2026 WNBA Draft prospect stock watch: Early check-ins on Lauren Betts, Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles and more

Last week was a big week in women's basketball. On Monday, the 2025-26 NCAA season got underway, and on Friday, the WNBA announced that the 2026 Draft Lottery, which will determine the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, will be held on Nov. 23. 

Over the next six months, the top prospects in college basketball will have a chance to make their case to WNBA scouts. Some will hope to solidify their status as lottery picks, while others will aim to show that they deserve to be taken in the first round. 

2026 WNBA Draft Lottery: Where to watch, date, time, TV, livestream, teams involved, odds for No. 1 pick

Jack Maloney

While it's still extremely early, and most ranked teams haven't played other ranked opponents yet, we've gotten a chance to see everyone play. Let's take a look at how some of the top talent fared with the first edition of WNBA Draft Prospect Stock Watch. 

Azzi Fudd -- G, UConn: Up

After playing just 42 games in her first three collegiate seasons, Fudd returned from a torn ACL last season to play 34 games and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after helping UConn win its first national championship since 2016. Despite her success down the stretch, Fudd decided to return to school to further develop her game. 

One of the big questions for Fudd in her final collegiate season was whether she could become more of an on-ball threat. After leading UConn to two big wins over Louisville and Florida State, the answer appears to be yes. Fudd is already 8 of 12 on off-the-dribble jumpers (six attempts per game). Last season, she only took 78 off-the-dribble jumpers all season (2.3 attempts per game). 

Lauren Betts -- C, UCLA: Steady

Betts is a leading contender for Naismith Player of the Year and could be the No. 1 pick next spring, so it's going to take a lot for her stock to rise. 

She was dominant around the basket in UCLA's two season-opening wins against inferior competition, but didn't take a shot outside of the paint. One area to watch with her this season is whether she can become more than just a back-to-the-basket center. She did make all of her free throws, though, which was a positive sign. She hasn't shot better than 62% for a season in college, and will need to improve there. 

Defensively, it was interesting to watch Betts switch screens at the level against San Diego State's five-out offense. She had some nice moments sticking with smaller players on drives. 

Yarden Garzon -- G, Maryland: Down

After three seasons at Indiana, Garzon transferred to Maryland for her senior campaign. Her start to life in College Park has been frustrating. Though the Terrapins cruised to three wins in the first week of action, Garzon shot 8 of 29 from the field, including 4 of 19 from 3-point range. 

She is not only a 3-point shooter, but her ability to space the floor as a big wing is the primary reason she's projected as a top-10 pick. Garzon shot at least 40% in each of her first three collegiate seasons, so there's no need to panic, but coach Brenda Freese and WNBA scouts would like to see her get back on track. 

Olivia Miles -- G, TCU: Up 

Miles had a rough end to her 2024-25 campaign with Notre Dame, and was particularly poor in their Sweet 16 loss to TCU, in part due to a sprained ankle. She then stunned everyone by not only forgoing the 2025 WNBA Draft, but also transferring to TCU. Even if it wasn't completely fair, it felt like her stock had dropped heading into this season. 

Her first two games for TCU, albeit against poor competition, were a reminder of why she's a potential top-two pick. No one else in this class is throwing whip passes to the corner with both hands. She can get a bit too ambitious at times -- she had 10 turnovers in the first two games, though many of them were not poor passes -- but her playmaking is on a different level than anyone else in this class. 

Ta'Niya Latson -- G, South Carolina: Steady

Latson was the country's leading scorer last season at Florida State, but transferred to South Carolina for her senior campaign to play for Dawn Staley and compete for a national championship. Her numbers are going to go down this season -- she averaged 19.5 shots per game last season and only took 21 combined in the Gamecocks' first two games -- but in theory she should be better prepared for the next level. 

Through two games against completely overmatched foes, Latson looked a lot like she did last season. She's impossible to keep out of the paint and gets whatever she wants at the rim, particularly in transition. Already, she's 11 of 15 at the rim. 

On the flip side, her jumper remains a work in progress. She only took four 3-pointers and is 1 of 5 on jump shots so far. As a playmaker, she had some nice flashes when she got downhill, and that will be another area to monitor. 

Ashlon Jackson -- G, Duke: Down

Jackson has been getting some late-first-round buzz after leading Duke to the Elite Eight last season, but she had a really rough showing in the Blue Devils' season-opening loss to Baylor over in Paris, when she shot 3 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range. 

While Jackson was a bit better against Holy Cross, her play against Baylor was far more relevant for her WNBA prospects. As the second week of the season gets underway, she has as many turnovers (six) as made baskets. Friday's matchup against West Virginia's high-pressure defense will be another good test for Jackson.