2026 WNBA Draft Results: Dallas Wings Reunite Bueckers and Fudd, UCLA Sets Records

UCLA set all-time draft records. Flau'jae Johnson was traded before she ever put on a jersey. And the Dallas Wings landed Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick, adding her to a backcourt that already has Paige Bueckers. That was Monday night's 2026 WNBA Draft in New York, the league's first under a new collective bargaining agreement as it enters its 30th season.

Dallas took Fudd with the top pick Monday night at The Shed at Hudson Yards. After back-to-back healthy seasons, Fudd has finally cashed in on the potential that made her the nation's top recruit in 2021. She runs alongside Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale in Dallas now — a backcourt that should give opposing defenses a lot to worry about. The new CBA bumped the salary cap to $7 million — up from just over $1.5 million a year ago — and Fudd pockets a record $500,000 in her first season.

TCU point guard Olivia Miles went No. 2 to Minnesota, Spain's Awa Fam Thiam went No. 3 to Seattle, UCLA center Lauren Betts went No. 4 to Washington, and Betts' Bruin teammate Gabriela Jaquez went No. 5 to Chicago to round out the top five.

The defending national champion Bruins authored the most decorated school performance in WNBA Draft history. Five UCLA players were taken in the first round — a new record — and six were drafted across the full three rounds, also an all-time mark.

Betts at No. 4 gives Washington its most significant interior addition in years. A low-post scorer with a refined game, she is also the best rim protector in this draft class and joins a Mystics team that ranked 10th in block rate last season. Point guard Kiki Rice went No. 6 to the expansion Toronto Tempo as the franchise's first-ever draft selection, giving Toronto a mature, versatile player who flourished in her senior season, leading UCLA to the national title. Power forward Angela Dugalić, a stretch-4 whose range and length make her a mismatch creator, went No. 9 to Washington — giving the Mystics two Bruins in the first 11 picks. Guard Gianna Kneepkens, who never shot below 38.4% from 3-point range in any college season, rounded out the historic first round at No. 15 with Connecticut. Point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker — whose transition from top scorer at Washington State to pass-first lead guard at UCLA showcased a wide range of pro-translatable skills — joined Kneepkens in Connecticut at No. 18, making the Sun the beneficiaries of two Bruins in one draft.

The Mystics were the draft's most aggressive team in Round 1, collecting three first-round selections. In addition to Betts and Dugalić, Washington nabbed Ole Miss forward Cotie McMahon at No. 11. McMahon, whose speed and strength were considered pro-ready as early as her freshman year, also added point guard skills during her time at Ole Miss. The combination of Betts' interior presence, Dugalić's perimeter range, and McMahon's attacking style gives Washington three players with distinct profiles to build around.

No. 8 barely had time to settle. Golden State took Johnson, then flipped her rights to Seattle — getting back Marta Suárez at No. 16 and a 2028 second-rounder in the process.

Hard to argue Seattle lost that one. Johnson can guard multiple positions and get to her spots, two things the Storm were short on, and a rebuilding roster means she plays. Golden State needed shooting. Suárez hit 38% from 3 at TCU at 6-3, and the Valkyries were 11th in 3-point accuracy a year ago.

Seattle's night didn't stop there. The Storm also added Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3 — a 19-year-old with elite size, pick-and-roll skill and a developing perimeter game who projects as the highest-ceiling player in the entire class — and Duke guard Taina Mair at No. 14. Between Fam Thiam, Johnson and Malonga, Seattle is building a young core with significant long-term upside.

For all of Minnesota's recent success, the Lynx have operated largely without a traditional point guard. That changes with Miles, whose court vision and playmaking are already considered at an elite level. Her perimeter shooting has grown substantially over the past two seasons, giving coach Cheryl Reeve the option to play her off the ball — or to let her operate as the engine of Minnesota's offense in transition, where her creativity is considered generational.

Portland took Spanish point guard Iyana Martín Carrión at No. 7. She's 20 years old with real pro experience in Europe, and her court vision and pick-and-roll play already draw pro-level comparisons. The Fire also grabbed UConn center Serah Williams at No. 33 via trade. Toronto went Rice at No. 6, then came back for Kentucky forward Teonni Key at No. 22 and Davidson's Charlise Dunn at No. 36 — a small forward the Tempo didn't have a version of anywhere on their roster.

Indiana came away with three perimeter players to plug in around Caitlin Clark. Raven Johnson at No. 10 is a four-time Final Four winner from South Carolina who reunites with former Gamecocks teammate Aliyah Boston. At No. 25, Vanderbilt's Justine Pissott shot 42.2% from 3 in her final college season after struggling to find her shot the first three years. Alabama's Jessica Timmons rounded things out at No. 40 — she hit 39.4% from deep last season.