For the second yr in a row, the Dallas Wings can have the No. 1 decide within the WNBA draft.
The Wings, who took UConn’s Paige Bueckers in 2025, gained the 2026 WNBA draft lottery Sunday and can choose first April 13. They’re the fourth franchise to have the primary total decide in consecutive seasons.
Lottery odds have been based mostly on the cumulative information of the previous two WNBA common seasons for the 5 groups that didn’t make the playoffs in 2025. Two trades landed the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm within the lottery.
With a cumulative document of 19-65, the Wings had the very best odds to land the highest decide (42%) and have been assured a minimum of a top-three choice.
“[We want] somebody who desires to win,” stated Dallas ahead Maddy Siegrist, the crew’s lottery consultant. “We have got an thrilling younger group, and we actually bond collectively. I am excited to convey another person in.”
Bueckers gained WNBA Rookie of the Yr and was additionally named to the All-WNBA second crew. However the Wings didn’t make the postseason once more and completed the 2025 season with the league’s worst document (10-34).
Over the previous 5 years, solely the Indiana Fever have had extra lottery picks than the Wings. Bueckers and Siegrist (No. 3 in 2023) have been the one lottery picks to play for Dallas final season.
This yr’s draft lottery was the primary to characteristic 5 groups since 2010. The Lynx, who had the second-best odds heading into Sunday, will choose second. The Storm will decide third, adopted by the Washington Mystics at No. 4 and the Chicago Sky at No. 5.
“We’re actually excited,” Storm GM Talisa Rhea advised ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. “I believe prime three, particularly on this draft, goes to be an awesome participant for us. So positively completely happy to have landed there. I believe there’s positively a handful of actually nice gamers which might be going to have the ability to make impacts on groups straight away, which is not at all times the case. I do assume there’s good depth and there is good top-level expertise on this draft. At 3, I actually assume we’ll get somebody to assist us straight away.”
UConn’s Azzi Fudd is projected to go No. 1 in ESPN’s newest mock draft launched Sunday night time, with Spain’s Awa Fam slotted in at No. 2. TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson spherical out the remainder of the projected lottery picks.
Whereas a lot of the league’s rosters are presently made up of free brokers, the Wings have 5 gamers underneath contract, together with Bueckers, Siegrist, Diamond Miller, Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly.
Arike Ogunbowale, Li Yueru, Myisha Hines-Allen and Tyasha Harris are free brokers.
The Wings enter the 2026 season with a brand new coach in Jose Fernandez after firing Chris Koclanes after only one yr.
“There are such a lot of thrilling issues going round Dallas,” Siegrist stated. “We have got a brand new coach … the observe facility … a few prime picks the previous couple of years. We’re simply tremendous excited to herald one other prime prospect.”
The 2026 season may also characteristic two growth franchises — the Portland Hearth and Toronto Tempo. They may choose sixth and seventh, although in what order just isn’t but recognized. A date has not been set for the growth draft, the foundations of which have to be collectively bargained. CBA negotiations are ongoing after the gamers’ union and league agreed to a one-month extension. The present CBA will expire Nov. 30.
The remainder of the first-round order is: No. 8 Golden State, No. 9 Washington, No. 10 Indiana, No. 11 Washington, No. 12 Connecticut, No. 13 Atlanta, No. 14 Seattle, No. 15 Connecticut.