UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts during a game against LSU in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Spokane, Wash., on March 30, 2025. Jenny Kane/AP Photo
A new NCAA champion was crowned in women’s college basketball this week, but women’s hoops is already looking ahead to the college stars making it to the pros. Just eight days after the UCLA Bruins lifted the championship trophy, the 2026 WNBA Draft will take place Monday in New York City.
With the addition of two expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, who will pick sixth and seventh, respectively, there will be a total of 45 picks, with 15 in each of the three rounds. The Dallas Wings hold the first overall pick for the second year in a row, and these are the names that could be called early.
Awa Fam, Spain
The projected No. 1 overall draft pick by most pundits, the 6-foot-4 Awa Fam has been playing professionally since she was 15 years old. She recorded a double-double in just her third pro game—again, as a 15-year-old playing against adults—and then won a pair of silver medals with Spain’s National Youth Teams at the FIBA World Cup.
Ross Kelly is a sports journalist who has been published by ESPN, CBS and USA Today. He has also done statistical research for Stats Inc. and Synergy Sports Technology. A graduate of LSU, Ross resides in Houston.
