2026 WNBA Draft Live: Picks, Trades, Analysis & Updates

Live from New York, the 2026 WNBA Draft is here. Ballislife brings live updates and instant analysis of every player selection tonight!

New York—Set to take place at The Shed at Hudson Yards, the WNBA Draft will take over the Big Apple! It’s a historic draft, featuring two expansion teams: the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. In fact, this rookie class will be the first under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

2026 WNBA Draft New York — *(Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)*

The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive season. Former UConn standout Paige Bueckers was the consensus choice last year and, after going No. 1, earned Rookie of the Year, All-Star, All-WNBA Second Team, and WNBA All-Rookie Team honors. The Wings’ 2025 season was defined by injuries and growing pains. As a result, Dallas finished with a 10-34 record, securing another No. 1 selection.

Who Will Go No. 1 Overall to the Dallas Wings?

2026 features a loaded, star-studded group that runs deep. There hasn’t been a clear consensus No. 1 pick, although the odds have shifted since free agency. The prospects who could be the No. 1 pick include Azzi Fudd (UConn), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Awa Fam (Spain), and Olivia Miles (Notre Dame). The class is heavily rooted in top college programs, such as South Carolina and UCLA; in fact, nine prospects played in the NCAA National Championship game.

Tonight’s draft features 45 picks across three rounds. The Wings, Minnesota Lynx, and Seattle Storm hold the top three picks, but there’s plenty of value across the board.

Ballislife has live picks, updates, news, trades, and more across the WNBA. Below are the live results from the 2026 WNBA Draft held at The Shed at Hudson Yards.

Team Trades

The Seattle Storm trades the draft rights to Marta Suárez (No. 16 overall) and its own 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Valkyries in exchange for Flau’jae Johnson (No. 8 overall).

“Flau’jae is one of the most dynamic, creative and explosive players in this draft and we’re excited to get another first round pick to select her,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea in a press release. “Her playmaking, ability to score in multiple ways and energy on both ends of the court will impact our team immediately. We can’t wait for Flau’jae to get to Seattle.”

The Portland Fire acquired Serah Williams (No. 33) from the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Taylor Bigby (No. 37) and a future third-round pick.

(Updated: April 13, 11:00 p.m. ET)

1. Dallas Wings: Azzi Fudd, Guard, UConn

There it is, the Dallas Wings select UConn guard Azzi Fudd. Fudd is reunited with former teammate Paige Bueckers and joins a Dallas team as arguably the best sharpshooter in the draft. She was fully healthy for two seasons and is an NCAA champion. It’s even a better fit given that the Wings bolstered its frontcourt with Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith in free agency.

Fudd will join both Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, who signed a multi-year contract with Dallas in free agency. She brings 3-point prowess and shot a career-high 44.7% from beyond the arc. She’s an elite defender who makes hustle plays and moves well off the ball. The addition of Fudd should round out a much-improved Wings roster that finished 10-34 last season. Fudd averaged a career-best 17.3 points per game last season and brings immediate scoring to Dallas.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles, Guard, TCU

The Lynx just secured the best point guard in the draft by selecting TCU’s Olivia Miles No. 2 overall. The Lynx took a hit in free agency and lost Natisha Hiedeman, Jessica Shepard, Bridget Carleton, and Alanna Smith to other deals. Even though the team re-signed Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, Minnesota gets its franchise point guard of the future.

Miles has incredible court vision, is a versatile scorer, and is one of the most elite passers in the game. Averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, Miles bet on herself by forgoing last year’s draft and transferring from Notre Dame to TCU. Miles made a strong case for the No. 1 pick, and her playmaking is second-to-none. Defensively, she’s an elite on-ball defender and shot 35.1% from three in her senior season. If Collier re-signs, this team has gained a crucial piece. Miles, McBride, Williams, and Phee?

I originally projected Lauren Betts second overall, which is a sign that Minnesota is committed to building its future while also remaining in win-now mode. Call her a double-double machine. Miles affects the box score in several ways, even posting a triple-double against UC San Diego in March.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

3. Seattle Storm: Awa Fam Thiam, C, Spain

The Seattle Storm selects Awa Fam Thiam No. 3 overall out of Spain. Seattle lost several members of its starting core after the firing of former coach Noelle Quinn. That included Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Brittney Sykes. It’s clear the Storm is in rebuild mode, and it will be interesting to see how Fam Thiam will fit alongside Dominique Malonga and Ezi Magbegor. The Storm just re-signed Magbegor, so Seattle has no shortage of bigs.

Fam has plenty of upside, brings height at 6’4, and can stretch the floor. Talk about pick-and-rolls: Fam is a two-way player with incredible size and a unique skill set. She’s a force inside, and her passing is underrated. Expect Fam Thiam to remain part of Seattle’s rebuild by adding pristine international players.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

4. Washington Mystics: Lauren Betts, Center, UCLA

–Isabelle McCarthy

At pick No. 4, the Mystics were able to draft an absolute steal of a player. For where the Mystics were drafting, getting Lauren Betts, who shone during the NCAA Tournament, is a phenomenal investment.

With the departure of Stefanie Dolson, Betts brings the size and rebounding caliber to this young Washington team. With Shakira Austin re-signing with the team, this duo in the paint will bring chaos. Betts has exceptional size, a high basketball IQ, and is a dominant post scorer.

Pairing Lauren Betts with the young talent in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, the Mystics’ future is set. Although they are a young team, they are now filled with talent. Betts is a franchise player. At UCLA, she averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and shot 58.2% from the field. There is a reason why UCLA won its first national championship, and Betts can bring that energy into Washington to chase a WNBA title.

5. Chicago Sky: Gabriela Jaquez, Guard, UCLA

This might be one of the best picks in the draft. Gabriela Jaquez is headed to the Chicago Sky and was drafted No. 5 overall by the franchise. Jaquez joins a Sky franchise that is rebuilding after the Angel Reese era. She joins Skylar Diggins, Rickea Jackson, DiJonai Carrington, and Kamilla Cardoso. Talk about a stacked lineup!

Jaquez helped bring UCLA its first NCAA title and arguably made the case for Most Outstanding Player. She’s an energetic player who is extremely versatile. A defensive-minded player, Jaquez averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in her senior season. Starting all 38 games, she shot a career-best 39% from three.

Jaquez is an efficient shooter and brings a versatile skill set to a rebuilt Sky franchise. I am pleasantly surprised by the Chicago front office for drafting a pro-ready player with tremendous upside. Her pace and energy should keep up with both Diggins and Carrington.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

6. Toronto Tempo: Kiki Rice, Guard, UCLA

The first rookie draft pick in franchise history is a good one for Toronto, as the Tempo selects UCLA’s national champion point guard Kiki Rice. That marks three consecutive Bruins taken off the board on an evening that could plausibly see a league record six players drafted from the senior-laden group.

Rice was a headlining member of UCLA’s program-defining 2022 recruiting class and was a driving force behind the program’s four-year rise from a WNIT participant in 2021-22 to one of the most dominant national champions in recent memory this past season. She averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game as a senior during the Bruins’ dominant 37-1 run to the title.

Rice is a versatile guard who shot a career-high 49% from the field this past season and 38.5% from 3-point range while anchoring UCLA’s backcourt on both ends of the floor. She’s also the niece of former U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, who has notably shown public support for Kiki throughout her prep and collegiate career.

–Will Despart

7. Portland Fire: Iyana Martín Carrión, Guard, Spain

With the No. 7 pick, the Portland Fire selected Iyana Martín Carrión. She brings elite scoring ability, which is a good fit for this brand-new team. Right now, the Fire needs someone who can score right away. However, she might not come to the United States immediately.

Pairing Carrión with somebody like Bridget Carleton and Sug Sutton could make for a good start. She is consistent, and in the 2024-25 EuroLeague, she was named EuroLeague Women Young Player of the Year, and averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. At just 20, she has the potential to become a starter and could even become the point guard of the future.

–Isabelle McCarthy

8. Golden State Valkyries: Flau’jae Johnson, Guards, LSU (Traded to Seattle Storm)

An active offseason for the Golden State Valkyries gets even more intriguing with the selection of LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson with the eighth overall pick. Johnson has been one of the most recognizable figures in women’s basketball since establishing herself during LSU’s 2023 NCAA Tournament run, and she continued to grow into one of the most effective guards in the country across her prestigious four-year career.

Johnson is sure to be a fan favorite in the Bay Area, where the Valkyries drew record attendance numbers in their first season at their Chase Center home in San Francisco. She’s a scoring-first guard who does so effectively at all three levels, which should allow her to carve a role in the rotation as a rookie.

Johnson especially shines from the mid-range and is an effective defender, which should make her a relatively seamless fit on a Valkyries roster that established a clear identity last season and will certainly be positioned to thrive again under reigning WNBA Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase. She averaged 14.2 points per game as a senior and shot a career-high 39.2% from 3-point range after averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game as a junior in 2024-25

*The Seattle Storm trades the draft rights to Marta Suárez (No. 16 overall) and its own 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Valkyries in exchange for Flau’jae Johnson (No. 8 overall).*

–Will Despart

9. Washington Mystics: Angela Dugalić, Forward, UCLA

The Washington Mystics have another first-round pick; with their second one, they picked Angela Dugalić. This is the second UCLA player the Mystics have picked, and yet another player with a high IQ. She was the 2025-2026 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year, which, in terms of depth, is what the Mystics want.

To pair with Sonia Citron, Georgia Amoore, and Lucy Olsen, this guard room is going to be dangerous. Dugalić is ready and could very well start. Standing at 6’4, she will bring the size and defense compared to other guards in the league.

She is the perfect guard to bring in for Washington to increase their chances of chasing a ring.

–Isabelle McCarthy

10. Indiana Fever: Raven Johnson, Guard, South Carolina

What a steal for the Indiana Fever. Indiana selects Raven Johnson No. 10 overall out of South Carolina. Johnson joins Caitlin Clark and company, who were knocking at the door of a championship last season. Raven is a pro-ready player who spent five years under Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks. She is the perfect fit behind Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, who signed a one-year supermax deal with the Fever.

She’s won two championships and is the best defensive prospect in the draft. Who would pass up on a player who locked up the National Player of the Year (Sarah Strong) in the Final Four? She improved her offense and shot a career-high 48.6% from the field. She is a high-energy player who does whatever it takes to win. She’s a proven winner and leader, and even improved her 3-point shooting in her final year (39.8%).

Raven Johnson is a dog. She is an incredible asset to the Fever and will bring much-needed defensive prowess to a team that achieved success despite injuries last season.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

11. Washington Mystics: Cotie McMahon, Guard, Ole Miss

With their last first-round pick in the draft, the Washington Mystics have added Cotie McMahon. This past season with Ole Miss, she averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, three assists, and 1.1 steals. She brings great versatility to a team that needs to create more space.

Once again, this is a young but talented team, and the trend so far for the Mystics is to draft someone who can facilitate the ball well and also be a bucket-getter.

The Mystics were looking for someone with a solid defensive bag, but also someone who can take care of the ball. McMahon brings the ultimate package, and the Mystics’ ability to draft her is a great value pick.

–Isabelle McCarthy

12. Connecticut Sun: Nell Angloma, Guard, France

The Connecticut Sun continues to stockpile international players, selecting Nell Angloma with the No. 12 overall pick. Angloma is one of the most intriguing players in the draft and is a certified bucket-getter. At 5’11, don’t let her size fool you. Angloma is a defensive-minded player, which should work well with Saniya Rivers and Leila Lacan.

Angloma should fit in this roster nicely, considering the Sun lost guard Marina Mabrey to Toronto’s expansion draft. This group is young and includes Aneesah Morrow, Aaliyah Edwards, and Migna Touré. Angloma isn’t a great 3-point shooter, but she’s extremely versatile on offense. Her ability to get downhill is strong, and she brings a ton of international experience. She may not get the starting role right away, but her defense should mesh well with Connecticut’s culture.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

13. Atlanta Dream: Madina Okot, Center, South Carolina

Karl Smesko’s Atlanta Dream were the surprise of the WNBA regular season in 2025, winning 30 games before being upset by the Indiana Fever in the opening round of the playoffs. The Dream have already made headlines this offseason with the addition of Angel Reese from Chicago, and they added another former SEC star in South Carolina’s Madina Okot with the thirteenth overall pick.

Okot is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft in the sense that she only started playing basketball seven years ago, but is a fluent scorer and a cornerstone defender at 6’6. At South Carolina, she averaged 11.2 points and grabbed 9.6 rebounds per game this past season, in addition to collecting 2.5 stocks (1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks) per game on the defensive end.

Okot only played two seasons of Division I basketball, coming to Mississippi State in 2024 after an MVP performance at the 2023 3×3 Africa Cup with her native Kenya. After transferring to South Carolina after an impressive campaign at MSU, Okot immediately became a pivotal member of Dawn Staley’s operation this season and helped lead the Gamecocks to a runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament.

–Will Despart

14. Seattle Storm: Taina Mair, Guard, Duke

I initially thought that Olivia Miles would be the Storm’s point guard of the future, but Seattle gets a solid pick with Taina Mair from Duke.

Mair has a small stature, but don’t let that fool you. She’s a pass-first point guard and will get a chance to become the player of the future in the Emerald City. There’s always room for improvement, but Mair will join a Storm roster that just drafted Awa Fam Thiam No. 3 overall. Seattle rounds out its frontcourt, and Mair sits behind a loaded backcourt including Natisha Hiedeman, Jade Melbourne, Lexie Brown, and Zia Cooke.

The opportunity to start may not be in store right away, but Mair has tremendous upside. Her offense improved enough to pique Seattle’s interest.

–Sara Jane Gamelli

15. Connecticut Sun: Gianna Kneepkens, Guard, UCLA

Another Bruin off the board! The Connecticut Sun round out the first round by selecting UCLA sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens with the fifteenth overall pick, marking a record five first-round selections from UCLA’s 2026 national championship-winning squad, which also ties the overall record for a single team in a single draft.

Kneepkens was flawlessly inserted into UCLA’s starting lineup after spending the first four seasons of her collegiate career with Utah. She averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game with the Utes as a junior, nearly finishing with a 50/40/90 season after shooting 50.4% from the field overall, 44.8% from 3-point range, and 89% from the free throw line. Kneepkens saw her scoring decrease to 12.5 points per game at UCLA, but she still shot 49.3% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc in addition to being a crucial floor spacer for the Bruins.

–Will Despart

2026 WNBA Draft Second-Round Draft Picks

PICK	TEAM	NAME	HEIGHT/POSITION	COLLEGE/COUNTRY
16	Seattle Storm (Traded to Golden State Valkyries)	Marta Suárez	6’3″ / SF	TCU
17	Portland Fire	Frieda Bühner	6’1″ / PF	Germany
18	Connecticut Sun	Charlisse Leger-Walker	5’10” / PG	UCLA
19	Washington Mystics	Cassandre Prosper	6’3″ / SG	Notre Dame
20	Los Angeles Sparks	Ta’Niya Latson	5’8″ / SG	South Carolina
21	Chicago Sky	Latasha Lattimore	6’4″ / PF	Ole Miss
22	Toronto Tempo	Teonni Key	6’5″ / PF	Kentucky
23	Golden State Valkyries	Ashlon Jackson	6’0″ / SG	Duke
24	Los Angeles Sparks	Chance Gray	5’9″ / SG	Ohio State
25	Indiana Fever	Justine Pissott	6’4″ / SG	Vanderbilt
26	Toronto Tempo	Saffron Shiels	6’2″ / SF	Australia
27	Phoenix Mercury	Ines-Pitarch-Granel	5’11” / SG	France
28	Atlanta Dream	Indya Nivar	5’11” / SG	UNC
29	Las Vegas Aces	Janiah Barker	6’4″ / PF	Tennessee
30	Washington Mystics	Darianna Littlepage-Buggs	6’1″ / PF	Baylor

2026 WNBA Draft Third-Round Draft Picks

PICK	TEAM	NAME	HEIGHT/POSITION	COLLEGE/COUNTRY
31	Dallas Wings	Zee Spearman	6’4″ / PF	Tennessee
32	Chicago Sky	Tonie Morgan	5’9″ / PG	Kentucky
33	Connecticut Sun (Traded to Portland Fire)	Serah Williams	6’4″ / C	UConn
34	Washington Mystics	Rori Harmon	5’6″ / PG	Texas
35	Los Angeles Sparks	Amelia Hassett	6’4″ / PF	Kentucky
36	Toronto Tempo	Charlise Dunn	6’2″ / SF	Davidson
37	Portland Fire	Taylor Bigby	6’1″ / SG	TCU
38	Golden State Valkyries	Kokoro Tanaka	5’8″ / SG	Japan
39	Seattle Storm	Grace VanSlooten	6’3″ / PF	Michigan State
40	Indiana Fever	Jessica Timmons	5’8″ / SG	Alabama
41	New York Liberty	Manuela Puoch	6’1″ / PF	Australia
42	Phoenix Mercury	Eszter Ratkai	5’10” / G	Hungary
43	Atlanta Dream	Kejia Ran	6’2″ / SG	China
44	Las Vegas Aces	Jordan Obi	6’1″ / SG	Kentucky
45	Minnesota Lynx	Lani White	5’11” / SG	Utah

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