UCLA could be prepped to break this WNBA Draft record

With the Dallas Wings winning the draft lottery again and the NCAA season in full swing, fans are watching for who might be going first overall at the 2026 WNBA Draft. Last season, Paige Bueckers was a lock for the top spot pretty much all season long, but who Dallas will go with this time around is a bigger question.

Some mock drafts have UCLA star Lauren Betts going first overall. This would not shock me at all. Already this season, the 6-foot-7 center is averaging 13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. If she doesn't go first, there is no way she falls out of the top four picks. With that being said, she's not the only Bruin that WNBA teams are looking to draft. UCLA has the potential to set a new record for most players selected in a single WNBA Draft.

Bruins in the 2026 WNBA Draft

Along with one of the most efficient bigs in NCAA women's basketball right now, in Lauren Betts, UCLA has a handful of guards that could be selected in the upcoming draft — starting with Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens.

Rice is already having one of her best seasons of basketball, averaging 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game so far this year. Last week, she put up 20 points and 11 rebounds in a win over ranked Tennessee. If WNBA teams are looking for a sharp three-point shooter, UCLA offers Gianna Kneepkens. Kneepkens spent the first four years of her collegiate career at Utah before transferring to UCLA in the offseason. So far this season, she is averaging 13.9 points and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from beyond the arc. Both Rice and Kneepkens are expected to go top-10 in the upcoming draft.

The talent at UCLA doesn't stop there. Along with Rice and Kneepkens, the UCLA locker room has three other elite players. Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gabriela Jaquez, and Angela Dugalić are all expected to be drafted a little further down on the board. Leger-Walker spent four years with Washington State before tearing her ACL in 2024, transferring to UCLA, and redshirting the 2024-25 season. Since returning, and making her debut with UCLA, she has looked great, averaging 10.6 points and 6.1 points per game.

In my opinion, Gabriela Jaquez is the player to watch this season. In the Bruins' win over Tennessee, she recorded 29 points, shooting 71.4 percent from the floor. In their game against Duke, Jaquez put up 23 points. I am sure WNBA teams will be watching how she develops throughout the season, but I could see her draft stock going up. Finally, Angela Dugalić would be a great addition for a team looking to draft a dominant big. So far, this season, she is averaging 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Schools with most players selected in a single WNBA draft

If all six of those players end up being drafted in the upcoming WNBA Draft, UCLA will have officially broken a record that has been in place since 1999. During the 1999 WNBA Draft, five players from Tennessee were selected: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tonya Edwards, Lisa Harrison, Carla McGhee, and Kellie Jolly Harper.

In 2008, Tennessee had five players drafted again when Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle, Shannon Bobbitt, Nicky Anosike, and Alberta Auguste were all selected. The Volunteers stood alone as the only team with five players selected in the same draft for over 10 years. In 2019, Notre Dame joined the club when Jackie Young, Arike Ogunbowale, Brianna Turner, Jessica Shepard and Marina Mabrey were all selected.

South Carolina is the last school to come close to breaking the record, as they tied Tennessee and Notre Dame when Aliyah Boston, Laeticia Amihere, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, and Victaria Saxton were all drafted in 2023. UCLA has a real chance of taking the crown if all six of their stars hear their names at the upcoming draft.