WNBA mock draft 2026: New No. 1 replaces UCLA's Betts at top
Four UCLA players, including Lauren Betts, are now projected first-round picks. But Spain's Awa Fam is No. 1.
www.espn.comHere’s a concise update on the 2026 WNBA Draft.
- The Dallas Wings held the No. 1 pick in 2026 and were widely expected to select Azzi Fudd, with other top candidates including Awa Fam and Lauren Betts in discussion. This aligns with multiple outlets projecting Fudd to go No. 1 and Wings aiming to build around a core after 2025 picks.[1][3][6]
- The 2026 draft night featured notable rookie salaries under the new CBA, with the top pick earning around $500,000 in Year 1 and other top selections also receiving substantial guarantees; this was a key storyline accompanying the draft coverage.[1]
Key sources and contexts from recent coverage:
- AP News live updates highlighted the orange carpet event in New York City, the Wings’ No. 1 status, and top candidates like Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts.[1]
- Various mock drafts and analysis from Sporting News, NBC Sports (WNBA on NBC), and ESPN circulated projections around the top picks (Fudd, Fam, Betts) and the Wings’ evolving roster context ahead of the draft.[2][3][4][5][7][8][9]
If you’d like, I can pull a live recap of the complete first-round results or compile a quick table of the top 10 picks and their college or international affiliations.