UConn guard Azzi Fudd, left, and UConn forward Serah Williams, right, pressure Boston College guard Ava McGee, center, in the first half of an exhibition NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Jessica Hill/Associated Press
UConn guard Azzi Fudd works the floor against the Notre Dame during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
LM Otero/Associated Press
North Carolina forward Nyla Harris, center, competes for a rebound against UConn’s Ashlynn Shade (12), Serah Williams (22) and Sarah Strong (21) in the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Julio Cortez/Associated Press
On Monday night in New York City, UConn women’s basketball’s Azzi Fudd and Serah Williams will take the next step in their basketball careers. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun will select the last handful of college or international standouts to play in the franchise’s final season in Connecticut.
Fudd is expected to be a top-four pick, while Williams could hear her name in the second or third round or the three-round, 45-pick draft. The Sun has four picks in the draft: No. 12 (from Phoenix) and No. 15 (from Minnesota) in the first round, No. 3 in the second round and No. 3 in the third round.
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This year, the WNBA will welcome two new franchises with the Toronto Tempo and the return of the Portland Fire. Toronto and Portland built their rosters through an expansion draft earlier this month, which saw the Tempo draft Sun guard Marina Mabrey and the Fire select former Husky Nika Mühl.
The Tempo will pick sixth overall in Monday’s college draft, with the Fire following with the No. 7 pick. Portland also has the second pick in the second round (No. 17 overall) following a trade with Chicago and the seventh pick in the third round. Toronto has two picks in the second round (No. 7 and No. 11) thanks to a trade with New York and the No. 6 pick in the third round. Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 WNBA Draft.
WNBA Draft: Time, TV, pick order
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Where: The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City
Order of first-round picks
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The Dallas Wings have the No. 1 overall pick for the second-straight season as they won the Draft Lottery back in November. Despite missing the playoffs last season and finishing 11th out of 13 teams, the Sun do not have a lottery pick this year. Connecticut traded that pick to Chicago in July 2024 in exchange for Mabrey.
No. 2 Minnesota (from Chicago)
No. 3 Seattle (from Los Angeles)
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No. 5 Chicago (from Connecticut)
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No. 9 Washington (from Seattle)
No. 11 Washington (from New York)
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No. 12 Connecticut (from Phoenix)
No. 14 Seattle (from Las Vegas)
No. 15 Connecticut (from Minnesota)
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UConn’s WNBA Draft History
Heading into this year’s draft, the Huskies have had 50 total players selected in the WNBA Draft, including at least one player in 16 of the last 17 drafts. Paige Bueckers was chosen by Dallas with the No. 1 overall pick last year, becoming the sixth Husky ever to go No. 1 overall and first since Breanna Stewart in 2026.
UConn has had 27 first-round picks. Fudd is expected to be selected within the first four picks this year, with some outlets projecting her to go No. 1 overall. If she does go first, it’ll mark just the second time the Huskies have had back-to-back top picks in program history. The only other time it happened was over 15 years ago, when Tina Charles went No. 1 overall in 2010 to Connecticut and Maya Moore went No. 1 overall in 2011 to Minnesota.
The Huskies have had at least two players selected in the WNBA Draft in each of the last four years, including three in 2025 and 2022.
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While she’s also a graduating senior, Caroline Ducharme isn’t expected to be drafted this year and has a history of severe concussion symptoms. The guard was able to recover and return to the floor, playing the majority of this season healthy but with limited contributions.
CT Sun’s Draft History
This year marks the 10th straight season the Sun has not had a lottery pick. While the franchise consistently finished in the top third of the league in its first 21 years in Connecticut, last year marked the beginning of a rebuilding era for the franchise. The Sun finished 11-33 and didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But because of its successful 2024 season (28-12), Connecticut not only had one of the lowest odds to win the 2026 draft lottery (odds are based on a team’s two-year results) but also traded away its 2026 first-round pick to Chicago in exchange for Mabrey.
Last year, the Sun drafted Aneesah Morrow (LSU) and Saniya Rivers (NC State) with the No. 7 and No. 8 overall picks and Rayah Marshall (USC) with the No. 25 pick.
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Connecticut will play its final season in the Nutmeg State this summer before relocating to Houston in 2027. The 2026 season marks head coach Rachid Meziane’s second with the Sun. The team’s biggest needs in the draft include: a point guard and a score-first big.
Four of the Sun’s stars from last season are free agents this offseason, including former Huskies Tina Charles, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Bria Hartley. While free agency meetings remain ongoing, as of Thursday, the Sun’s 2026 roster consists of Morrow, Rivers, Marshall, Leila Lacan, Migna Toure and former Husky Aaliyah Edwards.