The timing of the WNBA season and the women's college basketball season makes for some interesting overlaps. For example, we should learn the draft lottery results in December, which will mean that WNBA fans will be able to watch the latter half of the college season with their draft slot in mind, making it easier for, say, a fan of the team with the No. 1 pick to know that they should pay close attention to JuJu Watkins down the stretch.
But we don't know that yet. We know who's in the lottery, though, and we know who some of the top prospects are, so let's play a little game of fantasy draft lottery, pairing up the top prospects from the class with the team that needs them the most.
JuJu Watkins
Best fit: Houston Comets
The way that the Houston Comets are returning to the WNBA feels wrong, with the franchise essentially feeling like it was stolen from Connecticut after the league blocked potential relocation plans to Boston. Putting that aside, though, we have the league's original dynasty returning to the league with a roster that is essentially an empty page at this point. There are only two players with protected deals in 2027: Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aaliyah Edwards.
So why not start the new era of Comets basketball out with a bang? JuJu Watkins is the best player in this class, assuming she comes out. The Comets have one really good guard under contract in Leila Lacan, but need serious backcourt help beyond that, something Watkins would provide.
Watkins can create her own shot at multiple levels and is able to power her way inside. While she needs to improve her efficiency on jump shots, the skill is definitely there. Ideally, the team adds another ball-handler so that Watkins doesn't have to be the main initiator of the offense right off the bat, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if that's the role she's forced into.
Hannah Hidalgo
Best fit: Washington Mystics
There are two players in this class who would really help the Washington Mystics if the team ended up drafting at No. 2 overall (which is possible since they have Chicago's first-round pick): Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and Texas' Madison Booker. Point guard and small forward are both pressing concerns for this team.
Ultimately, though, point guard feels higher on the list of needs. Michaela Onyenwere and Cotie McMahon are capable of giving Washington solid minutes at the three, but Georgia Amoore is ideally a backup point guard, not a starter. Drafting Hidalgo would immediately upgrade the team's playmaking.
Is Hidalgo a perfect prospect? No. She's a great rim finisher for her size, but will that translate to the pro game? If it doesn't, then she'd need to take a major leap as a shooter. Is that something Hidalgo is going to work on this season with the Irish? That depends on if the team's other options step up so that Hidalgo isn't basically in "go go go" mode at all times.
Madison Booker
Best fit: Toronto Tempo
The Toronto Tempo tried to build an instant contender in their first season, pairing Marina Mabrey with Brittney Sykes. It didn't work, and now the team has to figue out its best approach going forward. That might just be to keep going in the same direction, which would mean that the team won't really be looking for guards in this class. Factor in that this is not the deepest class at all when it comes to bigs, and the answer for what Toronto should do is obvious: take Madiso Booker.
Booker is the best pure small forward in this class. Heck, she might be the best pure small forward we've seen in a bit. So many players who could be threes end up playing at the four in the WNBA, so it's rare that a player like Booker comes along who has some size but who isn't going to be playing anywhere but the wing.
Booker is a mid-range assassin, someone who can put the ball on the floor and find her shot. She'll need to work on her scoring range in the pro game, but having Booker as a secondary ball-handler who can do some point forward while also having the ball-skill to guard a team's top wing threat makes her a very intriguing player at the next level.
S'Mya Nichols
Best fit: Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm have their frontcourt of the future in Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam. They have a good building block on the wing in Flau'jae Johnson. Up next on the list of needs is someone who can run the offense and can operate with the ball in her hands. That's where Kansas guard S'Mya Nichols would make for a great fit.
Nichols is a high-quality shooter, albeit on lesser volume than some other prospects. She's never shot worse than 38 percent from 3-point range in a season, though she's also never attempted more than 2.5 3s per game in a season. Still, a ball-handler who can also shoot from deep would be huge for this roster.
Maybe you could argue that the Storm need a true point guard more than a combo guard. Jade Melbourne isn't the long-term answer. The problem is that once Hidalgo is gone, you're looking at what -- MiLaysia Fulwiley, who is also a combo guard but a little more on the "point" end of it, but who comes with way more question marks than Nichols? There aren't really any other first-round lead ball-handlers available, so Seattle should just bet on Nichols' talent.
Clara Strack
Best fit: Portland Fire
This is projection a bit here, because at the moment, Clara Strack isn't the No. 5 prospect in this class. I would have her down closer to No. 8 or so. But this is a class that is essentially bereft of center prospects, and because of that, Strack has a chance to go higher than expected because there's not really another player in this class like her, unles you view Chloe Kitts as a five (I don't) or you think Audi Crooks is going to be able to adjust to the pro game effectively (I'm still on the fence here).
Strack is a bit of a stretch five, taking 2.8 3-point attempts per game last season, but she's not really a great outside shooter, so I'd expect her game to focus more on the interior on offense, where she's shot 54 percent or better inside the arc in each of her college seasons. She also averaged 10.1 rebounds (23rd in the nation) and 2.5 blocks (seventh in the nation) last year.
Portland can use a center. Megan DiLeo was very effective for the team in 2026, but she's only got one more year under contract and the situation behind her is a bit scary. Strack can come in as DiLeo's immediate backup, with a chance to take over in 2028. The team could also try to play them together if Strack shows improvement as a shooter this season at Kentucky.
Add us as a preferred source on Google