The 2025 WNBA playoffs are right around the corner. For some teams, there’s a significant opportunity to push for a championship appearance. For others, the 2026 WNBA Draft feels like the light at the end of the tunnel.
This year’s draft boasts a solid class, and a couple of major trades could result in two playoff teams securing selections in the first three picks. How will the rich get richer in the upcoming draft? Here are our updated predictions for the first round of this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft.
1) Dallas Wings
Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
The current favorites to end up with the No. 1 pick, the Dallas Wings, have found a keeper in this year’s top pick and likely Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers. The Wings get decent production out of their backcourt, but they could use an impact big to even out the court.
Lauren Betts is a reliable 6’7″ center with plus ability on both sides of the floor. She’s a reliable finisher near the rim, a talented rebounder, and a strong rim protector down low. Her size, physicality, and ability to contribute on offense and defense should have her in high demand when she enters the WNBA.
2) Minnesota Lynx (via Sky)
Azzi Fudd, SG, UConn
As of this writing, the Minnesota Lynx have the best record in the WNBA. It’s scary to think they’ll have one of the first picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft, as they possess the Chicago Sky’s first-round pick from the trade they pulled off to acquire Hailey Van Lith. With what’s likely to be an early pick, the Lynx have a chance to boost their roster further.
AZZI FUDD TONIGHT 🔥
• 34 POINTS
• 8/14 3PM
• 13/22 FG
• 31 MINUTES PLAYED— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) February 13, 2025
Azzi Fudd is a highly talented prospect with elite offensive upside. With a 43.6% 3-point percentage and a silky jump shot, her offensive output played a significant role in UConn’s run towards winning the national championship last year. Injuries drop her out of the top two picks, but she’s a tremendous guard prospect who can score in bunches.
3) Seattle Storm (via Sparks)
Olivia Miles, PG, TCU
The Seattle Storm find themselves in an interesting position, being an incoming playoff team with multiple selections in the first round. The earliest of which in this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft goes at No. 3 overall, where they’ll have a chance to add a potential impact player.
A strong argument could be made that Olivia Miles is the most offensively gifted player in the 2026 draft class. Last year for Notre Dame, she shot 40.6% from deep, showing off her ability to shoot from all levels of the court. She’s a tremendous passer with proper accuracy and court vision, and her quickness to the rim makes her tough to defend.
4) Washington Mystics
Flau’jae Johnson, SG, LSU
A reliable force for LSU over the course of her collegiate career, Flau’jae Johnson is a consistent scorer who’s averaged double-digit points and improved her 3-point percentage every year she’s played for the Tigers. She had her best season yet in 2024-25, averaging 18.6 points per game.
Johnson is a tall guard with good rebounding abilities. Her development as a floor stretcher has complemented her impressive combination of size and mobility. As of this writing, the Washington Mystics are 1-9 in their last ten games. They could use all the help they can get, and this selection in this WNBA Mock Draft would give them a high-upside pick.
5) Chicago Sky (via Sun)
Ta’Niya Latson, SG, South Carolina
Coming off of a tremendous three seasons at Florida State, Ta’Niya Latson heads to South Carolina for her final year in college. She has a high bar to reach to top her campaign last year, where she led the nation with 25.2 points per game.
Drafting Latson would give the Chicago Sky crucial floor spacing and elite scoring ability in their backcourt. Having gone 2-8 in their last ten matchups as of this writing, they need a significant talent boost. She can get hot as a shooter at any moment, giving her considerable WNBA upside despite some defensive concerns.
6) Toronto Tempo
Ashlon Jackson, SG, Duke
An incoming expansion team, the Toronto Tempo, could go in a lot of different directions in its first draft. In this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft, they secure a reliable guard with size who can contribute on both sides of the ball.
Ashlon Jackson is a talented 3-and-D shooting guard with good agility and grittiness on the defensive end. She tied Duke’s single-season record with 87 3-pointers made in the 2024-25 season, and she has the shooting stroke and driving ability to be a significant threat with the ball in her hands.
7) Portland Fire
Gianna Kneepkens, SG, UCLA
The Portland Fire head into a similar situation as the Tempo, approaching their first season as an expansion team in the WNBA. With their first pick in franchise history, they add a potential offensive spark in our latest WNBA Mock Draft.
Gianna Kneepkens through 4 years at Utah. One of the most efficient volume shooters the college game has ever seen. pic.twitter.com/cRyrQFXizb
— suns (tank for flau’jae) (@antivirgosuns) July 29, 2025
A stellar shooter at Utah, Gianna Kneepkens heads to UCLA for her final collegiate season on what figures to be a strong contender in women’s college basketball. She has gone 43.2% from deep in her career, including a tremendous 44.8% mark last season. Her size (5’11”) and outside shooting ability should make her a solid WNBA starter.
8) Washington Mystics (via Storm)
Awa Fam, C, Spain
The Mystics are slated to have three first-round picks in this year’s draft. With so many selections, they’re in a position to bet on upside with at least one of those picks. That’s what they do here in our latest WNBA Mock Draft after previously taking a talented guard with the first of their selections.
Awa Fam is 6’6″ with tremendous athleticism for her size, giving her immense potential as a big at the next level. Fam’s wingspan and explosiveness make her an excellent rebounder, and she can finish around the rim. As she develops her offensive game, she looks the part of a prospect who could outperform her eventual draft status a few years down the line.
9) Indiana Fever
Cotie McMahon, SF, Ole Miss
The Indiana Fever is a team on the rise, and they feel like they’re just on the cusp of greatness. They feel like they’re just one more key contributor away from truly breaking into that upper echelon of WNBA greatness.
Cotie McMahon brought tremendous physicality on the wing for Ohio State before transferring to Ole Miss for the upcoming season. She’s tough in the paint and strong along the perimeter, and her improvements as a 3-point shooter indicate there’s still some more potential for her to grow as a shooter.
10) Golden State Valkyries
Chloe Kitts, PF, South Carolina
A well-rounded forward with size and a developing game, Chloe Kitts is coming off a season that saw her tally a career-high 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, shooting an improved 79.8% from the free-throw line.
Kitts is one of the best passing bigs in college basketball. She demonstrates tremendous court vision and accuracy. That versatility, along with her size and growing ability as a scorer, gives her solid upside as a contributor at the WNBA level. She would be a great addition to a Golden State Valkyries team that has improved considerably late this season.
11) Washington Mystics (via Liberty)
Kiki Rice, PG, UCLA
After betting on size and upside with their first two selections, the Mystics have the chance to go with a high-floor contributor to round out their roster in this WNBA Mock Draft. With intriguing rookies like Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron already on the roster, these picks could help load Washington up for long-term success.
Kiki Rice today 🔥
• 16 points
• 10 assists
• 3 steals
• 6/8 FGUCLA beats Michigan! pic.twitter.com/uyI3U9Wfhu
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) January 2, 2025
Kiki Rice is a reliable shooter inside the arc and has shown promise as a 3-point shooter, finishing second in scoring on UCLA’s Final Four team last year at 12.8 points per game.
Rice is a solid scorer and an effective floor general who can make plays as a passer at a high level.
12) Connecticut Sun (via Mercury)
Raegan Beers, C, Oklahoma
Raegan Beers is a rock-solid center who’s a steady force down low. She more than makes up for what she lacks in flash and consistency in her outside shot with her physicality in the paint and elite rebounding capabilities.
The 6’4″ Beers was a first-team All-SEC player in her first season at Oklahoma last year, shooting a phenomenal 63.3% from the field. Her intimidating post presence and consistent interior offensive game make her a high-floor center in the WNBA.
13) Atlanta Dream
Madina Okot, C, South Carolina
The breakout season of Allisha Gray and strong complementary play from the likes of Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones have helped the Atlanta Dream take a big leap in 2025. Adding another big into their rotation could help take the load off Brittney Griner at 34 years old.
Madina Okot is one of the more intriguing prospects to project in this class, and she lands late in Round 1 of our 2026 WNBA Mock Draft. The Kenyan native is 6’6″ and excelled in her first year of American basketball last year for Mississippi State. She can potentially be a key contributor to a loaded South Carolina squad this year.
14) Seattle Storm (via Aces)
Serah Williams, C, Wisconsin
After adding a scoring machine to their roster with the first of their two first-round picks in our 2026 WNBA Mock Draft, the Storm have many different directions they can take with their second selection. We have them adding a defensive anchor in the post.
At 6’4″, Serah Williams has been one of the best defensive bigs in women’s college basketball the last couple of years. She was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, and she brings the physicality near the rim to disrupt shots and come down with rebounds.
15) Connecticut Sun (via Lynx)
Yarden Garzon, SG, Maryland
An intriguing combination of height, length, and perimeter shooting ability, Yarden Garzon shot 40.7% from three and averaged 14.4 points per game at Indiana last year. She transferred to Maryland to finish up her collegiate career.
Garzon is a tall guard at 6’3″ with a large wingspan. Her sharpshooting capabilities include a career percentage of 42.6% from three, giving her mismatch potential in the WNBA along the perimeter. Though the Connecticut Sun don’t have their own draft pick in a bad season, bringing Garzon and Raegan Beers on board would help get them back on track.
