Here is my 2026 draft board. This class feels like it has a lot of solid role player types, but only one player with super star upside. Still, the players all the way down to 6 have high floors, so at least the chances of these players washing out of the league are low. This isn’t the 2021 draft.
I have been doing 10 players as my draft board for a few years, as that is roughly how many typically meaningfully contribute in a given draft year when there were 12 teams. With 15 teams, I’m going to 11 this year. Meaningfully contribute is a judgement call, but it is helpful to anchor to something to remind oneself that though 45 names will be called, it is very hard to stick and play minutes in the W. For me, meaningfully contribute is defined as play 15 minutes per game for 3 seasons. It will take a few years after expansion has slowed to get a sense of where the new number is, but 11 will do for this year.
- Awa Fam 6’5″ Spain
Comfortably the best prospect in this draft. She can pass, defend, score in the post, the shooting is coming along and looks like it will be good. Being younger and good is a benefit when drafting, not a negative. No W team is in position to pass up on elite talent, no matter how good they are. This is not a mock draft, but I would be surprised, and question their judgement, if the Wings don’t select Fam. She can do everything one wants from a high level big in the W and will immediately be able to contribute this season. She can be a good role playing big right away and grow into her talent. This isn’t a young player who will explode in year 3 and struggle at first.
Against the US a few weeks ago, she credibly guarded Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, and Angel Reese. She was playing next to a big in Megan Gustafson who isn’t a noted defender and at age 20 her coach trusted her to take the harder assignments so they could go two bigs against the US. How many 20 year olds from the past few years could do that besides her and Sarah Strong?
- Olivia Miles 5’10 TCU
Olivia Miles has the size, passing and shooting to drive very good offense at the W level. How real the shooting is, especially off the dribble, will dictate how high her ceiling is, but even if the shooting tails off a bit she has enough going on to be a starter in the W. Her passing is elite and she has grown as a scorer enough to make the passing valuable. Her defense is an issue, but there’s no reason it can’t improve to at least Sabrina Ionescu levels and she’s potentially good enough to justify surrounding her with good defenders. She doesn’t have to be good defensively, just not terrible.
- Lauren Betts 6’7″ UCLA
She’s not a higher pick because I don’t think she’s going to be able to consistently draw double teams in the post against other centers when she doesn’t have the same size/strength advantage as she did in college. But she will absolutely punish teams that play smaller bigs against her and any switches will be toast. But what put her third, compared to 5th or 6 i had her in November, is what she showed on defense this year. Betts’ ability to switch and hold up was a key factor in UCLA’s smothering defesne. No 6’7″ big is perfect 25 feet from the rim, but Betts was more than good enough to bog down opposing offenses. Her W team is not going to ask her to guard Kelsey Mitchell 30 feet from the basket regularly, but this is the rare 6’7” big who likely won’t be played off the floor by the Kelsey Mitchell Types. She should be able to hedge, switch in emergencies, and be more active even in drop coverages than most 6’7”+ bigs.
- Azzi Fudd 5’11” UConn
It is entirely possible that in the more spaced out W game, Fudd will be able to get the basket more readily and be a playmaker for others. But after being my number 2 pick for most of the season, her struggles to do anything when guarded by other W level defenders like Raven Johnson knocked her down a couple of spots. Her floor is as high as Miles and Betts, as a player who can defend and shoot like Fudd will always have value, but I don’t see the same upside as the two in front of her. She basically never got fouled, rarely got to the rim and just does not seem to have the wiggle or burst to be a lead guard.
- Iyana Martin 5’9″ Spain
Martin’s upside is higher for me than Fudd’s, given the passes she can throw and her ability to get to the rim, but her downside risk is enough higher than Fudd’s I can’t put Martin above Fudd. But I thought about it. Big question will be can Martin score enough at the rim and/or from floater range for her passing and paint touches to matter. She seems to be able to shoot, though does not shoot much at this point. Martin at 20 should be able to help as a backup point guard right away, though it will take a couple of years for her to be a starter. A longer lead time than many teams want for a lottery pick, but for me the upside is there. She competes hard defensively, but is better on ball than off. Not going to be a lock down defender, but in time should be able to iron out enough of the kinks off ball to be solid there.
- Kiki Rice 5’11” UCLA
Rice was a consummate role player in college who should be able to step into a similar role in the pros. A bit undersized to guard all wing players, but should be able to guard most 1-3 players while hitting open spot up 3s. Possible, if not especially likely that she can add to her off the dribble game and be better than a super role player, another reason to draft her here. Likely to be decent in the W, with a chance to be more than that.
- Flau’jea Johnson 5’10” LSU
Among the most up and down prospects in this first round. Which Johnson you get from night to night can make her look like a top 3 pick in this draft or more like the 15th pick. The shooting and defense seem real enough, I would not go lower than this point, but anytime she puts it on the deck it is such an adventure. Could she iron out her issues while dribbling and be an All-Star? Sure! But unfortunately she might not get her feel to where she can be more than a strictly 3 and D player. She, like both players before and after her, get the bump that wings get because W teams can always use more competent wings to soak up minutes.
- Gabriella Jaquez 5’11” UCLA
Jaquez had a strong finish to her senior season. She can shoot, rebounds well for her size, and is a good, if not great, defender. Very unlikely to ever have offense run through her, but for teams wanting competent help on the wing, she would be a good fit. She has an even assist to turnover ratio and did not create her own offense at UCLA, so she is going to need to be paired with guards who can create shots for her.
- Ta’Niya Latson 5’8″ University of South Carolina
Can she score better in the paint and just outside it in the pros vs college? Seems counterintuitive given the bigs are bigger and better in the W, but the spacing is also better in the pros. Latson will have to learn to score more efficiently, to take advantage of her elite athleticism. Her improvements defensively will give her time to figure this out, as she successfully used her year at South Carolina to improve on that end. She’s far from hopeless as a 3 point shooter, but will also need to see her spot up shooting tick up, as it is unlikely she is drafted somewhere that will hand the offense to her.
- Janiah Barker 6’4″ Tennessee
Based on production, Barker would not be on this draft board. But based on size, skill and athleticism, she could be a top 3 pick in this draft. Without being able to interview her or do background checking I have no idea why she struggled to put her talent into production in UCLA in 24-25 or even more so this past season with Tennessee, but at this point in the draft, her talent might be worth the gamble.
- Nell Angloma 5’11 France
She could be shorter Kaleah Copper, but that’s a high bar to reach. Angloma is an athletic wing who attacks the rim hard and is a good finisher there. Her shot isn’t broken, but it needs to improve for her to stick in the W. Her feel for the game is not great, she rarely passes and likes to post smaller guards, something common in Eurocup, but much less common in the W. At only 20 though, she was receiving real minutes, and having offense run for her, for a competitive professional team in France. That is a good sign and one that would have me seriously considering drafting her late in the first round.
Five Out Basketball 