2026 WNBA Draft: How to Watch, Draft Order, Top Prospects

With the 2026 WNBA season just around the corner, the league’s 15 teams (which include two new entrants in the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire this season) are making final tweaks to their lineups, and a big part of that is the annual WNBA Draft, held on April 13. This year’s draft class, like last year’s, featured some seriously talented players for the luckiest of teams to snap up.

We’ll take a look at how the WNBA draft works, plus who has the top picks and who the best available prospects are.

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How Does the WNBA Draft Work?

Before we break down what we’re likely to see during the 2026 WNBA Draft, let’s take a look at how the process works:

What is the WNBA Draft?

The WNBA Draft is held annually to eligible players are selected by the WNBA’s 15 teams to join their rosters.

WNBA Draft Eligibility

To be eligible for the WNBA Draft, players must be either:

• 22 years or older during the calendar year that the draft is held.
• A graduate of a four-year college or university or be graduating within three months of the draft date.
• Four years removed from high school graduation.

If a player does not live in the United States, they’re considered an international player, and they must be at least 20 years old to be eligible.

How many rounds is the WNBA Draft?

The WNBA Draft is three rounds long, with 45 total picks. Compensatory picks can be added to increase the total number of picks (there were 38 in the 2025 Draft) and teams can trade picks with each other.

What is the WNBA Draft Format?

The first five picks of the first round are determined by a draft lottery between the five teams that did not make the playoffs in the previous season. The lottery is weighted in such a way that the teams with the worst records over the two most recent seasons have a higher chance of getting the top pick. This year, the Dallas Wings won the first pick.

After the lottery picks are decided, the rest of the pick order is decided in inverse order of the final standings from last season, with the best teams going last, for the remaining rounds. It’s also possible for teams to exchange draft picks with one another.

2026 WNBA Draft Picks by Round

Here is the full draft order of the 2026 WNBA Draft:

Round 1

1. Dallas Wings
2. Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago)
3. Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles)
4. Washington Mystics
5. Chicago Sky (from Connecticut)
6. Toronto Tempo
7. Portland Fire
8. Golden State Valkyries
9. Washington Mystics (from Seattle)
10. Indiana Fever
11. Washington Mystics (from New York via Minnesota & Connecticut)
12. Connecticut Sun (from Phoenix via Chicago)
13. Atlanta Dream
14. Seattle Storm (from Las Vegas)
15. Connecticut Sun (from Minnesota via Washington)

Round 2

16. Seattle Storm (from Dallas)
17. Portland Fire (from Chicago)
18. Connecticut Sun
19. Washington Mystics
20. Los Angeles Sparks
21. Chicago Sky (from Portland)
22. Toronto Tempo
23. Golden State Valkyries
24. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
25. Indiana Fever
26. Toronto Tempo (from New York via Chicago)
27. Phoenix Mercury
28. Atlanta Dream
29. Las Vegas Aces
30. Washington Mystics (from Minnesota)

Round 3

31. Dallas Wings
32. Chicago Sky
33. Connecticut Sun
34. Washington Mystics
35. Los Angeles Sparks
36. Toronto Tempo
37. Portland Fire
38. Golden State Valkyries
39. Seattle Storm
40. Indiana Fever
41. New York Liberty
42. Phoenix Mercury
43. Atlanta Dream
44. Las Vegas Aces
45. Minnesota Lynx

Top WNBA Draft Prospects to Watch For in 2026

Here are some of the best available players in the 2026 WNBA draft:

Azzi Fudd, Guard – UConn

Likely landing spots: Dallas Wings, Seattle Storm

Considered the 2026 draft class’s best shooter. There are questions about her shot creation capabilities and durability, her pro-level readiness make her a favorite for the first overall pick, which could place her on the Dallas Wings alongside last year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers, also a former Huskie.

Awa Fam, Center – Spain 

Likely landing spots: Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx

Fam has been a top player in international leagues and one of the most pro-ready prospects on the board. She’s a potent scorer and would also pair up well with Bueckers on the Wings.

Lauren Betts, Center – UCLA

Likely landing spots: Washington Mystics

At 6’7″, Betts is considered the class’s best defender and enters the draft off of a March Madness championship. She confers immediate interior size and rebounding ability to her team and could go first overall just as easily as Fudd.

Olivia Miles, Guard – TCU 

Likely landing spots: Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings

Miles is regarded as a generational talent with elite vision and flair. She is a double-double threat who can orchestrate a professional offense immediately, combining high-level passing with an improved scoring touch.

Flau’jae Johnson, Wing – LSU

Likely landing spots: Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics

An elite two-way prospect, Johnson is one of the better shooters in the draft class, but she’s equally as strong as a lockdown defender on the perimeter. 

Kiki Rice, Guard – UCLA

Likely landing spots: Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun

Rice’s stock has been rising steadily after she began to steadily improve nearly every aspect of her game during March Madness during UCLA’s first-ever successful championship run. She’s a capable defender and constant three-point threat.

Raven Johnson, Guard – South Carolina

Likely landing spots: Indiana Fever, Toronto Tempo

A member of this year’s March Madness runner-up, Johnson has been in the last three NCAA championship games. She’s easily one of the best available defenders this year.

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