{"id":301208,"date":"2025-11-19T13:07:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/301208\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T13:07:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:07:07","slug":"awa-fam-heads-to-washington-storm-land-azzi-fudd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/301208\/","title":{"rendered":"Awa Fam Heads to Washington, Storm Land Azzi Fudd"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re more than a month removed from the 2025 WNBA<\/a> Finals, during which the Las Vegas Aces successfully swept the Phoenix Mercury to win their third championship since relocating from San Antonio in 2018. The 2026 WNBA Draft is arguably the biggest event on the calendar until the start of the regular season, so anticipation grows by the day.<\/p>\n

The draft lottery will take place on November 23 and will be broadcast on ESPN. This marks the first season of the WNBA\u2019s new five-team draft lottery and includes the addition of two expansion teams: the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. Going into the lottery, we make our latest predictions in this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft.<\/p>\n

2026 Pre-Lottery WNBA Mock Draft
\n1) Dallas Wings
\nLauren Betts, C, UCLA<\/p>\n

Going into the draft lottery, the Dallas Wings are the projected favorites<\/a> to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Winning the lottery would give them a chance to pair a potential star alongside All-Star and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers. In this WNBA Mock Draft, the answer at No. 1 is obvious.<\/p>\n

Lauren Betts is a reliable 6\u20197\u2033 center with plus ability on both sides of the floor. She\u2019s a reliable finisher near the rim, a talented rebounder, and a strong rim protector down low. Her size, physicality, and ability to contribute on both offense and defense should make her highly sought after when she enters the WNBA.<\/p>\n

2) Minnesota Lynx (via Sky)
\nOlivia Miles, G, TCU<\/p>\n

It must\u2019ve been disappointing for the Minnesota Lynx to miss out on the WNBA Finals, seeing as though they had the best regular-season record in the league. However, they have a chance to add some serious talent, having possession of the Chicago Sky\u2019s first-round pick with a 25.0% chance at the first overall pick.<\/p>\n

A strong argument could be made that Olivia Miles is the most offensively gifted player in the 2026 draft class. Last year for Notre Dame, she shot 40.6% from deep, showing off her ability to shoot from all levels of the court. She\u2019s a tremendous passer with proper accuracy and court vision, and her quickness to the rim makes her tough to defend.<\/p>\n

3) Seattle Storm (via Sparks)
\nAzzi Fudd, G, UConn<\/p>\n

The Seattle Storm kept things competitive with the eventual champion Aces in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, coming up just one point short in Game 3 of their series. Though the loss surely stings, it\u2019s enticing to think about what this team can do when it adds a lottery pick to an already talented team.<\/p>\n

Azzi Fudd is a highly talented prospect with elite offensive upside. With a 43.6% 3-point percentage and a silky jump shot, her offensive output played a significant role in UConn\u2019s run towards winning the national championship last year. Injuries drop her out of the top two picks, but she\u2019s a tremendous guard prospect who can score in bunches.<\/p>\n

4) Washington Mystics
\nAwa Fam, C, Spain<\/p>\n

Of the 13 teams in the WNBA last season, the Washington Mystics placed just tenth in team rebounds and 11th in blocks. An excellent way for them to potentially improve upon that is by adding one of the most intriguing players in the 2026 class, which is precisely what they do in this WNBA Mock Draft.<\/p>\n

Awa Fam is 6\u20196\u2033 with tremendous athleticism for her size, giving her immense potential as a big at the next level. Fam\u2019s wingspan and explosiveness make her an excellent rebounder, and she can finish around the rim. As she develops her offensive game, she looks the part of a prospect who could outperform her eventual draft status a few years down the line.<\/p>\n

5) Chicago Sky (via Sun)
\nFlau\u2019jae Johnson, G, LSU<\/p>\n

The Chicago Sky don\u2019t have their own first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, having traded it previously to Minnesota. Though having the likely No. 2 pick would\u2019ve been nice, they still have a lottery pick through the Connecticut Sun, and in this WNBA Mock Draft, they add a potential impact player to their backcourt.<\/p>\n

A reliable force for LSU throughout her collegiate career, Flau\u2019jae Johnson is a consistent scorer who has averaged double-digit points and improved her 3-point percentage each year she has played for the Tigers. Her size and rebounding abilities are rare for a guard, which should make her enticing to WNBA teams.<\/p>\n

6) Toronto Tempo
\nTa\u2019Niya Latson, G, South Carolina<\/p>\n

As the Toronto Tempo head into their first year in the WNBA, they\u2019ll need somebody who can carry the load for them offensively in the early stages. In this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft, they find a potential building block through one of college basketball\u2019s best offensive threats.<\/p>\n

Coming off of a tremendous three seasons at Florida State, Ta\u2019Niya Latson heads to South Carolina for her final year in college. She has a high bar to reach to top her campaign last year, where she led the nation with 25.2 points per game. She can get hot as a shooter at any moment, giving her considerable WNBA upside despite some defensive concerns.<\/p>\n

7) Portland Fire
\nGianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA<\/p>\n

Assuming the Portland Fire slot into the No. 7 pick, they\u2019ll have a chance to add a solid potential starter through this year\u2019s draft. It\u2019s unlikely they find their face of the franchise in the middle of the first round, but this selection could be a building block for their future development.<\/p>\n

A stellar shooter at Utah, Gianna Kneepkens heads to UCLA for her final collegiate season on what figures to be a strong contender in women\u2019s college basketball. She has gone 43.2% from deep in her career, including a tremendous 44.8% mark last season. Her size (5\u201911\u201d) and outside shooting ability should make her a solid WNBA starter.<\/p>\n

8) Golden State Valkyries
\nKiki Rice, G, UCLA<\/p>\n

Finishing with a record above .500 in their first season in existence, the Golden State Valkyries surpassed expectations in 2025. They\u2019d look to build off of that momentum with a talented scoring guard in the first round of our 2026 WNBA Mock Draft.<\/p>\n

Kiki Rice is a reliable shooter inside the arc and has shown promise as a 3-point shooter, finishing second in scoring on UCLA\u2019s Final Four team last year at 12.8 points per game.
Rice is a solid scorer and an effective floor general who can make plays at a high level as a passer.<\/p>\n

Chloe Kitts, F, South Carolina<\/p>\n

A well-rounded forward with size and a developing game, Chloe Kitts is coming off a season that saw her tally a career-high 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, shooting an improved 79.8% from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n

Kitts is one of the best passing bigs in college basketball. She demonstrates tremendous court vision and accuracy. That versatility, combined with her size and growing scoring ability, gives her solid upside as a contributor at the WNBA level. She would be a great addition to a Golden State Valkyries team that has improved considerably late this season.<\/p>\n

9) Washington Mystics (via Storm)
\nCotie McMahon, F, Ole Miss<\/p>\n

With the first of their three first-round picks of this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft, the Mystics took a shot on the prospect with arguably the most potential of any player in this class. They double down on size with their second pick, adding some strength along the perimeter on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n

Cotie McMahon brought tremendous physicality on the wing for Ohio State before transferring to Ole Miss for the upcoming season. She\u2019s tough in the paint and strong along the perimeter, and her improvements as a 3-point shooter indicate there\u2019s still some more potential for her to grow from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n

10) Indiana Fever
\nMadina Okot, C, South Carolina<\/p>\n

The Indiana Fever already have one of the WNBA\u2019s best players<\/a> on their roster in Caitlin Clark, and the likes of Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Sophie Cunningham provide substantial value. They could stand to improve in the paint, though, making center a potential area of focus for them in this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

Madina Okot is one of the more intriguing prospects to project in this class, and she lands late in Round 1 of our 2026 WNBA Mock Draft. The Kenyan native is 6\u20196\u2033 and excelled in her first year of American basketball last year for Mississippi State. She can potentially be a key contributor to a loaded South Carolina squad this year.<\/p>\n

11) Washington Mystics (via Liberty)
\nYarden Garzon, G, Maryland<\/p>\n

An intriguing combination of height, length, and perimeter shooting ability, Yarden Garzon shot 40.7% from three and averaged 14.4 points per game at Indiana last year. She transferred to Maryland to finish up her collegiate career.<\/p>\n

Garzon is a tall guard at 6\u20193\u2033 with a large wingspan. Her sharpshooting capabilities include a career percentage of 42.6% from three, giving her mismatch potential in the WNBA along the perimeter. Her length and abilities along the perimeter would make her a great addition to Washington\u2019s talented squad.<\/p>\n

12) Connecticut Sun (via Mercury)
\nAshlon Jackson, G, Duke<\/p>\n

Ashlon Jackson is a talented 3-and-D shooting guard with good agility and grittiness on the defensive end. She tied Duke\u2019s single-season record with 87 3-pointers made in the 2024-25 season, and she has the shooting stroke and driving ability to be a significant threat with the ball in her hands.<\/p>\n

All told, Jackson could be a very good value for the Connecticut Sun this late. They may not have their own early first-round pick this year, but a player like her falling to them at No. 12 could help them slowly get back to relevance.<\/p>\n

13) Atlanta Dream
\nSerah Williams, F, UConn<\/p>\n

The breakout season of Allisha Gray and strong complementary play from the likes of Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones have helped the Atlanta Dream take a big leap in 2025. Adding another big into their rotation could help take the load off Brittney Griner at 34 years old.<\/p>\n

At 6\u20194\u2033, Serah Williams has been one of the best defensive bigs in women\u2019s college basketball the last couple of years. She was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 for Wisconsin, and she brings the physicality near the rim to disrupt shots and come down with rebounds.<\/p>\n

14) Seattle Storm (via Aces)
\nJaniah Barker, F, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Having added one of the top prospects in the class in Azzi Fudd with the No. 3 pick of this 2026 WNBA Mock Draft, the Storm would have plenty of different directions they could go with the first-round pick they got from Las Vegas. In this mock, they add some size and physicality to their front court.<\/p>\n

Janiah Barker had a down year scoring for UCLA last season, but she\u2019s faring well with 13.0 points per game on 46.2% field goal shooting for Tennessee at the start of her 2025-26 campaign. She\u2019s a well-built power forward at 6\u20194\u2033 who\u2019s showing some development as an outside shooter, which could see her sneak into the first round.<\/p>\n

15) Connecticut Sun (via Lynx)
\nIyana Martin, G, Spain<\/p>\n

Having added a solid shooting guard in Jackson with their first pick, the Connecticut Sun go back to their backcourt with their second selection to close out this WNBA Mock Draft. Coming off the season that they had, it would make sense for them to take a big swing on upside with one of those picks.<\/p>\n

At just 19 years old, Iyana Martin would fit that bill. She was the MVP of the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup<\/a> at the age of 17, and she received the EuroLeague Women Young Player of the Year award last season. She\u2019s an advanced floor general who can run the floor and create shot opportunities at a high level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re more than a month removed from the 2025 WNBA Finals, during which the Las Vegas Aces successfully…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301209,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":{"0":"post-301208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-wnba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}