{"id":541630,"date":"2026-03-17T05:04:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/541630\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T05:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:04:22","slug":"top-2026-wnba-draft-prospects-to-watch-during-march-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/541630\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 2026 WNBA Draft Prospects to Watch During March Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"

The women\u2019s 2026 NCAA tournament bracket <\/a>is set, first-round matchups are slated<\/a> and the madness is about to begin. Before any tournament basketball is played and nets are cut down, let\u2019s take a look at the players set to bid collegiate hoops a fond farewell and make the leap to the pros. Here are the top projected WNBA draft prospects competing in March Madness, and how to watch them on their quest for a national championship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Azzi Fudd, UConn, G<\/p>\n

Fudd is projected to go early in the 2026 WNBA draft and could very well be the No. 1 pick. She already has a national title on her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and is now looking to go back-to-back with UConn<\/a> after leading the Huskies to an undefeated season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fudd is a generational offensive talent and an elite shooter. She averaged 17.7 points per game this season, shooting 44.8% from the field and 44.6% from beyond the arc. Her ability to space the floor makes Fudd a compelling prospect, especially for teams in need of perimeter help. The 23-year-old, like many UConn players, is fundamentally sound and possesses intangibles that translate well to the pros.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA; Saturday, March 21 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC<\/p>\n

Olivia Miles, TCU, G\u00a0<\/p>\n

After four seasons at Notre Dame, Miles transferred to TCU to finish out her collegiate career before heading to the pros (though she was projected as a top-five pick last year). Miles is a gifted playmaker, pulling the strings for TCU\u2019s offense. She is a clever passer with excellent court vision and has the fifth-most assists in Division I basketball this season (216), averaging 6.4 per game. Leading the Horned Frogs in points with 19.6 per game, Miles helped TCU to a 29\u20135 record, including four Quad 1 wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego; Friday, March 20 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN<\/p>\n

Flau\u2019jae Johnson, LSU, G<\/p>\n

Johnson is looking to follow up her 2023 national title with LSU<\/a>, cutting down the nets once more before leaving Baton Rouge. Most of her stats are down slightly from last year, but Johnson has improved her long-range game, shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc, which improves her pro-ready r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Johnson has a high motor and can create her own shot, upping the tempo of LSU\u2019s offense when she can get out in transition. She is also a defensive playmaker with impressive hustle and is a stifling presence on the perimeter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville; Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN<\/p>\n

UCLA stars<\/p>\n

UCLA is the No. 1 seed in a tough Sacramento 2 region, with the Bruins in the same quadrant of the bracket as No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Duke. It is now or never for UCLA, as a majority of its stars are heading to the draft after this season, with four Bruins projected to go in the first round.<\/p>\n

Lauren Betts, C<\/p>\n

Betts will likely be a lottery pick despite her stats taking a dip since last season. She leads a stacked UCLA team in points (16.4) and rebounds (8.6), helping the Bruins to a 31\u20131 record. At 6′ 7″, Betts\u2019s physicality and size make her an undeniable presence<\/a> in the paint. She is a dominant rim protector, averaging 1.9 blocks per game, and an imposing enforcer on the defensive end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gianna Kneepkens, G<\/p>\n

After four years at Utah, Kneepkens transferred to UCLA to finish her college career, now with a chance to ride out on a high with a title. She is another pure shooting prospect, averaging 13.4 points per game, shooting 51.8% from the field and 44.2% from three. Kneepkens can space the floor and is a potent perimeter threat, which should translate well to the pros.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"center<\/p>\n

Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts and Gianna Kneepkens (left to right) could all hear their names in the first round of the 2026 WNBA draft. | Grace Hollars\/IndyStar \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Kiki Rice, G<\/p>\n

Rice is determined to go out on top, putting up career-high stats across the board in her senior year. She is averaging 15.3 points and six rebounds per game, shooting 50.4% from the field. A dogged perimeter defender, Rice often takes on tough defensive assignments, while getting stops and setting the pace for the Bruins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gabriela Jaquez, G<\/p>\n

Jaquez is also having a career season in her senior year, averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 54.3% from the field and 41.1% from three. A Swiss Army knife of a guard, Jaquez is a multifaceted perimeter presence and very efficient.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist; Saturday, March 21 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN<\/p>\n

Cotie McMahon, University of Mississippi, F<\/p>\n

After three years at Ohio State, McMahon transferred to Mississippi and made an immediate impact. She is the Rebels\u2019 leading scorer, averaging a career-high 19.9 points per game on 45.1% shooting. Her three-point shot needs improvement, as McMahon shot just 28.6% from beyond the arc this season. However, she is physical, athletic and tough, putting defenses through their paces with her strength. She can drive to the basket, and her tenacity in getting to the hoop is a strong mark in her WNBA draft profile. Her stock could very well rise if Mississippi makes a surprising run in the NCAA tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga; Friday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2<\/p>\n

South Carolina stars\u00a0<\/p>\n

Similar to UCLA, South Carolina features a litany of starters who could all be selected in the first round of the WNBA draft. The Gamecocks are the No. 1 seed in the Sacramento 4 region and are out for redemption after losing to Texas in the SEC tournament.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Raven Johnson, G<\/p>\n

Coach Dawn Staley has heaped praise on Johnson, calling her a winner and even stating that she will miss her the most of all the players she coached. \u201cShe makes plays, winning plays,\u201d Staley said of Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Johnson is one of the best defensive prospects available in the draft, suffocating guards and disrupting opponents\u2019 momentum. She\u2019s a floor general, directing traffic while playmaking for the Gamecocks. Her vision and IQ make her an enticing prospect for teams in need of a competent and poised point guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"South<\/p>\n

Ta’Niya Latson, who led the nation in scoring last season with Florida State, transferred to South Carolina for her final year with eyes set on a national title. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Ta\u2019Niya Latson, G<\/p>\n

After spending three prolific years with Florida State, Latson transferred to South Carolina<\/a> in hopes of adding some hardware to her trophy cabinet. Her stats have dipped since the move to Columbia, averaging 14.3 points per game this season, compared to last year\u2019s 25.2. But this is to be expected, as she is now sharing the wealth with Staley\u2019s stacked roster. Latson is very efficient and can get downhill and drive to the basket. She\u2019s athletic and an excellent finisher, and will be an attractive prospect for teams looking for a zap of offensive energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Madina Okot, C<\/p>\n

Staley and South Carolina are known for developing WNBA-ready bigs (think A\u2019ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston). At 6′ 6″, Okot is an imposing presence in the paint. She is a solid rim protector and disruptive defensively, averaging 10.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks this season. Having only started playing basketball in 2020, the young center likely has a high upside that will be alluring for WNBA teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern\/Samford; Saturday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC<\/p>\n

More March Madness from Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The women\u2019s 2026 NCAA tournament bracket is set, first-round matchups are slated and the madness is about to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":541631,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,82,630],"class_list":["post-541630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541630\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}