Standout Moments from the 2026 WNBA Draft

BY: MIKIYA GREENE / STAFF WRITER

Photo via Sports Business Journal 

This year’s WNBA Draft took place on Monday, April 13, and it was one for the books. Just eight days after the NCAA Tournament Final, a new wave of fan-favorite female athletes is set to begin their professional basketball careers in the W in a couple of weeks. With all 13 teams making some history with this upcoming rookie class, let’s look at some of the most talked-about moments of the 2026 WNBA Draft!

1. Azzi Fudd Goes Number One

UConn has been known for their number one draft picks time and time again in the W, and this year was no exception. Graduate guard Azzi Fudd was selected by the Dallas Wings as the first overall pick, where she will reunite with former UConn teammate (and girlfriend), Paige Bueckers, the 2025 first overall pick. This selection comes as no surprise for many fans and viewers of the W and the NCAAW, as Fudd averaged just over 17 points, roughly three rebounds, and three assists per game, while shooting 44.7 percent from three-point range. 

The Wings are getting an automatic sharp shooter and hungry defender in Fudd, which is exactly what Dallas needs this season. They went 10-34 last season, so this upcoming summer should prove to be a better one. When you combine the backcourt of Paige and Arike Ogunbowale with the versatility of Azzi, forward Alanna Smith, and crafty center Li Yueru, this Dallas team could very well be heating up this season.

2. All Six UCLA Seniors Get New Homes

The Bruins and head coach Cori Close are coming off a historic season, one that resulted in their NCAA Tournament Championship. Seeing each of the seniors get drafted has made waves not only in the WNBA but in the NCAA as well. Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic were drafted fourth and ninth overall by the Washington Mystics. Kiki Rice was drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Tempo. Gabriela Jaquez went sixth overall to the Chicago Sky, and Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker were selected 15th and 18th overall by the Connecticut Sun. 

These six young women are the first ever to all be drafted into a professional league on the same night (previous record was five). The Bruins’ ecstatic 2025-26 season was led by their three-headed snake in Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez, all of whom brought their relentless efforts to the court day in and day out. It will be interesting to see how the former Lady Bruins settle into their new teams and locations, and how their college style translates into the professional level in May.

3. Olivia Miles Surprises Many At Second

TCU gained a star in Olivia Miles when she transferred to the Horned Frogs before the 2024-25 season. Watching how she adapted to Mark Campbell’s system was key to her draft stock, and she did not disappoint in the slightest. In the 2025-26 season, she averaged 19.6 points, just over six and a half assists, and just under two steals a game. She has proven to be an all-around player with a natural vision on the court. Miles should get some good minutes with this Minnesota Lynx squad, led by head coach Cheryl Reeve. 

The Lynx needed a true point guard, someone to bring the ball up with confidence while also putting their teammates in the right positions. The real test will come not in training camp, but after the All-Star break. It will be intriguing to see how Miles meshes with the sharp shooting of Kayla McBride and develops a relationship with Napheesa Collier in the paint when she returns from injury later in the 2026 season. 

4. Flau’jae Johnson Gets WHAT?

Spending all of her four years at LSU with Head Coach Kim Mulkey, star guard Flau’jae Johnson averaged just over 14 points, just over five rebounds, and just over two assists a game, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Johnson was selected eighth overall by the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night, but the hype for seeing ‘Big Fo’ in purple and black was short-lived. About 10 minutes after the draft’s second-round selections began, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert informed the audience in The Shed that the Valkyries had traded Johnson to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Marta Suarez, Seattle’s draft pick from TCU. 

Golden State’s general manager had explained in an interview on Tuesday morning that the trade was agreed upon before the draft started, and had nothing to do with specific players or draft pick selections. Nonetheless, the Storm is getting a dawg in Flau’jae Johnson, and there’s no doubt that her defensive impact on the court will be exactly what first-year head coach Sonia Raman is looking for.

5. International Players Gain Traction

The W is getting more and more global with its international draft picks and franchise talents, and this year has been no exception. South America and Europe are the main continents getting more recognition for their adaptable and standout player productions. Awa Fam Thiam, the 6’4”, 19-year-old drafted by the Seattle Storm third overall, is originally from Spain. Other high draftees included Iyana Martin Carrion, drafted to the Portland Fire sixth overall, who is an incoming 20-year-old, and Nell Angloma, drafted to the Connecticut Sun 12th overall, who both hail from France. 

As the draft went on, other W teams made draft selections from all over the globe, looking for extravagant women from places such as China, Australia, Hungary, and more. With this W becoming more and more inclusive, it begs the question – could this be a portal to opening up another W league for global talent that continues to go unnoticed? There are only so many WNBA roster spots, but seeing as how the game is continuing to gain worldwide popularity, time can only tell how women’s basketball will change in the future. 

6. Rori Harmon Gets Picked Up Late

If you’re a Texas Longhorn women’s basketball fan, it definitely felt like emphatic senior guard Rori Harmon was going to be selected in the first round of the draft. However, her being selected 34th overall by the Washington Mystics was not on anyone’s bingo card. The 5’6 point guard averaged 10.3 points, just over four rebounds, and just over six assists a game, while shooting 40.5% from the field. There’s no doubt that Harmon has a high basketball IQ, leadership on and off the court, and an offensive selflessness to put her teammates in the best positions to score. The Mystics got a steal in Harmon, as she deserves the chance just as much as any player to show the W what she brings to the table.

7. Blue Devils Don’t Go Unnoticed

Duke University’s Kara Lawson is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in women’s college basketball right now. She has produced wholehearted and developed players, and the WNBA did not let some of her players slip through the cracks. On draft night, graduating seniors Taina Mair and Ashlon Jackson were drafted 14th to the Seattle Storm and 23rd to the Golden State Valkyries, respectively. Mair and Jackson are the first two players to be drafted in the so-called “Kara Era”, and this marks a huge accomplishment for what Lawson has been able to achieve for the Blue Devils program. 

This year’s WNBA Draft has definitely been one for the books. These opportunities do not come easy, so it is amazing for so many women to be seen for their hard work and relentless dedication to get better on the court. 

There is a very quick turnaround for these graduating seniors turning professional rookies, so it will be understandable for teams not to have everything laid out and perfected by game one. These women deserve time to gel in with their new systems, which should be really fun to see over the course of 44 games. The next few months will be huge for women’s basketball, so buckle up and get ready for all the WNBA action coming to you, starting next Saturday, April 25, with six opening preseason games, starting with the Indiana Fever and Brooklyn’s very own New York Liberty at 3 p.m.!