The Dallas Wings have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, marking the second consecutive year they will hold the top selection. This fortunate position offers the Wings an excellent opportunity to bolster their roster by adding a highly talented player to complement last year’s Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers. The Wings will be looking to build around Bueckers’ dynamic playmaking as they aim to strengthen their frontcourt and overall team depth.
Following the Wings, the draft lottery concluded with the Minnesota Lynx picking second, the Seattle Storm third, the Washington Mystics fourth, and the Chicago Sky fifth. Interestingly, the Lynx, who posted the best record in the league last season, hold the Sky’s first-round pick, a result of previous trades. Meanwhile, despite missing the playoffs last year, neither the Los Angeles Sparks nor the Connecticut Sun are part of the lottery due to trade agreements— the Sparks owe their pick to the Storm, and the Sun owe the Sky a pick swap. These nuances highlight how trades continue to shape draft positioning and open intriguing strategic possibilities for teams.
In addition to the lottery picks, two new expansion franchises— the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire— will receive draft positions immediately following the lottery. A coin flip was conducted to determine which expansion team would pick sixth and which would pick seventh. For the purposes of this mock draft, Toronto won the flip and secured the No. 6 pick, while Portland will pick seventh. Both teams will be looking to make strong selections as they begin building their rosters from scratch.
Looking ahead, CBS Sports has released their first mock draft for the 2026 WNBA Draft, projecting how the first round might unfold when the draft takes place next April. This early analysis sheds light on the top prospects teams will likely target based on their needs and the players’ collegiate and international performances.
At the top of the draft class is 19-year-old Fam, an exceptionally versatile big who stands out as the best prospect available. The Wings are expected to select her without hesitation. Fam’s unique blend of athleticism and skill on both ends of the court makes her a rare find. She has already demonstrated her ability to compete against WNBA veterans during her time in the EuroLeague, showcasing her readiness for the professional level. Her presence in Dallas would create a formidable frontcourt partnership alongside Paige Bueckers, providing a solid foundation for the Wings’ future success.
The second pick belongs to the Minnesota Lynx, who face a critical decision with 6-foot-7 center Betts. Betts is a traditional back-to-the-basket player with impressive size and physicality, traits that could address the Lynx’s recent need for more inside presence. However, her style contrasts with Minnesota’s recent success employing a five-out offensive system emphasizing spacing and versatility. As a result, the Lynx might consider trading this pick if they seek a player better suited to their preferred style. Complicating such a move is the absence of a new collective bargaining agreement, which may limit trade possibilities in the near term.
At No. 3, the Seattle Storm have the chance to select the highly skilled Miles, a playmaking guard who was widely expected to go early in last year’s draft but chose to remain in college for another season. The Storm’s previous pick of Dominique Malonga, a promising French center, has shown great potential, but adding Miles would significantly enhance Seattle’s offensive creativity. Her exceptional passing ability and on-court vision could unlock the Storm’s offense, while the team’s defensive schemes might help mitigate any weaknesses on her own end of the floor.
The Washington Mystics hold the fourth pick and could opt for Azzi Fudd, a sharpshooting guard known for her elite shooting percentages at every level. Fudd was a top-ranked recruit out of high school and returning to her hometown with the Mystics would be a meaningful full-circle moment. While there remain questions about her ability to create offense independently, her shooting prowess is unquestioned. The Mystics struggled with three-point shooting last season, attempting the fewest threes per game in the league, so adding a player like Fudd would inject much-needed perimeter scoring.
The Chicago Sky, holding the fifth pick, have a critical choice to make as they look to the future. After trading last year’s No. 3 pick for veteran guard Ariel Atkins—a move that drew criticism—the Sky must maximize this opportunity.