2026 WNBA Draft recap: Azzi Fudd goes No. 1 to Dallas Wings, UCLA breaks draft records

Fresh off a National Championship win, the Bruins had a strong showing in this year’s draft, with six players getting drafted — setting a new WNBA Draft record for most players drafted from one school in a single draft.

1. Dallas Wings - Zee Spearman (F), Tennessee
2. Chicago Sky - Tonie Morgan (G), Kentucky
3. Connecticut Sun - Serah Williams (C), UConn
4. Washington Mystics - Rori Harmon (G), Texas
5. Los Angeles Sparks - Amelia Hassett (F), Kentucky

1. Seattle Storm - Marta Suarez (F), TCU
2. Portland Fire - Frieda Buhner (F), Germany
3. Connecticut Sun - Charlisse Leger-Walker (F), UCLA
4. Washington Mystics - Cassandre Prosper (G), Notre Dame
5. Los Angeles Sparks - Ta’Niya Latson (G), USC

Read the rest of the picks here.

Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images

Gianna Kneepkens getting drafted by the Sun made a lot of sense. With all of the Sun’s wing depth and Brittney Griner’s inside presence, they needed more shooting. Besides Azzi Fudd, Kneepkens was the next best shooter a team could get.

On a night that was all about the six UCLA seniors, former coach and upcoming teammate for some of them, Michaela Onyenwere was in the audience supporting her Bruins. When Kneepkens got drafted, Onyenwere was making sure to capture every moment she could.

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Confusion was abound in the draft press conference room when Taina Mair was selected.

Mair is a defensive guard from Duke who had a much better NCAA tournament than senior season. It was difficult to understand why the Storm would pick her toward the end of the first round when projected first rounders Gianna Kneepkens and Ta’Niya Latson were still available. Could the appeal be that she’s a combo guard that can play behind Natisha Hiedeman, maybe? But I’m not sold and neither was anyone in the press conference room.

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The Dream picking Madina Okot made too much sense. Atlanta was looking for a back up center especially with Brionna Jones still rehabbing from a torn Meniscus.

Okot is raw, but her tools, including her hands and athleticism in addition to her shooting from three, will be valued in Atlanta. While Okot was denied any more college eligibility, the Atlanta Dream infrastructure (and the new CBA) will allow for player development to take place and should provide her with an ideal space to grow.

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The Connecticut Sun’s final first round draft pick in franchise history before they move to Houston was Nell Angloma.

The Sun picked the only French player that was high on draft boards. This should not come as a surpise since Sun head coach Rachid Meziane is French. Angloma will join fellow french players Leila Lacan and Mamignan Touré.

What remains confusing about this selection however, is that the Sun’s roster features so many versatile wings like Angloma, including Saniya Rivers, Kennedy Burke and Diamond Miller. It remains to be seen if this is part of the strategy as the Sun take into their move to Houston.

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With their third pick in the first round, the Mystics selected a versatile player.

When Cotie McMahon was officially selected, she clapped with a bright smile while wearing maroon gloves matching her maroon pinstriped suit.

McMahon, who has been lauded for her ability to drive and her pro-ready physique is joining a team that could use a downhill driver with the departure of Brittney Sykes.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether that be with the ball in my hands or not,” McMahon said.

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The Indiana Fever added defense to their backcourt, a huge need they addressed. Johnson was the best point of attack defender in this class. Johnson decided to wear her hair in a bob, a nod to old Hollywood. Her Instagram handle is: Hollywood Raven. It might be a coincidence.

Johnson was hugged by college coach Dawn Staley before walking up to the stage. Johnson will be reunited with her former teammate Aliyah Boston.

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The Mystics select yet another big, but one that Lauren Betts is very familiar playing with.

This is the second player from UCLA that will join Michaela Onyenwere, who coached the pair at UCLA this season.

Dugalic probably looked appealing to the Mystics because of her ability to stretch the floor, something that their current front court players don’t all do. And since the Mystics lost Stefanie Dolson in free agency, they’ll need a big who can stretch.

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When Flau’je Johnson’s name was called, her jaw dropped. She then hugged her mom, brother and college coach Kim Mulkey before hopping onto the stage slowly making sure she didn’t step on her long black mink arm sleeves.

When Johnson was being interviewed by Holly Rowe, her younger brother pointed at his sister from his seat. The little sibling then came up to the stage to stand with his sister.

Before Johnson left, she told the audience that she’s dropping a new song about the draft. Johnson will give Golden State two-way play and athleticism, two tennents of what it means to play for head coach Natalie Nakase.

Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images

Spain’s Iyana Martin Carrion will head to Portland as the first ever WNBA Draft pick for the expansion team.

Martin won two silver medals for Spain at the youth international level and was also named MVP of the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.

Carrión was someone who I expected to be drafted in the second round. If the Fire wanted to pick the best international player on the board, that was Nell Angloma, the wing from France. I guess the Fire picked for need? They still haven’t signed Sug Sutton, the lead guard they picked in the expansion draft from the Washington Mystics. It isn’t yet clear if Martin will be a draft and stash prospect as she is only 20 years-old.

Update:

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The third straight UCLA player, Toronto selected Kiki Rice. The Tempo selected a two way player that has worked hard on her game year-over-year at UCLA. This is the Tempo’s first ever pick in a WNBA Draft.

Sandy Brondello teams thrive when the leaders are selfless and buy in. That’s who Rice was at UCLA at the primary ball handler and that’s who she will be in Toronto presumably as the Tempo’s backup point guard.

Rice will be able to learn from veteran Brittney Sykes as the two have similar attributes on the floor. Both play aggressive defense and can play mulitple positions in the backcourt including but not limited to the point guard spot.

Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images

With another shocker, the Sky picked Jaquez, the second straight UCLA player.

While Jacquez was mocked out later in the first round, her stock rose after her huge performance in the National Championship game. The second straight UCLA player, Jaquez will provide a high motor to a Chicago Sky team that will look to play hard especially with defensive specialist Latricia Trammel added to the Sky’s coaching staff.

Jaime Jaquez, Gabriela’s brother who plays for the Miami Heat, was facetimed in as his sister went up to the stage to meet the Commissioner.

The Mystics surprised the room picking Lauren Betts as they just signed versatile center Shakira Austin to a three-year deal. When Betts got up, the room got audibly loud as Tate McRae’s hit “Just Keep Watching,” the song she and her teammates danced to during a UCLA men’s basketball halftime, played.

Betts acknowledges that she’ll be sharing a front court with Kiki Iriafen, a player she faced when at UCLA but also played on the same team during her first year at Stanford.

Betts also acknowledged that she was be on the same team as one of her coaches during UCLA’s championship run in former 2021 rookie of the year Michaela Onyenwere. “I’m still going to call her coach Mic to get on her nerves,” Betts said about Onyenwere.

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Awa Fam Thiam, who many believed would go No. 1 overall, drops to third overall. This came down to need. The Seattle Storm have a starting center of the future in Dominique Malonga.

Fam Thiam is a versatile power forward who processes the game well and has a smooth scoring touch. It begs the question if the Storm will trade Ezi Magbegor now that Malonga has a front court partner that complements her better.

Fam Thiam, who turns 20 in June, made her career debut with Valencia Basket when she was 15.

Jed Jacobsohn/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Olivia Miles started to tear up when she heard her name called. In a very business-like baggy suit and a purple and black striped tie, she went up to hold her new Minnesota Lynx jersey.

Miles then showed the inside of her suit jacket where she has her parents and siblings names etched into her jacket. The Lynx have been looking for a natural point guard ever since Lindsay Whalen retired, and now with Miles they can have a true one orchestrating their offense while Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride can play their natural positions off the ball.

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Fudd averaged 17.3 points a game for the Huskies in her final season. She is the seventh player from UConn to be picked first in the draft, going back-to-back with last season’s No. 1, Paige Bueckers. The Wings are the fifth team in history to have back-to-back picks.

The room erupted when Fudd’s name was called. She walked up on to the stage in a brown and gold long dress while the backing track of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” played. Prior to being selected, the camera flashed to Bueckers who was sitting alongside other Dallas Wings players. Once Fudd was selected, Bueckers smiled, stood and clapped.

When it comes to basketball, the Wings needed more shooting and off-ball scoring. With two ball dominant guards in Arike Ogunbowale and Bueckers, her former teammate at UConn, Fudd’s balanced guard play and exceptional defense will help the Wings moving forward.

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In her State of the League address prior to the Draft, Cathy Engelbert discussed what it took to get the CBA accomplished and noted the creation of the State of the Game Council.

The council will focus on the physicality of the game, evaluate calls and identity areas for improvement including officiating standards, especially following an intense narrative last season about the WNBA’s poor officiating and lack of infrastructure to make it better.

“I think you’ll see some changes in the officiating around that physicality this year,” she said. “Obviously it’s going to take all sides to get used to it, the players and the officials, and I think that’ll play out over the year, but we certainly want to make sure that we’re putting on the best product on the court.”

Engelbert was asked about her future as the Commissioner of the WNBA. She answered, noting how funny she believes it was that people are focused on her rather than the “thousands of women who run this league outside of myself.”

She then went on to ask if she was a man she would be asked these types of questions. A gasp broke out in the room. “So, nothing else to report, which is probably why Adam [Silver] didn’t report anything. There’s no story here,” she said.

Engelbert was asked about the amount of listening she had to do during what was an arduous negotiation process for the CBA, and the first thing she thought of was how strongly players fought to keep player housing for the first few years of the deal.

Her comments revealed a real difference in upbringing and personal experience between the players and the Commissioner.

“I just assume having two children in their 20s, that, you know, who pay for their own housing, that once they were making these much increased salaries, that that wasn’t something they would need or want,: she said. “But they made it very clear it was very important to them.”

The newsiest parts of the evening came when Engelbert spoke about her intentions to globalize the league, which to be clear is nothing new. But now that the 2026 CBA is mostly behind us (the full 400 paged document is still being typed together), she could look toward the future.

She said that next year the league is going to “do something outside of North America for the first time.” That could entail a preseason or regular season game.

She also mentioned that the league broadcasts to over 200 countries in addition to a project that will make sure the WNBA app can be understood by Spanish speakers.

“Just really get a good gauge of where we could really have the biggest impact,” she said. “On whether it’s in Asia or Europe, but we’re absolutely looking at it, and in longer term, Africa.”

The 2026 WNBA season officially tips off on Friday, May 8 with three games – Sun vs. Liberty, Mystics vs. Tempo, and Valkyries vs. Storm.

Prior to that, preseason games begin on April 25 through May 3.

• April 3: Expansion draft
• April 6-7: Free Agency Designation Period
• April 8-10: Negotiations
• April 11: Signings may begin
• April 13: WNBA draft at 7pm ET
• April 19: Training camp begins
• April 25-May 3: Preseason games
• May 8: Opening tipoff
  

As the WNBA rolls out the Orange Carpet, the 2026 draftees take to the big stage. Just under 2 hours until the big event begins!

Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images

Meghan McKeown explains what key players including Azzi Fudd, Awa Fam, and Lauren Betts will bring to the WNBA.

Jackie Powell assesses where each team is on draft day, after a particularly raucous free agency signing period, including one big picture question she has for each franchise.

One big question for every team headed into the 2026 WNBA Draft

The 2026 WNBA Draft takes place on Monday night with the league’s free agency also in full swing. What’s the potential strategy for each team in a draft where’s there’s no consensus No. 1?

• Jackie Powell,

• Jackie Powell,

The WNBA draftees pose for pics in the Empire State Building.

Natalie Esquire is predicting that history will repeat itself with another UConn superstar in Azzi Fudd going to Dallas first overall.

“Fudd has been one of the players projected at No. 1 for a while and that prediction is looking more likely following the Dallas Wings’ latest moves during free agency. The additions of Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard suggest Dallas won’t draft a big with the first pick in the WNBA Draft, reuniting Fudd with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers.

Fudd is the best shooter in the 2026 class and can play both ends of the floor. Fudd’s an off-ball threat, which makes her an ideal pairing with Arike Ogunbowale and Bueckers, who are both more likely to have the ball in their hands. Fudd also shot 42 percent from downtown with the Huskies, which would be a welcome addition to a Wings squad in desperate need of perimeter scoring.”

2026 WNBA Mock Draft: Free agency signings provide clarity for Wings, Lynx ahead of draft

Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts look primed to go top two after roster shake-ups in Dallas and Minnesota.

• Natalie Esquire,

• Natalie Esquire,

Meghan McKeown has Dallas going with Awa Fam from Spain in her mock draft.

“She’s only 19, but Awa Fam is poised to make an immediate impact in the WNBA. At 6’6”, she has guard skills in addition to the ability to catch anything on the block and score. Her mid range step back is eerily similar to A’ja Wilson. With all of the backcourt talent in Dallas, Fam would be a key addition to get the defense to collapse and open some perimeter space for Arike Ogunbowale and company.”

2026 WNBA Mock Draft: Wings land Awa Fam, Azzi Fudd heads to Seattle

Meghan McKeown breaks down her picks for the 2026 WNBA Draft, which includes four UCLA Bruins taken in the Top 10.

• Meghan McKeown,

• Meghan McKeown,

Here’s how the teams will draft in the first round on Monday night.

First Round:

1. Dallas Wings
2. Minnesota Lynx [From 4/25 trade with Chicago]
3. Seattle Storm [From 1/24 trade with Los Angeles]
4. Washington Mystics
5. Chicago Sky [From 7/24 trade with Connecticut]
6. Toronto Tempo
7. Portland Fire
8. Golden State Valkyries
9. Washington Mystics [From 8/25 trade with Seattle]
10. Indiana Fever
11. Washington Mystics [From 3-7/25 trade from New York, Connecticut]
12. Connecticut Sun [From 2-7/25 trade from Phoenix, Chicago]
13. Atlanta Dream
14. Seattle Storm [From 2/25 trade with Las Vegas]
15. Connecticut Sun [From 4-7/25 trade from Minnesota, Washington]

Check out the full draft order right here.