2026 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0: Dallas Wings win the lottery, but who should they take with the No. 1 pick?

The Dallas Wings won the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery on Sunday and will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft next April. This is the second consecutive year that the Wings have picked first, and they'll hope to add another top talent next to 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers. 

Rounding out the lottery are the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. The Lynx had the best record in the league last season, but own the Sky's first-round pick. On the flip side, the Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun missed the playoffs last season but are not in the lottery. The Sparks owed their pick to the Storm, while the Sun owed the Sky a swap. 

Winners and losers from the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery: Dallas Wings get No. 1 pick, Chicago Sky's woes continue

Jack Maloney

Now that the full first round order is (almost) official, let's take an early look at how the first round might play out five months from now. Here is CBS Sports' 2026 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0. 

Note: As expansion franchises, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will be slotted into the first round after the lottery. A coin flip will determine which team receives the No. 6 pick and which team receives the No. 7 pick. CBS Sports flipped a coin to simulate that process and the Tempo were the winners. Thus, for the sake of this mock, they have been given the No. 6 pick. 

1. Wings: Awa Fam -- C, Spain

7.6 points, 4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals | 53.6% FG, 80% 3FG, 50% FT

The 19-year-old Fam is the best prospect in this class, and the Wings should not overthink this pick. Bigs with her level of athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball are rare, and she's shown in EuroLeague this season that she's already capable of holding her own against WNBA veterans. Fam would be an excellent frontcourt partner for Paige Bueckers and give the Wings a strong foundation for the future. 

2. Lynx: Lauren Betts -- C, UCLA

15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 blocks | 61.7% FG, 89.5% FT

The 6-foot-7 Betts is a traditional back-to-the-basket center who does not fit the five-out style the Lynx have had so much success with in recent years. However, last season showed that the Lynx could use some more size and physicality in the paint, and that's where Betts is at her best. A trade would be complicated now without a new CBA in place, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Lynx ultimately try to move out of this spot. 

3. Storm: Olivia Miles -- G, TCU

18.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.7 steals | 48.7% FG, 29.6% 3FG, 81.3% FT

The general consensus was that the Storm were going to take Miles with the No. 2 pick last year, but she stunned everyone by staying in school, which forced the Storm into taking Dominique Malonga. The French center looked awesome as a rookie, and now, the Storm might wind up with Miles after all, which would be a tremendous coup. Miles is a brilliant playmaker who could help unlock the Storm's offense, and the defensive structure in Seattle could help cover for her on that side of the ball. 

4. Mystics: Azzi Fudd -- G, UConn

21 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals | 51.1% FG, 54.8% 3FG, 100% FT

Fudd was the No. 1 ranked recruit coming out of St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. in 2021. Returning home to the Mystics would be a full circle moment for the UConn star. There are still questions about her ability to create her own offense, but she is one of the best pure shooters to ever enter the draft. The Mystics, who attempted a league-low 17.1 3-pointers per game last season, desperately need an outside threat. 

5. Sky: Flau'jae Johnson -- G, LSU

17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals | 55.9% FG, 57.1% 3FG, 72.7% FT

The Sky traded the No. 3 pick in last year's draft (Sonia Citron) for Ariel Atkins, which was criticized at the time and looks even worse in retrospect. They are lucky to even have a lottery pick this year and cannot mess up this selection. Johnson is a true three-level scorer who would bring a real sense of star power to Wintrust Arena and fulfill the team's need for a guard of the future. 

6. Tempo: Ta'Niya Latson -- G, South Carolina

18.2 points, 4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal | 60% FG, 54.5% 3FG, 75.8% FT

Latson's numbers are down a bit from last season, when she led the country in scoring, but that was always going to be the case after she transferred to South Carolina. She's been much more efficient with less on her plate and remains a terrific downhill driver who excels in transition. Her jumper is still a work in progress, but she's able to create her own shot with ease and would give the Tempo an exciting starting point. 

7. Fire: Iyana Martín -- G, Spain

11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 steals | 54.5% FG, 30.8% 3FG, 71.4% FT

At least right now, there appears to be a drop-off after the top six players in this class, which would make the coin flip for the No. 6 pick particularly important. Ironically, Fire general manager Vanja Černivec was in an almost identical situation last year when she worked with the Valkyries, who had the No. 5 pick in a so-called four-player draft. The Valkyries took an upside swing with Lithuanian guard Justė Jocytė. It's worth wondering if the Fire would go a similar route with Martín, another lefty European guard. The Spaniard was named EuroLeague Young Player of the Year last season. 

8. Valkyries: Gianna Kneepkens -- G, UCLA

12.7 points, 4 rebounds, 3.7 assists | 45.9% FG, 36.4% 3FG, 88.9% FT

The Valkyries didn't have many 3-point threats last season, but they still took a WNBA-record 29.9 attempts per game. As long as Natalie Nakase remains in charge in the Bay Area (which should be for a long time), this team is going to fire away from behind the arc. Kneepkens, who transferred to UCLA this season, is one of the best shooters in this class. She's off to a so-so start this season, but shot over 42% in each of her last three seasons at Utah. 

9. Mystics: Gabriela Jaquez -- G, UCLA

14 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals | 56.1% FG, 39.1% 3FG, 100% FT

The Mystics have three first-round picks for the second year in a row, and are back up here at No. 9. With a hypothetical big three of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Azzi Fudd in place, Jaquez would make a lot of sense for the Mystics as a do-it-all wing who doesn't need the ball in her hands, isn't afraid to do the dirty work and plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor. If the improvement she's shown as a 3-point shooter to start the season is real, that would be a bonus. 

10. Fever: Serah Williams -- F, UConn

7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 block | 47.6% FG, 100% FT

Williams' numbers are way down after transferring from Wisconsin to UConn, but that's no surprise. What she'll learn from Geno Auriemma and company is far more valuable than any stats. The 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is a long, versatile defender and can run the floor in transition. Both of those skills would make her a good fit for the Fever, who need to boost their frontcourt depth. 

11. Mystics: Janiah Barker -- F, Tennessee

15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.7 steals | 48.4% FG, 26.1% 3FG, 73.5% FT

Barker has been a fascinating player to evaluate over the years. She has the physical tools and skills to have a long career in the WNBA, but hasn't been able to put everything together regularly enough. Now at her third school in three years, she's off to a strong start for Kim Caldwell's Volunteers and could be worth a swing at No. 11 for the Mystics, who will be making their sixth first-round pick in two years and can afford the risk. 

12. Sun: Cotie McMahon -- F, Ole Miss

17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals | 54.2% FG, 36.8% 3FG, 64.7% FT

The Sun went 11-33 last season, but will miss out on the lottery because they do not control their own first-round pick. Still, they have two chances to add to their rebuild late in the first round. McMahon, who is off to an excellent start in her first season at Ole Miss, would make sense here. She's an extremely physical, hard-nosed forward who would fit in with the culture Rachid Meziane is building in Uncasville. Keep an eye on her 3-point shooting throughout the season. 

13. Dream: Yarden Garzon -- F, Maryland

10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals | 38.8% FG, 30.2% 3FG, 100% FT

New Dream coach Karl Smesko wants to shoot a lot of 3s, but he didn't have the personnel to properly implement that approach in his first season, and their poor shooting is one of the main reasons they were stunned in the first round of the playoffs. While Garzon has really struggled to find her footing at Maryland after transferring from Indiana, she shot over 40% from 3-point range in each of her first three collegiate seasons. 

14. Storm: Nell Angloma -- F, France

12.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals | 47.9% FG, 33.3% 3FG, 83.3% FT

It remains to be seen how the Storm will approach the offseason after another early playoff exit and a coaching change, but barring an exodus, they are going to have a veteran squad looking to compete in 2026. Assuming that's the case, a draft-and-stash candidate would make sense here with their second first-round pick. The 19-year-old Angloma impressed at the U19 FIBA World Cup this summer and was named to the All-Second Team (alongside Jazzy Davidson).  

15. Sun: Kiki Rice -- G, UCLA

14 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 blocks | 44.9% FG, 31.3% 3FG, 94.4% FT

Another defensive-minded guard with a questionable outside shot isn't exactly the Sun's biggest need, but it would be hard to pass on Rice if she was still on the board here at No. 15. Rice is big and physical on the perimeter, and is a reliable playmaker who takes care of the ball. Good luck bringing the ball up the floor against a defensive backcourt of Rice, Leila Lacan and Saniya Rivers.