The WNBA calendar is very different from the NBA calendar — with the college and pro seasons running concurrently and the draft coming right at the end of the season. The WNBA season wraps up in the fall, right as the college basketball season is gearing up, and the 2026 WNBA Draft won't be held until April, after the Final Four.
All that is to say, we still have a long way to go and there is a full season of basketball coming for prospects to refine their games, impress scouts and move up or down draft boards. However, the WNBA season is past the halfway point, which means the draft order is coming into focus.
The WNBA will be adding two new expansion franchises — the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo — which means that the first-round will be expanding from 13 picks to 15. We have five teams that will miss out on the playoffs and enter the lottery, with their odds determined by their combined win percentage in the two most recent seasons. As an added wrinkle, three of those likely lottery picks have already changed hands, meaning there could be some wild outcomes in the draft order and picks.
WNBA Draft Lottery odds if the season ended today
TEAM | 2-YR WIN% | No. 1 PICK ODDS |
|---|---|---|
Wings | .238 | 40% |
Sparks → Storm | ,258 | 25% |
Sky → Lynx | .323 | 17% |
Valkyries | .455 | 11% |
Sun → Sky | .500 | 7% |
The big winners here are obviously the Lynx and Storm, both near the top of the standings but in position to pick up a lottery pick thanks to past trades. From here, the rest of the draft order would be determined by standings from this season, with the two expansion teams plugged in ahead right behind the lottery teams. Using the current standings, the draft order would look like this:
6. Toronto Tempo
7. Portland Fire
8. Seattle Storm (via Aces)
9. Washington Mystics
10. Indiana Fever
11. Atlanta Dream
12. Seattle Storm
13. Connecticut Sun (via PHX)
14. Connecticut Sun (via NYL)
15. Washington Mystics (via MIN)
With a lottery simulation, courtesy of Tankathon, and the rest of that current draft order, here's how the 2026 WNBA Draft could look.
WNBA Mock Draft if the season ended today
1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
Betts likely would have been a top-three pick last season but opted to return to UCLA, setting her up to enter next college basketball season as the presumptive No. 1 pick. She's got terrific size and controls the interior on both ends, something the Wings desperately need right now. Betts is also an excellent finisher around the basket and should give Paige Bueckers the perfect pick-and-roll partner.
2. Chicago Sky: Olivia Miles, G, TCU
The Sky need quality guard play in the worst way — Miles is both the best player available and a perfect fit. She opted to transfer to TCU for her final year of eligibility, rather than enter last year's draft, where she likely would have been a top-five pick. She's a fierce defender at the point of attack, a strong outside shooter, and the kind of reliable offensive creator and initiator who could lead their offense for years to come.
3. Seattle Storm: Flau'Jae Johnson, G, LSU
Johnson has shone at LSU, next to a rotating collection of top talent, and this year will be her opportunity to run the show herself. There are questions about shot-selection and efficiency as a primary creator, but she is ferocious at both ends of the floor and has the potential to be a breakout star.
4. Minnesota Lynx: Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
Injuries have derailed Fudd's career and may limit her ceiling to more of a complementary piece. Still, she's one of the best shooters in this class, both off the dribble and working off the ball, and would be a perfect floor-spacer to slot into this already loaded roster.
5. Golden State Valkyries: Gianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA
The Valkyries' draft strategy is a bit difficult to nail down, both since they'd only done one draft and because none of their three picks from last season actually made the roster. But they are unafraid of cutting against conventional wisdom and already have a competitive roster built around a suffocating interior defense. Kneepkens just transferred from Utah to UCLA and even in the brighter lights may be overshadowed by Betts and Rice. But she's a sensational shooter and pure scorer, the kind of weapon the Valkyies are missing right now.
6. Toronto Tempo: Kiki Rice, G, UCLA
Rice may not be the most exciting pick to start your franchise — she's not a big scorer and contributes with creation, pestering defense and strong offensive decision-making. But she's the perfect foundation to build a team around, because she can complement so many different kinds of players.
7. Portland Fire: Ta'Niya Latson, G, South Carolina
Latson should quickly become a fan favorite in Portland with her explosive scoring ability. She led the nation in scoring for 2024-25, before transferring from Florida State to South Carolina for her final season. She'll need to adjust to playing with more complementary talent, but she can get her shot against any defense and her efficiency should increase as her shot-selection is refined.
8. Seattle Storm (via Aces): Ashlyn Watkins, F, South Carolina
Watkins missed most of last season with an ACL injury but will have another year to prove she's fully healthy before hitting the draft. Her biggest assets are her defense and versatility, and she could be the perfect connector and Swiss-army knife to help the Storm make the most of what's left of their championship window with veterans Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike.
9. Washington Mystics: Yarden Garzon, G, Maryland
The Mystics struck gold with last year's rookie class — Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, both of whom were selected as All-Stars. Garzon is an Indiana transfer with the opportunity to take on more offensive primacy at Maryland this year. She's an elite shooter with great size (6-foot-3) on the wing and would fit seamlessly into what Washington is building.
10. Indiana Fever: Serah Williams, F, UConn
The Fever may need to rebuild their depth a bit this offseason, with everyone but Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston hitting free agency. Williams duplicates a lot of what they get from Boston, but she's a strong interior presence and a fantastic shot-blocker who can help build frontcourt depth and let the Fever focus on adding shooters on the wing when they hit free agency.
11. Atlanta Dream: Ashlon Jackson, G, Duke
The Dream have taken the leap this year, driven by a high-powered that loves to shoot the 3. They aren't particularly accurate though and adding some more shooters will be key. Jackson may not have the star potential of some of the players ahead of her but she's a solid backcourt defender and a strong outside shooter capable of working on or off the ball. She's the perfect depth piece to help the Dream keep building on their strengths.
12. Seattle Storm: Chloe Kitts, F, South Carolina
We're down to the Storm's third pick of the draft, with them already gambling on the star potential of Flau'jae Johnson and then a solid depth piece in Ashlyn Watkins. Kitts is more of the latter, an experienced physical presence on the interior, who sets solid screens, finishes around the rim and helps as a defensive connector.
13. Connecticut Sun (via PHX): Awa Fam, C, Valencia
The Sun have back-to-back picks and need help everywhere so it makes sense for them to take a swing on the upside of someone like Awa Fam. The 6-foot-4 center plays in the Spanish Pro League and has impressed in international tournaments. She'll be one of the youngest players available in the draft and, like Dominique Malonga, may need time to develop. But she has elite physical tools and has already shown flashes of game-changing skills.
14. Connecticut Sun (via NYL): Charlisse Leger-Walker, G, UCLA
If Fam is a swing on potential, Leger-Walker is a safer, high-floor bet. Transferring into UCLA for her final year of eligibility, she's already established herself as a versatile connector, capable of hitting the glass, creating for her teammates and defending her position. She may not be a future star but she's the kind of solid complementary piece the Sun need if they're going to get back to competing.
15. Washington Mystics (via MIN): Maggie Doogan, F, Richmond
The Mystics' second pick of the first-round gives them a chance to add more depth and positional shooting. Doogan has flown under the national radar in the A-10 but, at 6-foot-2 she can handle bigger wings, handle the ball on offense and drill jumpers from the outside.