WNBA Draft tonight
The 2026 WNBA Draft takes place tonight amid a surprisingly unsettled top of the board — there’s no clear consensus No. 1 pick and mocks project different outcomes, including the Dallas Wings possibly taking Awa Fam and Azzi Fudd linked to Seattle in several scenarios. Adding intrigue, TCU’s Olivia Miles signed a multi‑year deal with the 3‑on‑3 league Unrivaled ahead of the draft, making her the first prospect from this class to lock in an off‑WNBA option. (sports.yahoo.com) (nbcsports.com) (nytimes.com)
The 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association draft starts Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. Eastern at The Shed in New York, and the top pick is unusually unsettled. (wnba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Dallas holds the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery in November, with Minnesota at No. 2, Seattle at No. 3, Washington at No. 4 and Chicago at No. 5. The first round has 15 picks, including expansion teams Toronto at No. 6, Portland at No. 7 and Golden State at No. 8. (wnba.com 1) (wnba.com 2) Mock drafts have split on who goes first. NBC Sports projected Dallas to take Spanish center Awa Fam in one mock, while a separate NBC preview said Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd was the projected No. 1 pick in many mocks and linked her to Dallas or Seattle scenarios. (nbcsports.com 1) (nbcsports.com 2) That uncertainty is a change from recent drafts. Dallas took Paige Bueckers first in 2025, Indiana took Caitlin Clark first in 2024, and Indiana took Aliyah Boston first in 2023. (wnba.com 1) (wnba.com 2) (wnba.com 3) Another wrinkle arrived on Sunday, when Texas Christian University guard Olivia Miles signed a multi-year contract with Unrivaled, the three-on-three league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Yahoo Sports and Unrivaled said Miles will play in the league’s 2027 season and has not yet been assigned to a club. (sports.yahoo.com) (unrivaled.basketball) Miles is the first player from this draft class to secure that kind of off-Women’s National Basketball Association option before draft night. NBC Sports reported the new collective bargaining agreement is expected to pay the No. 1 pick $500,000, but Unrivaled has already become another source of salary and visibility for top players. (sports.yahoo.com) (nbcsports.com) The draft order also reflects how much pick trading has reshaped the board. Minnesota owns Chicago’s pick at No. 2, Seattle owns the Los Angeles Sparks pick at No. 3, and Washington controls extra first-rounders at No. 9 and No. 11. (wnba.com) (wnba.com) Fans can watch the draft live on ESPN, and the first answers on Dallas, Fudd, Fam and Miles arrive Monday night. (sports.yahoo.com) (nbcsports.com)
