While WNBA labor negotiations continue, some league business continues. The 2026 draft lottery takes place Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Four of the league's five head coaching vacancies are filled, except for one: the New York Liberty. The Dallas Wings, who have the highest chance (44%) of getting the No. 1 overall pick, have been hiring for a long time. South Florida coach Jose Fernandez at the end of October.
His USF program had extensive recruiting contacts in Europe—12 of the 14 players on the Bulls' 2024-25 roster hailed from outside the United States—and we also moved our projected top pick in ESPN's latest WNBA Mock Draft in that direction. Ava Fam Center from Spain rose to first place in this issue. After the lottery sets the order of the top five, we will update the draft layout again on Sunday evening.
The other most noticeable change: four players from No. 3. UCLA first-round picks are now projected.
Spain | center | 6 feet 4 inches
Pham's agent told ESPN that playing in the WNBA is her “top priority” for 2026. She currently plays for Valencia in Spain and will turn 20 in June. Her potential appears to be very high and she could be another key building block for the Wings to add after the No. 1 pick in 2025. Paige Bueckers was the WNBA Rookie of the Year last season.
UCLA | center | 6'7 | senior
Betts is still listed at No. 1, which is where we had her in our first 2026 mock draft last month. She was a first-team All-American last season and is averaging 15.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks while shooting 59.6 percent from the field for the third-line Bruins.
TCU | point guard | 5ft 10 | senior
Miles, a transfer from Notre Dame and playing her final collegiate season at TCU, has proven to be exactly what the Horned Frogs need at No. 10. She's averaging 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.6 assists and appears to be the top point guard in the senior class.
University of California, Connecticut | shooting guard | 5'11 | senior
Fudd averaged 13.6 points and shot 43.6 percent from beyond the arc for the national champions last season. She is averaging 17.8 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range for the Huskies this season. With her elite shooting, Fudd could rise even higher.
LSU | shooting guard | 5ft 10 | senior
The Tigers' strong defensive backfield will showcase Johnson's ability to run the floor this season. She averages 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists for No. 5 LSU. The Tigers' soft non-conference schedule hasn't been a problem for them, but Johnson has already proven herself in three years of SEC play.
South Carolina | shooting guard | 5ft 8 | senior
The WNBA has not said in what order the two expansion teams will be selected; at the moment here we have Temp and Portland Fire in seventh place. Latson led the Division I in scoring with 25.2 points per game last season at Florida State. She's now averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in a more balanced No. 2 South Carolina offense. Her 44.4% shooting percentage from 3-point range is too small a sample size (4 of 9) to judge, but it will be a big step if she maintains that mark.
Ole Miss | small forward | 6 feet | senior
After three years at Ohio State, where her 16.5 points per game was a career high last season, she now ranks 13th on the Rebels and averages 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. McMahon can help himself by showing improvement on defense, and Ole Miss is a good place to do that.
UCLA | shooting guard | 5'11 | senior
Knipkens's greatest skill is stretching defenses with three-point shots. She currently has a career-low 34.5% from beyond the arc, but her history (she previously played at Utah) suggests that number will rise. She averages 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
University of California | power forward | 6'4 | senior
Williams went from a star on a 13-17 team (19.2 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game for Wisconsin last season) to finishing her career on a talent-rich No. 1 Huskies team. Her stats will drop, but her draft numbers will rise thanks to a program that routinely sends players to the WNBA. Her averages for UConn are 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds.
South Carolina | center | 6'6 | senior
Okoth, originally from Kenya, transferred to play her final season with the Gamecocks and fit in well. She leads South Carolina in rebounds (10.6) and blocks (2.0) while averaging 13.2 points. She's a more traditional center, but there's still a place for those types of players in the WNBA, especially if they defend well.
UCLA | shooting guard | 6 feet | senior
Jaques is off to a strong start for the Bruins, averaging 15.6 points plus 7.8 rebounds (tied for the team lead with Betts) and 2.4 assists on 47.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Jaquez became a full-time starter at UCLA last season and should help her draft position if she continues to improve her 3-point shooting.
Spain | point guard | 5 feet 8 inches
In April, she was named Young Player of the Year for her debut season in the EuroLeague with Perfumerias Avenida. Fama's Spain teammate Martin Carrion also helped the team reach the EuroBasket championship game this summer. She turns 20 in January.
Tennessee | power forward | 6'4 | senior
Barker previously played for Texas A&M and UCLA and will finish her college career ranked No. 15 at Tennessee. Her skills at her size have long been of interest to WNBA evaluators, but she will have to show consistency this season. She averages 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Lady Vols.
14. Seattle Storm: Kiki Rice
UCLA | point guard | 5'11 | senior
As good as the Bruins did in reaching the Final Four last season, they could be better this season. Rice is averaging 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Some improvement in her 3-point shooting (she's currently shooting 30.8%) would help. Last season, she shot a career-best 36.5 percent from behind the arc.
15. Connecticut Sun: Nell Angloma
France | small forward | 5ft 11
Sun coach Rachid Mezian, from France, is of course familiar with Angloma, who plays for the Basket Latte Montpellier (BMLA) agglomeration. Angloma averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for Team France at the Women's U19 World Cup this summer. She turns 20 in June.
