
There are likely few people who envy you.