Imago
Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts (Image via: Imago)
Imago
Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts (Image via: Imago)
With the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings select…
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When the pomp and circumstance have all cleared on Monday night in New York City, several lives and franchises are going to be changed forever.
For the first time ever under the CBA, the top overall pick will receive $500,000, with pick Nos. 2 and 3 each pocketing $466,913 and $436,016, respectively, for their debut seasons in the league. Compared to the $78,831 that Paige Bueckers netted as last year’s No. 1 pick, it’s safe to say that whoever’s name is called first tonight will be among the faces of a new era in the WNBA.
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This year’s class is deep with both collegiate and international talent, but with no true consensus top pick, four players enter The Shed at Hudsons Yard believing they should be rewarded the riches that come with being the No. 1 player drafted.
Tomorrow, dreams become reality… class of 2026, your moment is here 🏀
Tune in to the WNBA Draft at 7:00pm/ET on ESPN
WNBA Draft presented by @StateStreetETFs SPY pic.twitter.com/021Es78z0E
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 12, 2026
The opening picks won’t be short on drama as Dallas steps to the podium first for the second consecutive year. They’ll be followed by Minnesota and Seattle, along with Washington and Chicago, following suit. Where the dominos fall remains to be seen before expansion teams Toronto and Portland make their historic first picks in the Nos. 6 and 7 slots.
WHO IS NO. 1?
The Wings might need to invent a four-sided coin to flip in order to make their second No. 1 pick in as many years.
Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd, as well as Spain’s Awa Fam, are among those who can make legitimate cases to be paired up with Bueckers in Dallas.
AWA FAM (C, VALENCIA)
Awa Fam put herself on everyone’s radar with a dominant performance versus Team USA in the World Cup qualifying rounds. At 19 years old, Fam is the youngest MVP in EuroBasket history. The 6-foot-4-inch center’s game can make for the perfect complement to the pick-and-roll style of Bueckers.
AZZI FUDD (SG, UCONN)
Azzi Fudd might be the most reliable and steadiest pick of the four. The senior was an elite shooter in her five years with UConn averaging 21.7 PPG in her final season in Storrs, tops in the 2026 class. The pairing of the shooting guard Fudd and the point guard Bueckers could make for a lethal and unstoppable tandem for the foreseeable future.
OLIVIA MILES (PG, TCU)
Olivia Miles is simply the spark that makes any engine, or offense, run, averaging 20.5 PPG and 6.6 APG for TCU. The point guard’s exceptional ball-handling skills and floor leadership would allow for Bueckers more freedom to create off the dribble and get into the paint.
LAUREN BETTS (C, UCLA)
Betts is on top of the world right now after guiding UCLA to its first-ever March Madness title as NCAA Tournament MOP. Her 6-foot-7-inch frame is impossible to ignore…and potentially pass up for the Wings. Betts is the best rim protector in this class, something the Wings desperately need to balance Bueckers’ scoring prowess.
Dallas has several options ahead of them. Each one has franchise-defining potential.
THE FIRST ROUNDERS
Here’s a look at the 15 official invitees to this year’s WNBA Draft and their projected draft order –
1. AWA FAM (C, VALENCIA)
Young, dominant center already primed for the big stage.
2. AZZI FUDD (SG, UCONN)
Steady and elite shooter. Minnesota could be an ideal location should she not go No. 1 to Dallas.
3. OLIVIA MILES (PG, TCU)
Floor leadership and a dynamic scoring threat. Could be difficult for Seattle to pass up if still on the board.
4. LAUREN BETTS (C, UCLA)
Menacing presence beneath the basket. Potential No. 1 pick talent available to Washington when it’s time for the fourth overall selection.
PICKS 5-10
5. KIKI RICE (PG, UCLA)
Rice was a vital part of UCLA’s title-winning run, averaging 14.9 PPG and 5.9 RPG for the champion Bruins. Her elite perimeter defense can be an asset for any team looking to clamp down on defense.
Potential Fit: Chicago Sky
6. FLAU’JAE JOHNSON (SG, LSU)
Johnson arrives with a WNBA-ready game that few in this class possess. She hit a bit of a down year with an underwhelming tournament run that ended against Duke in the Sweet 16. But there’s no denying her explosive shot creating abilities. Johnson could be a dynamic identity for the expansion Toronto franchise.
Potential Fit: Toronto Tempo
7. TA’NIYA LATSON (SG/PG, SOUTH CAROLINA)
Latson’s draft stock rose this season after transferring to South Carolina where she posted 15.5 PPG for the runner-up Gamecocks. Some issues with consistency follow Latson, but her upside can’t be overlooked.
Potential Fit: Portland Fire
8. GIANNA KNEEPKENS (SG, UCLA)
Kneepkens could potentially be the third UCLA Bruin taken in the top-10. She’s in rarified company not often witnessed in college basketball by shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point range and 90 percent free throws.
Potential Fit: Golden State Valkyries
9. NELL ANGLOMA (SF, FRANCE)
Angloma will likely be the second international player in a class loaded with global talent. She averaged 17.0 PPG as a U19 World Cup All-2nd Team honoree. Angloma has all the tools to be a star, even if her game could use some refinement.
Potential Fit: Washington Mystics
10. GABRIELA JAQUEZ (SG/SF, UCLA)
It should start to make sense why UCLA won this year’s title with relative ease. Jaquez brings a versatility that can be plugged into many roles. That’s along with 62.2 percent shooting from two-point range and 39.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Potential Fit: Indiana Fever
PICKS 11-15
11. MARTA SUAREZ (F, TCU/SPAIN)
Suarez arrives with an international pedigree and a plug-and-play style that allowed her to average 17.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG, including 33 points in TCU’s Sweet 16 win over Virginia. She should be considered among the best forwards in a guard-heavy first round.
Potential Fit: Washington Mystics
12. RAVEN JOHNSON (G, SOUTH CAROLINA)
Johnson is arguably the best defender available in the first round. She possesses a high IQ game and has proven to be a composed winner in high pressure situations, evident by the Gamecocks’ run to the championship game.
Potential Fit: Connecticut Sun
13. COTIE MCMAHON (F, OLE MISS)
McMahon brings an experience game that’s ready for the WNBA, scoring 15-plus PPG and 9-plus RPG for three straight seasons with Ole Miss.
Potential Fit: Atlanta Dream
14. MADINA OKOT (C, SOUTH CAROLINA)
Okot is a shot-blocking specialist who arrives in the first round from South Carolina via Kenya. Despite not playing basketball until 2020, Okot led the SEC in rebounds (10.6 RPG) and averaged another 12.8 PPG. She’s considered a development pick, with a high-reward upside.
Potential Fit: Seattle Storm
15. ANGELA DUGALIC (F, UCLA)
Another UCLA Bruin and deservedly so. Dugalic shot 50.2 percent from the field for UCLA along with 9.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG. A veteran glue player for the champion Bruins, she also brings international experience as a representative of the Serbian National team.
Potential Fit: Connecticut Sun
ROUNDS 2 & 3
Here is where the true roster building begins. That’s especially true this year under the new CBA with the inaugural seasons of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, which ups the league total to 15 teams with 12-player rosters apiece.
That doesn’t mean future stars aren’t hiding in plain sight in the latter rounds.
MAGGIE DOOGAN (F, RICHMOND)
Doogan gets her opportunity to show what a mid-major can do. Shooting is shooting, though. The senior averaged 21.1 PPG, going 59.2 percent from inside the arc and 40.4 percent from three-point range.
JANIAH BARKER (F, TENNESSEE)
Barker arrives at the draft as a wildcard. While her talent is on the level, attitude questions remain an issue. Keep an eye out to see which team takes a flier on Barker, who faced a suspension and a DNP-illness during the tournament.
RORI HARMON (PG, TEXAS)
One team is going to land Harmon and immediately appreciate her steady presence that earned her four All-Defense Team recognitions. She leaves behind a college career in which she was the only player in NCAA history to post 1,500 points, 900 assists and 600 rebounds to go along with 350 steals.
FRIEDA BUHNER (PF, GERMANY/FLORIDA)
Buhner might be considered a work-in-progress pick for the future. But she also brings international experience to any franchise willing to be patient, having suited up extensively for Germany in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Many teams will have new looks on April 19 when training camp officially opens. And among those taking the court will be a new class ready to make an impact now.
Round 2 (Picks 16–30)
- Pick 16 — Serah Williams, F, UConn
- Pick 17 — Charlieese Leger-Walker, G, UCLA
- Pick 18 — Janiah Barker, F, Tennessee
- Pick 19 — Maggie Doogan, SF, Richmond — 21.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG
- Pick 20 — Raegan Beers, C, Oklahoma — 15.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG
- Pick 21 — Justine Pissott, SF, Vanderbilt — 42.2% from three
- Pick 22 — Shay Ciezki, G, Indiana
- Pick 23 — Grace VanSlooten, F, Michigan State
- Pick 24 — Laila Phelia, G, Syracuse
- Pick 25 — Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, PF, Baylor
- Pick 26 — Payton Verhulst, G, Oklahoma State
- Pick 27 — Rori Harmon, G, Texas
- Pick 28 — Tonie Morgan, G, Kentucky
- Pick 29 — Saffron Shiels, G, Australia/Oregon
- Pick 30 — Teonni Key, C, Kentucky
Round 3 (Picks 31–45)
- Pick 31 — Zee Spearman, F, Tennessee
- Pick 32 — Hannah Stuelke, C, Iowa
- Pick 33 — Elle Ladine, F, Washington
- Pick 34 — Micah Gray, G, Oklahoma State
- Pick 35 — Frieda Bühner, F, Germany
- Pick 36 — Kara Dunn, G, USC
- Pick 37 — Jalyn Brown, F, Michigan State
- Pick 38 — Alexis Lattimore, F, Ole Miss
- Pick 39 — Anna Timmons, G, Alabama — 16.3 PPG, All-SEC
- Pick 40 — Ashlon Jackson, G, Duke
- Pick 41 — Kelsey Shaw, G, West Virginia — 42.4% from three
- Pick 42 — Brianna Harrison, G, West Virginia
- Pick 43 — Abby Oladapo, C, Texas
- Pick 44 — Anna Pissott, F, Indiana
- Pick 45 — Abby Oldacre, C, Texas
THE LANDING
Neither Paige Bueckers nor Caitlin Clark is coming to save a team this year.
And that’s a great thing for the league with a 2026 class that’s as deep as it is talented.
Some of the best collegiate and international players are going to walk the Orange Carpet on Monday night and step into the new future of the WNBA.
