WNBA draft projections: Where will Indiana women’s basketball standouts land?

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women’s basketball has never had two players selected in the same year in the WNBA draft. 

That could change on Monday night. 

Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes and guard Sara Scalia are among the prospects expected to go in the late rounds of this year’s draft. The draft will be at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and air on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.

Last year, the Indiana Fever drafted Grace Berger with the No. 7 overall pick. 

She was the highest selection in program history and fifth women’s player taken in the WNBA draft. The Hoosiers are also looking to have a player drafted for a third straight year for the first time after Berger (2023) and Ali Patberg (2022) went in back-to-back seasons.   

More: ‘This is her place’: Indiana women’s Mackenzie Holmes has iconic March Madness moment

Mackenzie Holmes

ESPN: Second round, No. 19; Connecticut Sun

Yahoo Sports: Third round, No. 33; Dallas Wings

NBC Sports: Second round, No. 19: Connecticut Sun

Holmes’ injury status could impact where she goes on Monday. The talented forward announced plans to have knee surgery to fix the longstanding issue that sidelined her multiple times during her IU career. 

The procedure will sideline her for the entire 2024 season. 

“While the entire medical staff at IU was wonderful in doing everything to rehabilitate and prevent the injury, all while getting me back on the court safely, I never took the steps to correct the problem and the damage it caused,” Holmes said, in a social media post. 

“However, at this time to ensure my body is healthy and my playing career is as long and successful as possible, I have decided to get the necessary surgery in May to prevent further issues and alleviate the plan it has caused.”

When healthy, Holmes is an elite post presence. She set the program’s all-time scoring record averaging 17.2 points in her career while shooting 63.9% from the field and putting up 26 double-doubles. She was the Hoosiers first ever first-team All-American, was an All-Big Ten selection four times (named to the first-team three times) and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23. 

She played in 147 games (116 starts) in five seasons. 

More: Not now. Not again. Mackenzie Holmes’ dad discusses her recurring knee injury

Sara Scalia

• ESPN: Third round, No. 34; Connecticut Sun
• Yahoo Sports: Third round, No. 26; Seattle Storm

Scalia’s a sharpshooter that will fit on any WNBA roster. She finished her career with 370 career 3-pointers in five seasons, the last two in Bloomington. She shot 38.7% from 3-point range during her career and set an IU record for career 3-point percentage (39.5). 

She also set the program’s single-season record with 103 made 3-pointers in 2023-24 while shooting a career high 42.7%. She had multiple 3-pointers in 26 of the 32 games the team played. 

“Anytime she shoots it, we believe it’s going to go in,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said, after the team’s win over Fairfield in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. “That’s how much confidence we have in her.

Moren also praised Scalia throughout the season for the improvements she made to her all-around game particularly on defense. 

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.