Azzi Fudd Claims No 1 Pick, Dallas Wings In 2026 WNBA Draft

The 2026 WNBA draft places the Dallas Wings and Azzi Fudd at the centre of attention. Dallas again holds the No. 1 pick and again turns to a Connecticut guard. Across the league, strong showings from UCLA prospects and several international players shape a draft that alters rosters for established and expansion teams.

This years No. 1 selection is less predictable than usual, yet Dallas chooses Azzi Fudd. The 5-foot-11 guard arrives with four collegiate seasons and a 2025 national title at UConn. Fudd hits 117 three-pointers last season and finishes college shooting 42.2% from deep, averaging 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 39 games.

The Minnesota Lynx use the second overall pick on TCU point guard Olivia Miles, adding a multi-skilled creator. The selection comes from a 2024 trade with the Chicago Sky. Miles, listed at 5-foot-10, posts 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists as a senior while guiding the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight.

Minnesota finishes last regular season with a league-best 34-10 record but loses key contributors in free agency. Miles is expected to strengthen the backcourt around Napheesa Collier, a regular MVP candidate. Her playmaking should support the Lynx attack while the roster adjusts after those departures and the pressure of last seasons success.

The Seattle Storm select Spanish centre Awa Fam Thiam with the third overall pick, targeting long-term potential. At 19 years old and 6-foot-4, Fam Thiam is viewed as one of the drafts highest-upside players and even draws No. 1 consideration. Seattle plans for Fam Thiam to anchor a defence reshaped by significant veteran exits.

Seattle’s frontcourt now looks different after departures for Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams. To support those changes, the Storm also complete a trade for LSU guard Flaujae Johnson. Johnson is first taken at No. 8 by the Golden State Valkyries before being moved to Seattle, adding scoring depth on the perimeter.

For Dallas, Fudd’s arrival continues a clear draft pattern. The Wings hold the No. 1 pick for the second straight year and again select a UConn guard, following Paige Bueckers in 2025. Bueckers earns Rookie of the Year that season, and Fudd now reunites with a familiar backcourt partner at professional level.

The Wings look to move on from a difficult 10-34 campaign and a busy offseason. Dallas signs Alanna Smith, last seasons Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and forward Jessica Shepard to strengthen the frontcourt. The franchise also re-signs all-time scoring leader Arike Ogunbowale, linking the current core with the future duo of Bueckers and Fudd.

UCLA and WNBA draft records

UCLA’s influence on the WNBA draft stands out just one week after the Bruins secure their first women’s national championship. The programme sees six players drafted, a record, with five coming in the first round. Three Bruins even go in succession, reflecting the depth of talent on the title-winning roster.

The run starts when the Washington Mystics choose 6-foot-7 centre Lauren Betts with the fourth pick. The Chicago Sky then select Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5. Expansion side Toronto Tempo enters the league by drafting Kiki Rice sixth overall, giving the new franchise its first player and a recognised college guard.

Later in the first round, the Mystics add another UCLA product by taking Angela Dugalic with the ninth pick. The Connecticut Sun close the opening round by selecting Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15. Charlisse Leger-Walker becomes the sixth Bruin drafted when the Sun pick Leger-Walker early in the second round, with the third selection.

International players in the WNBA draft

The 2026 WNBA draft also highlights basketball’s global reach through a strong group of international prospects. Three international players are taken in the first round. After Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3, Spain’s Iyana Martin Carrion goes seventh to expansion team Portland Fire. France’s Nell Angloma follows at No. 12 to the Sun.

Several more international players hear their names later in the draft, reflecting broader worldwide depth.

Leger-Walker is not treated as an international prospect because of time at UCLA, yet still makes history. Leger-Walker becomes the first player born in New Zealand ever drafted into the WNBA. The combination of domestic college stars and overseas talent underlines how this draft reshapes rosters from Dallas to the new expansion teams.