The Dallas Wings secured the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery held on Sunday, November 23, giving them numerous opportunities to enhance their team. Having been in the lottery for the second consecutive year, they previously selected Paige Bueckers in 2025. The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13th.
Among many mock drafts, UW’s Aji Fuad is a leading candidate for the No. 1 selection. Other potential picks include Spain’s Our Fam, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, TCU’s Olivia Miles, and LSU’s Frauge Johnson. Wings forward Maddie Siegrist, who took part in the lottery drawing, emphasized the team’s desire for players with a strong winning mentality.
Fuad and Bueckers were teammates at UW and won a national championship during the 2024-25 season. Bueckers, who earned the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year title and was named an All-Star, has given fans hope, despite the Wings finishing with a 10-34 record.
Following a change in management, Jose Fernandez will take over as head coach after Chris Cocranes’ one-year tenure. The draft order also places the Minnesota Lynx at No. 2 and the Seattle Storm at No. 3. The draft picks for positions six and seven will be decided by a coin toss at a later time.
2026 WNBA Draft Order:
1. Dallas Wings
2. Minnesota Lynx
3. Seattle Storm
4. Washington Mystics
5. Chicago Sky
6. Toronto Tempo/Portland Fire
7. Portland Fire/Toronto Tempo
8. Golden State Valkyries
9. Washington Mystics
10. Indiana Fever
11. Washington Mystics
12. Connecticut Sun
13. Atlanta Dream
14. Seattle Storm
15. Connecticut Sun
Fan Take: This lottery win is a pivotal moment for the Dallas Wings and their supporters, signaling a fresh chance to build a championship-caliber team. For WNBA fans, it highlights the league’s competitive spirit and the exciting potential of new talent shaping the future of women’s basketball.
