Top 5 underdogs to watch in 2025 WNBA season ft. Deja Kelly

While big names like A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark will command plenty of attention in the 2025 WNBA season, the league is filled with underdogs raring to break out and prove themselves. These WNBA players have no lack of talent, just a need for the right opportunity to shine.

Sooner or later, these players will dominate headlines with consistent stats or even a winning play that goes viral.

Here are some underdogs to keep an eye on next season:

Top 5 underdogs to watch in 2025 WNBA season

#1 Deja Kelly

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The 5-foot-8 Deja Kelly went undrafted this year. The former Oregon Duck was signed to a training camp deal with the Las Vegas Aces, and on Tuesday, she stood out in the Aces' 85-84 preseason victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Kelly's 15-point performance will certainly weigh on the minds of the Aces front office as they finalize their roster.

#2 Queen Egbo

Las Vegas Aces Open Practice - Source: Getty

If there's anyone who knows how loaded the Aces roster is, it's Queen Egbo, who got cut by Las Vegas on Thursday. The former Baylor Bear, who was a constant double-double threat in college, finds herself without a team in the pro ranks. Any WNBA team taking a chance on Egbo would get a workhorse who brings precious intangibles on the hardcourt.

#3 Harmoni Turner

Phoenix Mercury v Las Vegas Aces - Source: Getty

Aside from Egbo, the Aces also waived Harmoni Turner this week. A spitfire guard who averaged 22.5 points per game in her final year with Harvard, Turner was taken by Las Vegas in the third round of the 2025 WNBA draft. The Texas native, however, may very well find a way to land a roster spot in the league.

#4 Lexie Hull

WNBA: MAY 03 Preseason - Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever - Source: Getty

As far as the Indiana Fever goes, the spotlight remains on Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston. But there's one player on the bench who helps keep things together for the team: Lexie Hull. Her hustle doesn't always necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but in her fourth year in the league, Hull could start contributing on a nightly basis.

#5 Leaonna Odom

Las Vegas Aces v New York Liberty - Source: Getty

Leaonna Odom is on the cusp of a comeback story that's the stuff of movies. After playing two seasons with the New York Liberty, Odom stepped away from the sport for an extended period. Now, the former Duke standout gets another chance to shine on the big stage as she makes the most of a training camp contract, which could result in her return to WNBA action.

About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado