Will there be a 2026 WNBA season? That remains to be seen, as the league and the WNBAPA are fairly far apart in negotiations so far as they work toward a new CBA. But assuming a season does happen, we first have to have an extremely consequential WNBA Draft.
Seriously, this draft has everything! The Wings looking for Paige Bueckers' running mate at No. 1 overall. Two teams with title hopes drafting next. A pair of expansion teams hoping to get off on a strong foot. It's going to be exciting, but what might it end up looking like?
1. Dallas Wings: Awa Fam
A lot of people think the Wings have a tough choice at the top of the draft between Spanish star Awa Fam and UConn guard Azzi Fudd, who happens to be dating last year's No. 1 overall pick. But as cool a story as it would be to reunite Bueckers and Fudd, basketball teams need to worry about winning basketball games, and drafting Fam is the best move to do that.
Now, the CBA issue and the huge amount of players hitting free agency complicate things, but in theory, the Wings have two major needs: center and shooting guard. You can solve either with this pick, but you also can solve the guard question by re-signing Arike Ogunbowale. Yes, the fit with her and Bueckers was awkward last season, and Ogunbowale's production took a huge dip, but she's also a top 20 player in the WNBA when healthy who seems to actively want to be in Dallas, something that hasn't necessarily been true of other stars in the team's history. Bringing her back has downsides, but it's still the better move because it allows you to draft Fam.
The Spanish big is a versatile player who can score at every level while possessing the athleticism to guard five positions. Does she need to improve her shooting touch? Sure, but she has all the tools needed to be an elite player at the next level. No other player in this class has Fam's upside.
2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles
Transferring to TCU has really helped round out Olivia Miles' game. Already an elite playmaker, she's made key strides as a scorer this season that will help her be successful at the next level.
PPG | FG% | |
|---|---|---|
2024-25 | 15.4 | 48.3 |
2025-26 | 19.7 | 51.0 |
The Lynx could use additional guard help, especially at the one, and Miles is by far the best pure point guard prospect in this class. Heck, she's the best pure point guard prospect in years, assuming you consider Bueckers and Caitlin Clark to be combo guards.
3. Seattle Storm: Azzi Fudd
Fudd is the best shooter in this class. Yes, UCLA's Gianna Kneepkens might be better as a catch-and-shoot option, but Fudd shoots 44.8 percent from deep and is capable of creating her own shot, which, IMO, gives her that title.
That's not to say she's where she needs to be as a scorer, though. While she can create her own shot, it's not something we necessarily see out of her consistently. Still, it's in her repertoire, as is an ability to finish efficiently at the hoop. She's also made strides as a defender and does a good job holding onto the ball. She won't solve the issue of Seattle needing a long-term point guard, but she's the kind of talent you can't pass up in this spot.
4. Washington Mystics: Flau'jae Johnson
This is likely a spot where the Mystics would love to trade down with a team that wants to move up for Lauren Betts, but if that doesn't happen then the team can just happily draft LSU's Flau'jae Johnson.
While a lot about Johnson is theoretical at this point since she plays in Kim Mulkey's system at LSU, there are plenty of reasons to believe in her talent. She's shot well from 3-point range, knocking down 43.9 percent of her 3.3 attempts per game from deep, but she's going through a real cold spell as a scorer right now, failing to hit the 20-point mark in six consecutive games. She's been especially inconsistent on non-rim paint attempts, shooting 33.3 percent from there this season. The hope is that the improved spacing at the next level will work out in her favor, but there's no guarantee that's the case.
5. Chicago Sky: Ta'Niya Latson
Ta'Niya Latson has proven this season that she's more than just a volume scorer. Despite her scoring numbers dipping since moving from Florida State to South Carolina, Latson's efficiency has increased in her lower-usage role.
PPG | FG% | 3P% | USG% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | 25.2 | 45.1 | 34.3 | 38.1 |
2025-26 | 15.5 | 50.0 | 37.7 | 23.5 |
The Sky have their frontcourt figured out with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, but the team needs a perimeter scorer it can trust. Latson has now shown that she can be a team's No. 1 option and also that she can defer to other players and play good team basketball.
6. Toronto Tempo - Lauren Betts
This isn't a great draft for Lauren Betts to be in. She's the best traditional post prospect in this class, but the teams ahead of her — save for the Wings, who aren't taking her No. 1 overall — have bigger needs than a post, so Betts surprisingly drops all the way down to Toronto with the No. 6 overall pick.
But hey, this probably works out best for everyone. The Tempo likely won't be able to grab a big better than Betts in the expansion draft, so taking her at No. 6 is a huge win that fills a position of need, and it lands Betts in a place where she'll be able to get immediate minutes and likely high usage.
7. Portland Fire: Kiki Rice
Kiki Rice might be the big winner for UCLA this season. The additions of Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker seemed like they would threaten Rice's role a bit, but she's adapted well and is second on the Bruins roster in scoring and assists while leading the team in steals.
Rice keeps getting better as a shooter as well, with her 3-point percentage going up in each of her collegiate campaigns. This season, Rice is shooting 40 percent from downtown, and also has the highest overall field goal percentage of her career as well. She might not be able to be the best player on a WNBA team, but selecting her with the No. 7 pick is great value.
8. Golden State Valkyries: Gianna Kneepkens
Kneepkens is an elite spot-up shooter. Like, put her in the 3-point contest right now, and she might just wind up beating whichever WNBA stars you pit her against. With the caveat that her 2023-24 numbers are from an eight-game sample, just look at this:
Season | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|
2021-22 | 4.4 | 38.4 |
2022-23 | 5.3 | 42.3 |
2023-24 | 6.3 | 54.0 |
2024-25 | 6.8 | 44.8 |
2025-26 | 5.3 | 46.1 |
Now, there are valid questions about Kneepkens' ability to do anything else at a pro level. Is UCLA's lineup hiding her defensive flaws? Probably! Can she create her own shot? IDK! But with the eighth pick, you can get away with just drafting her for the shooting upside.
9. Washington Mystics: Nell Angloma
French wing Nell Angloma would be a smart bet for the Mystics here. The 19-year-old is a versatile offensive threat who can create her own shot and score at three levels while also possessing playmaking skills, but she needs to refine a number of things, especially on the defensive end.
Washington has a lot of young players at the moment and three picks in this first round, so they wouldn't necessarily need Angloma to come over in 2026. The team has the luxury of stashing her overseas for another year or two.
10. Indiana Fever: Gabriela Jaquez
One big issue for the Fever in 2025 was guard depth, as injuries led the team to give playoff minutes to multiple players who weren't even on the roster at the start of the year. Regardless of whether Kelsey Mitchell is back in 2026, Indiana needs backcourt depth.
Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA might be this season's biggest riser, averaging a career-high 14.3 points per game and shooting 43.8 percent from deep. If her 3-point development is real and not just a consequence of playing on a loaded roster where she gets plenty of open looks, Jaquez may be able to excel as a 3-and-D piece off the Fever bench.
11. Washington Mystics: Cotie McMahon
Transferring to Ole Miss has given Cotie McMahon a chance to shine as a scorer, as she's putting up a career-high 19.8 points per contest. Efficiency is a concern, and her poor free-throw shooting percentage doesn't suggest it's something that can be easily fixed, but the talent is there.
I guess a larger question here is how McMahon fits in a league that's become increasingly reliant on the 3-pointer when she's shooting 26.9 percent from deep. I'm not sure there's a good answer for that, but at No. 11 overall, it's fine to take the risk, especially when she's a strong player who, at the very least, can bully her way to the hoop.
12. Connecticut Sun: Madina Okot
Madina Okot has been very good in her first season at South Carolina, averaging 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She's been nearly unstoppable at the rim, shooting 74.6 percent there on 189 attempts.
Lack of scoring range is a concern, though. Okot only shoots 40.3 percent on non-rim paint attempts and has taken 11 midrange shots all season. She also turns the ball over a bit too much. Connecticut should acknowledge those risks and then draft her anyways, though, because her ceiling as an elite rim finisher and protector is too high to ignore.
13. Atlanta Dream: Raven Johnson
Last season, Connecticut took a risk on a South Carolina player whose numbers weren't great, and it paid off, with Saniya Rivers quickly showing she was a WNBA-level talent. Some team is going to do the exact same thing with Raven Johnson this season.
While her scoring numbers aren't great, Johnson has taken a leap in efficiency this season and has the tools to be a viable outside shooter. She's also blossomed as a playmaker, dishing out 5.4 assists per game. Maybe Atlanta can pair her with former college teammate Te-Hina Paopao to give the team a ton of backcourt depth?
14. Seattle Storm: Yarden Garzon
Transferring to Maryland hasn't really paid off for Yarden Garzon, though she's had plenty of chances to keep showcasing her shooting ability from deep.
I have some of the same questions about Garzon as I do about Kneepkens, but the shooting gives her enough upside for her to sneak into the first round.
15. Connecticut Sun: Janiah Barker
Janiah Barker will probably never be the player that WNBA draft nerds — I include myself in that — thought she'd be as a freshman at Texas A&M, but someone has to take a chance on her.
The upside is obvious. Barker can get hot as a scorer and has the tools to be an elite defender. She's the kind of player who, if she hits her upside, would be great as a third or fourth scoring option.
The issue is that Barker has never really put it all together consistently. Last season at UCLA, Barker averaged just 7.4 points per game and disappeared at times in the Bruins' lineup. She's been better at Tennessee this year, but there have still been some bad nights, especially against elite teams.