The 2026 WNBA Draft was highly anticipated for the sheer amount of storylines it held. The league finally reached a CBA agreement after a nerve-wracking stall-out, and players were signed for dollar amounts previously only dreamed of.
On top of all that, fans had a few questions: Would we see women’s basketball’s favorite couple—Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd—reunite in Dallas? Where would champions Flau’jae Johnson, Raven Johnson, and Lauren Betts end up?
Though the WNBA Draft is over and training camp is upon us, we’re looking back on the draft and picking out the biggest winners and losers—as well as a team we can’t quite decide on.
Winners
Seattle Storm
Seattle is in a bit of a transitional period at the moment. Last season, the Storm barely cracked a .500 record, and in free agency, the team has seen the departures of stars Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Gabby Williams.
The Storm entered the draft with the Nos. 3, 14, and 39 picks. They selected 19-year-old Spanish phenom Awa Fam Thiam with that third pick, a player some mock drafts had going No. 1 above Azzi Fudd. The 6-4 center has proved that her ceiling is unbelievably high, showing impressive flashes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. She will have to find her place in an already frontcourt-biased offense alongside last year’s No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga and veteran center Ezi Magbegor.
The Storm then selected Duke’s Taina Mair with the No. 14 pick—a shocker given that she was projected to go as late as No. 40 on some mock drafts— and Michigan State’s Grace Vanslooten at No. 39.
What really solidified this draft as the Storm’s was a shocking trade in the middle of the first round—not long after Flau’jae Johnson was picked No. 8 to the Golden State Valkyries, it was announced Seattle would be acquiring the rights to the LSU star in exchange for the draft rights to Marta Suarez, who was picked No. 16. The gritty guard was projected to go as high as No. 5 by some, and she certainly was not projected to be traded on draft night.
Seattle is entering training camp with a promising young core, new veteran leadership from Stefanie Dolson, Natisha Hiedeman, and Katie Lou Samuelson, and not many expectations. And there is a real possibility the Storm will compete with some of the top teams this season.
Cori Close and UCLA
If there’s one overarching takeaway college coaches and players can take from this draft, it’s that winning doesn’t go unnoticed. UCLA ended the night with six players drafted, the most picks from a single school in WNBA Draft history. Five of those six were selected in the first round. Their NCAA Championship win cast a huge shadow over the results of the night, prompting surprising picks like Gabriela Jaquez going No. 5 to the Chicago Sky, much higher than she was projected to be taken.
The transfer portal is the new foundation of the college game, and Coach Close’s phone must be blowing up after that legendary performance. The message is clear for now—if you want to put yourself in a good spot to be drafted into the W, playing in Los Angeles for the Bruins will give you a good shot at that.
Losers
Golden State Valkyries
Last year, the Valkyries sent shockwaves across the women’s basketball world when they, in their first year, reached the playoffs and finished with a 23-21 record. Part of that success was in the team’s drafting ability in both the 2025 WNBA Draft and 2025 Expansion Draft.
This year, however, the draft magic seemed to wear off. As previously mentioned, Golden State made the shocking decision to trade away Flau’jae Johnson in exchange for TCU forward Marta Suarez, much to the dismay of fans in the Bay Area who felt the former would have fit in perfectly (as well as pushed jersey sales).
Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin told ESPN after the draft that this draft-day trade was agreed upon before the picks began, which makes the whole ordeal that much more confusing. If you wanted Suarez, why not just draft her at No. 8?
Portland Fire
The Portland Fire have had an eventful few weeks, first embarking on the 2026 Expansion Draft opposite the Toronto Tempo and days later completing the franchise’s first-ever WNBA Draft. Portland’s picks in the Expansion Draft were interesting, adding names like Bridget Carleton, Sarah Ashlee Barker, and Nika Mühl (despite her being ruled out for the season?) to its inaugural roster.
The Fire then made some confusing choices in the WNBA Draft. They drafted Iyana Martin—a young Spanish guard projected to be picked early in the second round—at No. 7, passing up on names like Flau’jae Johnson, Raven Johnson, and Ta’Niya Latson. Martin is a player who can bring veteran-like knowledge of the game to any team, but there was a decent possibility the Fire could have waited and picked her at No. 17 (their next pick).
The Fire instead added Freida Buhner in that spot, an efficient forward with the ability to stretch the floor hailing from Germany. Bühner should bring some three-point shooting and professional poise to the young team.
Portland rounded out its draft class with UConn’s Serah Williams, who was acquired in a draft-day trade with the Sun. Williams contributed greatly to this year’s UConn roster and has a good chance of making the Fire’s final roster.
All in all, the Fire were able to add some valuable pieces to its roster. It’s just that first pick that remains a mystery.
On the Fence
Washington Mystics
The Mystics were busy during the WNBA Draft, selecting three times in the first round and three more times throughout the night. They started the night off with a strong pick, selecting the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Lauren Betts at No. 4. The 6-7 center strives in the paint, bringing a toughness and feel for finishing around the rim that has great potential to translate to the professional game.
The only issue with this pick is fit. The Mystics frontcourt is already made up of Kiki Iriafen, a former teammate of Betts, and Shakira Austin, who signed a multi-year contract with Washington this offseason. Last year, the Mystics struggled to get all of their bigs adequate playing time, resulting in Aaliyah Edwards being traded to Connecticut. But perhaps the team has a plan this year to allow Betts to develop in the shadow of the existing roster.
The team also drafted Cotie McMahon, only adding another big to the mix.
Washington then added Angela Dugalic, Cassandre Prosper, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, and Rori Harmon, an impressive haul. Still, they passed on bigger names—Nell Angloma, Raven Johnson, and Ta’Niya Latson, to name a few—along the way.
Washington finished 16-28 last season, but the culture around the team seems to be trending in a more serious direction, where competing is a real possibility and goal. It will be interesting to see how the team, which surprisingly fired general manager Jamila Wideman this offseason, proceeds.
