Tonight, the scrutiny, at least temporarily, ends, and the celebrations begins. WNBA Draft 2026 is here (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
45 prospects will hear their names called, an achievement worthy of acclaim, from whoever is announced as the No. 1 pick by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to those who come off the board just before the festivities end.
However, we’re all still curious about who, in fact, will hear her named called first overall, especially since the start of the WNBA’s free agency period thrust
the teams selecting at the top of the draft into shifting circumstances.
Throughout his three mock drafts, Eric Nemchock has consistently projected Awa Fam, the 6-foot-6 19-year-old who has played professionally in Spain, as the No. 1 pick to the Dallas Wings.
Dallas, however, just expended significant resources on bolstering their frontcourt. For the 2026 season, the Wings invested more than $2.5 million dollars in Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard and Awak Kueir, with Smith signing a three-year deal and Shepard signing for two seasons. In the backcourt, the Wings retained Arike Ogunbowale on a two-year regular-max contract.
Such expenditures make it seem less likely that Fam, or another big in Lauren Betts, will be the pick for Dallas at No. 1 pick, although the organization could see Fam as a longer-term player development project. Will Azzi Fudd, instead, be the selection, with her elite 3-point shooting making her a seamless fit with any roster construction? Or, is Dallas interested in lineups with multiple high-level ball handlers, making them more inclined to draft Olivia Miles?
A true wing seems like the biggest need for the Wings, although a player of that archetype is not among this year’s top prospects. A late-breaking trade could also make for quite the final draft season twist!
After the Wings take their most-prized pick off the board, two teams that have had less active free agency periods will have the opportunity to inspire some optimism.
The Minnesota Lynx are up at No. 2. The aforementioned Smith and Shepard led an exodus from Minnesota that also included DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman. The team did re-sign Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams as the backcourt pairing to support Napheesa Collier, whose status for the 2026 season remains unclear after her offseason surgeries. Vets Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey have been imported as additions.
The sum of the movement in Minnesota suggests a big could be the priority with the No. 2 pick. Does Cheryl Reeve and company choose to make the investment in Fam’s potential and versatility? Or, is a team that has eschewed a traditional big in recent seasons inclined to abandon that philosophy and bring in Betts? In his first mock, Eric projected Betts to the Lynx.
Departures have also defined the Seattle Storm’s free agency period, with vets Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams leaving the Pacific Northwest as Seattle seemingly pivots to new team-building timeline around Dominique Malonga. The team did re-sign Ezi Magebegor, although there’s reportedly a chance she also is out the door.
A Magbegor trade seems more likely to materialize if Fam remains on the board at No. 3. A Dom-Awa frontcourt could develop into a modern WNBA marvel, with the future of that pairing inspiring fear across the league. Alternatively, keeping Ezi and adding Miles, Eric’s original projection, as the point guard of the future or Fudd, who Eric slotted to Seattle in his second and third mocks, as a certified shooter is also not a bad alternative.
Will the Washington Mystics, sitting with pick No. 4, then select whichever of the consensus top-four prospects remains on the board? Or, will an interloper, such as Kiki Rice, be the pick for the Mystics? In his last two mocks, Eric had Rice’s Bruin teammate, Betts, dropping to DC.
After the pre-free agency dismissal of former general manager Jamila Wideman, Washington has yet to make a significant free agency move, only signing Michaela Onyenwere, even though it was widely suspected that Wideman was fired due to an organizational desire to accelerate their rebuild, as Beckett Harrison explained. Before the draft, the team must also decide whether or not to match the restricted free agent offer sheet that the Toronto Tempo tendered to Shakira Austin.
Washington’s decision on Austin could then unleash a cascade of moves, as the team has accumulated a cupboard of valuable draft capital that could be used to acquire players who can help elevate the Mystics more immediately. In addition to No. 4, Washington has picks No. 9 and No. 11 on Monday night. They then have swap rights to the Chicago Sky’s 2027 first-round pick, while DC also acquired Chicago’s 2028 first rounder in exchange for Jacy Sheldon.
So, what are your thoughts? Are you all in on Awa? Should Azzi automatically go No. 1? Is Betts the best bet? What about Miles? Explain your favorite player-team fits in the lottery and up and down the first round in the comments.
And regardless of what you want to happen, what do you think will happen? Plus, who is going to own the Orange Carpet? Let’s hear all of your preferences, prognostications and predictions.
