2026 WNBA Draft: Who should the Wings take at No. 1? Pros and cons of Awa Fam, Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts
The Dallas Wings have to figure out which of these top prospects fit best with Paige Bueckers
www.cbssports.comHere’s the latest on the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Direct update
- The 2026 WNBA Draft took place on April 13, 2026, with Dallas Wings selecting Azzi Fudd No. 1 overall, and UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Olivia Miles among top picks in rounds 1–2. This event also featured expansion teams Tempo and Fire building rookie classes.[6][7][8]
Notable players and picks
- Azzi Fudd was widely projected and selected No. 1 by the Dallas Wings, reinforcing her status as a premier guard in the class.[4][5]
- Lauren Betts, a dominant post from UCLA, went among the top selections, confirming her status as a top interior anchor.[5][4]
- Olivia Miles, a high-IQ playmaker from Syracuse/Notre Dame connections, went into the draft with strong assist/steal credentials and landed in a competitive opening lineup.[6]
Draft impact and analysis
- Mock drafts leading into the draft varied, but consensus favored a mix of elite guards and bigs as top picks, with several UCLA affiliates and a few non-Pac-12 standouts drawing early attention.[4][5]
- Expansion teams entering the league added extra intrigue, influencing how teams valued immediate impact versus development potential in rookie classes.[8][6]
Where to watch and follow
- If you want real-time results, best sources included live-tracker pages and post-draft wrap-ups from major outlets, including NBC Sports and Sporting News.[1][6]
- You can also check post-draft analyses from ESPN and CBSSports for deeper looks at how picks fit team needs and future projections.[9][4]
Illustration (example)
- A top-pick table would look like:
- Pick 1: Dallas Wings — Azzi Fudd (G) — UConn
- Pick 2: Minnesota/Next team — Lauren Betts (C) — UCLA
- Pick 3: Seattle/Wings via LAS — Awa Fam Thiam (F) — Valencia/Spain
- Pick 4: Washington Mystics — Olivia Miles (G) — Notre Dame
If you’d like, I can summarize specific teams’ draft-day strategies, or compile a compact list of all first-round picks with positions, schools, and current team destinations. I can also pull a quick, clean table of all 3 rounds if you want a reference sheet.