One big question for every team headed into the 2026 WNBA Draft

WNBA rosters for the 2026 season are coming together at absolute hyper speed. The free agent negotiation period opened on April 8, and signings followed just a few days later.

The three-ring circus that has been 2026 WNBA free agency has so far included at least 24 free agents changing teams, not including the 13 players whose rights were assigned to the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire during the expansion draft. Add in four trades involving six players, and the landscape is shifting dramatically in just a matter of days. Now the 2026 WNBA Draft is here to shake things up further.

With roster compositions changing so quickly, it’s difficult to clearly assess what teams are thinking when it comes to the 2026 WNBA Draft. In the past four WNBA draft classes, there’s been a consensus No.1 overall pick. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Rhyne Howard have all become franchise stars immediately. The 2026 WNBA draft class is less clear, as there’s a case for the Dallas Wings to pick three different players with the No. 1 overall pick.

Meghan McKeown breaks down her picks for the 2026 WNBA Draft, which includes four UCLA Bruins taken in the Top 10.

Below I assess where each team is on draft day, after a particularly raucous free agency signing period, including one big picture question I have for each franchise going in alphabetical order.

Atlanta Dream: How will the Dream address their bench depth?

Dream general manager Dan Padover traded for Angel Reese without giving up any players, and only sent out 2027 and 2028 first-round picks. Atlanta also re-signed its core: Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon, Jordan Canada, and Brionna Jones. The concern now is depth. The Dream are thin on the wing after losing Maya Caldwell in the expansion draft. Padover said in a media availability that 2024 No. 20 pick Isobel Borlace, the 2026 WNBL MVP, is expected to contribute off the bench. Atlanta also needs another frontcourt piece to complement Reese and Hillmon while Jones recovers from a torn meniscus she sustained in January.

Chicago Sky: Can the Sky draft a young player who will stay?

Over the weekend, Chicago traded their 2028 first-round pick to the Washington Mystics in a draft class that presumably will include Sarah Strong, Mikayla Blakes, Jaloni Cambridge, and Joyce Edwards. Remember, Chicago gave swap rights also to Washington back in 2025 when they acquired Ariel Atkins for the pick that ended up being Sonia Citron. While the Sky will have the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first-rounders from the Angel Reese trade, their value is uncertain since the Dream expects to contend. That puts added pressure on Chicago to maximize its 2026 lottery pick. With Reese gone, could the Sky target LSU wing Flau’jae Johnson to fill a need and boost ticket sales?

Before free agency, the Sun had four young players in Saniya Rivers, Leila Lacan, Aneesah Morrow, and Aliyah Edwards under team control past this season, setting them up to join the Houston Comets in 2027. When the move was announced, team president Jennifer Rizzotti suggested it could help attract long-term free agents. So far, the only multi-year signing is 25-year-old Olivia Nelson-Ododa on a two-year deal. Top earners Brittney Griner and Kennedy Burke are both on one-year deals worth at least $1 million, signaling a desire to maintain cap flexibility ahead of the move. The roster still has holes, especially at lead guard, but Connecticut’s first-round picks at No. 12 and No. 15 could offer a glimpse of the future alongside its young core.

Dallas Wings: Do the Wings still draft Awa Fam at No. 1?

While Fam has been at the top of draft boards and mock drafts for months, a key question remains: Do the Wings need her? Based on the current roster, maybe not. Dallas is loaded in the frontcourt, with Jessica Shepard, Awak Kuier, and Maddy Siegrist at power forward, and Alanna Smith and Li Yueru at center. But this isn’t a new equation for Wings GM Curt Miller. His modus operandi when he coached in both Connecticut and Los Angeles included a preference for having more frontcourt players on a roster. If the Wings draft Fam, is the idea to draft and stash the 19 year-old?

Golden State Valkyries: How will the Valkyries formula change with Gabby Williams?

The Valkyries landed Gabby Williams, a highly-touted free agent who was being pursued heavily by two other teams in the Lynx and the Aces. In addition to Williams and their 2025 first-round draft pick Justė Jocytė coming over for her rookie season, Golden State has re-signed eight players who were on roster at some point last season. Will the Valkyries style of play change with their roster being built around Williams rather than dependent on a group of hard-working role players and talented internationals? Does their ceiling increase from a first-round playoff team to a second?

Indiana Fever: Will Gabriella Jaquez be available for the Fever?

After signing Ty Harris and Monique Billings and re-signing Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever’s rotation is taking shape. Still, a Caitlin Clark–Mitchell backcourt could struggle defensively. Harris helps, but Indiana needs a reliable wing backup for Hull and Cunningham, especially when Stephanie White uses Cunningham at power forward. Someone who could fit that role like a glove would be national championship game breakout star Gabriella Jaquez, who has been called “quintessential hypothetical 3-and-D wing” by draft experts from The IX Sports. If Jaquez is available, it would be shocking if the Fever pass on her, but that of course assumes she’s available.

Las Vegas Aces: How much cap space will the Aces have for their bench?

The Aces’ salary cap is going to be tight with the current contract figures that are public. With A’ja Wilson on a $1.4 million supermax and deals for Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, and Kiersten Bell, Las Vegas has about $2.35 million left under the $7 million cap, excluding Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who was re-signed to a one-year deal on Sunday. This has been a concern since Becky Hammon took over. Her teams have been top-heavy, typically using seven- or eight-player rotations. As the core of Gray, Wilson, Young and Loyd ages and the season balloons to a longer foot print including September’s World Cup, bench depth will become increasingly important.

Los Angeles Sparks: How invested are the Sparks in Cameron Brink?

The goal of the Sparks was to assemble a team that was mainly made of veterans so that Los Angeles could try to finally get back to the playoffs and even try to contend for a title. It’s going to be an uphill battle as currently constructed. Nneka Ogwumike is returning to the Sparks to join Dearica Hamby in the frontcourt. Where does 2024 No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink fit into this equation especially after 2024 No. 4 overall pick Rickea Jackson was traded to the Sky for veteran Ariel Atkins? Brink’s role on this 2026 Sparks team is something to monitor especially when her rim protection skills aren’t replicated by anyone else on that roster.

Minnesota Lynx: Who do the Lynx believe is most pro-ready at the No. 2 overall pick?

The Lynx have holes to fill. After a large exodus of players from their 2025 roster in addition to perennial MVP Napheesa Collier not being healthy, Minnesota missed out on top free agents like Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams. With Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride back on multi-year deals, how should they use the No. 2 pick in 2026? Do they draft a big since losing most 2025 frontcourt? Do they pick sharpshooter Azzi Fudd who could mimic the role that Bridget Carleton used to play? Or do they pick point guard KiKi Rice to shift Williams off the ball?

When the Liberty signed free agent Satou Sabally, it became increasingly clear that New York was going to lean into lineups that featured Sabrina Ionescu surrounded by long two-way wings. But, New York is going to need a back up point guard that can help Ionescu carry the load and allow her to take reps off the ball. The Liberty have been connected to French point guard Pauline Astier in addition to Marine Fauthoux, who they drafted in 2021. Natasha Cloud remains an option although two caveats remain: She’d have to take a large pay cut and would have to accept being relegated to the bench.

Phoenix Mercury: How can the Mercury replace Satou Sabally’s scoring?

The Mercury lost Satou Sabally in free agency and surprisingly didn’t core her to recoup her value. Sabally was the Mercury’s leading scorer in 2025, averaging 16.3 points per game. While her departure clears some room for Kahleah Copper to return to form after having a down scoring year, Phoenix is again relying on Alyssa Thomas, Sami Whitcomb, and a group of lower-cost contributors. It’s a similar formula to 2025, though Sabally is effectively replaced by a full season from 38-year-old DeWanna Bonner. Could new Mercury signee Valériane Ayayi, who played for USK Praha alongside Thomas for multiple seasons, take on some of the scoring load?

Portland Fire: Do the Fire try to move up in the 2026 draft?

Besides the players that the Fire accumulated in the expansion draft weeks ago, Portland has struggled to sign meaningful free agents. Their two main signings in Karlie Samuelson and Megan Gustafson were former members of the London Lions, the former EuroCup team that Fire GM Vanja Černivec and head coach Alex Sarama worked for from 2023 to 2024. With flexible cap space remaining, do the Fire move up in the draft to try to land higher level talent especially when they struck out during free agency? Or do they acquire one of the three first-round draft picks from the Washington Mystics, especially with the Mystics expressing intentions to sign “higher-level, proven talent.”

Seattle Storm: Why did the Storm re-sign Ezi Magbegor?

Before free agency, the Storm aimed to retool around 2025 No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga. They cored Ezi Magbegor, who struggled to find a consistent role in a crowded frontcourt with Malonga, Nneka Ogwumike, and Gabby Williams. It initially seemed like Seattle would seek value for Magbegor given the positional overlap with Malonga, but the Storm instead signed Magbegor to a three-year, $3.75 million deal—the league’s largest cumulative deal so far. According to WNBA reporter Roberta Rodrigues, Magbegor could still be traded, depending on how Seattle uses its four draft picks, including two first-rounders.

Washington Mystics: Why exactly did the Mystics fire their general manager?

On day one of free agency, the Mystics fired GM Jamila Wideman, a move that shocked people around the league. A report from ESPN revealed that there were irreconcilable differences about team vision between Wideman and team president Michael Winger. Now Washington risks losing restricted free agent Shakira Austin, who signed an offer sheet with Toronto. The Mystics must decide Monday whether to match it—despite Winger previously emphasizing her importance. In addition, that ESPN report specified that the Mystics wanted to add “higher-level, proven talent” to complement 2025 draft picks Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Does that contradict the original plan of rebuilding slowly? The messaging remains unclear.