WNBA mock draft 2026: Miles replaces Fudd at projected No. 1

WNBA talent evaluators have been looking for prospects for months. But the college players available in Monday’s draft (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) had one final audition in the NCAA tournament.

It’s better to emphasize the players’ overall work versus what’s happened over the past two weeks. But strong performances in their final college playoffs are known to help draft players.

In our most recent WNBA draft, for example, TCU point guard Olivia Miles moved to the top of the rankings. Miles was projected as a lottery pick last season when she was age-eligible for the draft. Instead, she transferred to TCU from Notre Dame for her final college season in hopes of becoming an even more polished pro prospect.

She was statistically at her best in the NCAA tournament – ​​averaging 19 points, 9.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists – where the Horned Frogs lost to South Carolina in the Elite Eight.

Some might wonder if the Dallas Wings, who have the No. 1 pick, will pair Miles with another young guard who handles the ball a lot, like last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers. But these two very talented players could also complement each other.

WNBA free agency is underway, so signings before draft day could once again change our first-round projections as the team’s needs are filled or revealed. But for now, here’s our final mock draft, which features four players from UCLA’s NCAA championship team.

TCU | leader | 5 feet 10 inches | senior

Miles averaged a career-high 19.6 points this season as the Horned Frogs went 32-6 and won the Big 12 regular season title. She had six triple-doubles this season, including one in the first round of the NCAA tournament. His vision of the field is excellent. She made 73 3-pointers this season at TCU and last season at Notre Dame. With that kind of offensive arsenal, Miles could work well with Bueckers (and Arike Ogunbowale, if she stays in Dallas).

Spain | center | 6 feet 4 inches

Fam, who averages 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds for Valencia in Spain, is only 19 years old and has enormous potential. It depends on how quickly and well coach Cheryl Reeve and the Lynx think Fam can adapt to the WNBA and how high they think her ceiling is, especially considering how UCLA’s Lauren Betts played her senior season. Bets should also be considered for this spot if the Lynx select a post player.

UConn | shooting guard | 5 feet 11 inches | senior

Fudd could still be picked No. 1, and that’s where we’ve had her in two previous mock drafts. But this could be a good landing spot for her, as the Storm could retool with a younger group under new coach Sonia Raman.

Fudd was the 2025 Final Four MVP, but didn’t have as strong an NCAA tournament run this season. After a career-high 34 points with eight 3-pointers in the second round, Fudd has totaled just 31 points on 12-of-39 shooting (30.8%) in his last three games. She finished 3 of 15 for eight points in the Huskies’ national semifinal loss to South Carolina.

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Azzi Fudd drills the and-1 bucket from midrange

Azzi Fudd gets fouled and hits a tough mid-range shot for UConn.

UCLA | center | 6 feet 7 inches | senior

Betts did nothing but help his draft in the NCAA tournament, an added bonus to winning the national championship. She is one of six Bruins seniors expected to be selected in this draft. Betts shot at least 60 percent from the field in all six NCAA Tournament games, averaging 68.8 percent. She averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 blocks and was named tournament MVP. The Mystics already have size, but it’s hard to see them passing up Betts if she’s still available.

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UCLA defeats South Carolina for its first NCAA title

UCLA wins national title after huge win over South Carolina.

LSU | shooting guard | 5 feet 10 inches | senior

Johnson has had her ups and downs this season, but she has a lot of ability and may need to play against pros to begin her next stage of development. She averaged 19.0 points and shot 52.4% in the Tigers’ three NCAA Tournament games. During the season, she shot a career-best 39.3% from behind the arc (48-of-122) and tied a career-high with 89 assists. His energy and defense are two other strong points.

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Flau’jae Johnson, emotional, reflects on last match at ACGA as a Tiger

Following LSU’s Sweet 16 victory, Johnson delivers a candid reflection on his time in Baton Rouge, expressing gratitude to those who shaped his journey.

France | small before | 5 feet 11 inches

Angloma averages 15.5 points and 5.6 rebounds for Basket Lattes Montpellier Agglomération (BMLA) in the French premier league, BWL. She won’t turn 20 until June and will likely be able to play small forward or shooting guard in the WNBA. Tempo won a coin toss and chose to pick first in that draft while letting the other expansion team, Portland, pick first in the expansion draft.

Spain | leader | 5 feet 8 inches

Martin, who turned 20 in January, was part of the Spanish team that qualified for the EuroBasket championship game last summer. Despite her youth, she has a lot of experience at the professional level. She averages 14.8 points and 4.2 assists for Perfumerias Avenida of LF Endesa in Spain. In 2023, she was the MVP of the FIBA ​​Under-19 World Cup.

UCLA | shooting guard | 5 feet 11 inches | senior

Who will be the second Bruins player selected after Betts? It could be Kneepkens because of his most famous talent: long-range shooting. She spent four years (with one redshirt season due to injury) at Utah before transferring to UCLA as a senior, a move that worked out very well for her and the national champion Bruins. Her scoring average dropped, as expected, with more talent around her. But Kneepkens still shot 42.9% from behind the arc (87 of 203). She finished her college career shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range (335 of 777).

Ole Miss | small before | 6 feet | senior

McMahon will need to transition to becoming more of a perimeter player in the WNBA and improve her 3-point shooting. She’s been working on this over the past two seasons. This year, after transferring to Ole Miss after three years at Ohio State, McMahon averaged a career-high 19.5 points and made a career-high 36 3-pointers. But she shot 28.6% from behind the arc. McMahon’s physical style of play should translate well to the WNBA.

South Carolina | leader | 5 feet 9 inches | senior

It seems Johnson helped her a lot in recruiting as a senior because of the qualities she demonstrated: leadership, maturity and resilience. We saw these qualities throughout his career at South Carolina, but they were essential in helping the Gamecocks reach the national championship game again and end UConn’s undefeated season. Johnson was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. She is very strong and can effectively protect many different types of players.

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Raven Johnson scores her 1,000th career point

Raven Johnson frees the ball and scores her 1,000th career point for South Carolina.

UCLA | shooting guard | 6 feet | senior

If all anyone saw of Jaquez was her performance in a national championship game — 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and enough energy to have lit up the arena — that alone would be reason to recruit her. But we saw her put in that kind of effort for four seasons at UCLA. His 13.5 point average and shooting percentages – 53.9% from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 86% from free throws – as a senior were all career highs.

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An emotional Gabriela Jaquez reacts to UCLA’s national title victory

UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez discusses her feelings after the Bruins won their first NCAA women’s basketball national championship.

UCLA | leader | 5 feet 11 inches | senior

Like his fellow UCLA seniors, Rice saved the best for last. She averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals and shot 49% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the foul line. All of these numbers were career highs. She also averaged 4.6 assists and showed great composure in tough situations, including her four free throws in the final 13 seconds that helped lead UCLA to a national semifinal victory over Texas.

South Carolina | shooting guard | 5 feet 8 inches | senior

Latson’s transfer from Florida State to South Carolina for his senior season went well. She helped the Gamecocks advance to the national championship game with a huge performance – 16 points, 11 rebounds – against UConn in the semifinals. She averaged 14.1 points and 3.6 assists this season and showed she can play defense the South Carolina way. One of the best guards, Latson could move several spots higher, but the Dream’s system seems like it could suit him.

TCU | small before | 6 feet 3 inches | senior

A native of Oviedo, Spain, Suarez played two seasons at Tennessee and two at Cal before joining TCU. But what she showed in her lone season in Fort Worth, Texas, might be enough to make her a first-round pick. Suarez averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while hitting a game-high 84 3-pointers. His most impressive NCAA tournament game was a 33-point, 10-rebound performance in TCU’s Sweet 16 win over Virginia.

South Carolina | center | 6 feet 6 inches | senior

South Carolina is still waiting to hear if Okot will receive an additional year of NCAA college eligibility. She played just two years in the U.S. college system — at Mississippi State last season and at South Carolina this season — after competing for two years in college in her native Kenya. If she is given another season, she will return to the Gamecocks, which would be good for her development. Otherwise, she’ll have to learn faster in the WNBA, but she has the talent to do it. She averaged 12.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks for the national runner-up Gamecocks.