Michael VoepelApr 14, 2026, 01:55 AM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XMultiple Authors
play1:16Lauren Betts: ‘Can’t wait to see what the future holds’Lauren Betts chats with Holly Rowe after being selected at No. 4 by the Washington Mystics in the 2026 WNBA draft.
play0:53Flau’jae Johnson joined by younger brother on stage at WNBA draftFlau’jae Johnson’s younger brother almost steals the show after she’s drafted at No. 8.
play0:56Minnesota Lynx select Olivia Miles with No. 2 pickOlivia Miles is headed to Minnesota after the Lynx select her in the 2026 WNBA draft.
play1:10How Charlisse Leger-Walker made history at the 2026 WNBA draftCharlisse Leger-Walker is the sixth player selected from UCLA, breaking the record for most players from one team picked in the same draft.
play0:58Chicago Sky select Gabriela Jaquez with No. 5 pickGabriela Jaquez is selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky in the 2026 WNBA draft.
play0:55Kiki Rice becomes first pick by expansion Toronto TempoKiki Rice is selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA draft.
play0:22Iyana Martin Carrion becomes first pick by expansion Portland FireIyana Martin Carrion is selected No. 7 by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd with the 1st pick of WNBA draft (1:10)Azzi Fudd is selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA draft. (1:10)
Lauren Betts: ‘Can’t wait to see what the future holds’Lauren Betts chats with Holly Rowe after being selected at No. 4 by the Washington Mystics in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Lauren Betts chats with Holly Rowe after being selected at No. 4 by the Washington Mystics in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Flau’jae Johnson joined by younger brother on stage at WNBA draftFlau’jae Johnson’s younger brother almost steals the show after she’s drafted at No. 8.
Minnesota Lynx select Olivia Miles with No. 2 pickOlivia Miles is headed to Minnesota after the Lynx select her in the 2026 WNBA draft.
How Charlisse Leger-Walker made history at the 2026 WNBA draftCharlisse Leger-Walker is the sixth player selected from UCLA, breaking the record for most players from one team picked in the same draft.
Charlisse Leger-Walker is the sixth player selected from UCLA, breaking the record for most players from one team picked in the same draft.
Chicago Sky select Gabriela Jaquez with No. 5 pickGabriela Jaquez is selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Kiki Rice becomes first pick by expansion Toronto TempoKiki Rice is selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Iyana Martin Carrion becomes first pick by expansion Portland FireIyana Martin Carrion is selected No. 7 by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA draft.
The UCLA Bruins made history with six players taken in the WNBA draft on Monday, and two of them will be part of a rebuilding Washington Mystics team that earned our top grade. Center Lauren Betts (No. 4 pick) and forward Angela Dugalic (No. 9) will team up in the nation’s capital after helping lead the Bruins to the NCAA championship on April 5.
The Mystics missed the playoffs the past two seasons, going 16-28 in 2025 and 14-26 in 2024. They have not advanced past the first round of the postseason since winning the franchise’s only title in 2019.
But they got two lottery picks last year in guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen, both of whom were All-Stars as rookies, plus No. 6 Georgia Amoore, a point guard who sat out the season because of a knee injury.
Add in their three first-rounders this season — Washington also picked forward Cotie McMahon at No. 11 — and the Mystics have an intriguing young core. Here is how we graded Washington and the rest of the league on draft night.
No. 4: Lauren Betts, UCLA, C, 6-7 No. 9: Angela Dugalic, UCLA, PF, 6-4 No. 11: Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss, SF, 6-0 No. 19: Cassandre Prosper, Notre Dame, SG, 6-3 No. 30: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor, PF, 6-1 No. 34: Rori Harmon, Texas, PG, 5-6
Washington fired general manager Jamila Wideman on April 6 and said coach Sydney Johnson would take control of basketball operations with support from the Mystics’ staff. That seemed an odd decision so close to the draft, but it didn’t hurt what Washington accomplished Monday. The Mystics had the most picks of any team, and though it’s unlikely they all find a spot on the roster, their top three should contribute this season.
There are a lot of options for Johnson. But give this team a little while to jell over the next couple of seasons and we’ll see what it can do.
Lauren Betts: ‘Can’t wait to see what the future holds’
No. 3: Awa Fam Thiam, Spain, C, 6-4 No. 8: Flau’jae Johnson, SG, 5-10, LSU No. 14: Taina Mair, Duke, PG, 5-9 No. 39: Grace VanSlooten, Michigan State, PF, 6-3
With players such as 6-foot-4 Ezi Magbegor and 6-6 Dominique Malonga on the roster, it might not seem like the Storm needed Fam Thiam. But the 19-year-old has such promise that they didn’t want to bypass her. Plus, can you really have too many talented young forward/centers?
The Storm also needed a point guard, and Mair brings good defense and playmaking. The Storm initially selected Marta Suarez at No. 16, the first pick of the second round. Then they dealt her to Golden State for Johnson, who has a lot of upside as a perimeter scorer and defender. The Storm are in a rebuilding mode, and they got three rookies who should be able to help them. VanSlooten is a reliable post player but does not shoot 3-pointers. Still, she’s not a bad pick for so late in the draft.
Flau’jae Johnson joined by younger brother on stage at WNBA draft
Flau’jae Johnson’s younger brother almost steals the show after she’s drafted at No. 8.
White might not make the roster, but 3-point shooting is her best strength. She made 72 as a senior shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc.
Olivia Miles is headed to Minnesota after the Lynx select her in the 2026 WNBA draft.
Once the Wings’ free agency moves were made, it became clear that they would pick Fudd as a strong complement to Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers in the backcourt. The Wings added veteran posts Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard and retained Ogunbowale. All those moves create a team that should be stronger defensively and hard to guard with so many high-skilled perimeter threats.
Spearman has size and shot-blocking ability, but she didn’t finish shots during her senior season the way she had earlier in her career. Ultimately, this grade is based entirely on adding Fudd, whose 3-point shooting could help the Wings get back to the playoffs.
No. 10: Raven Johnson, South Carolina, PG, 5-9 No. 25: Justine Pissott, Vanderbilt, SG, 6-4 No. 40: Jessica Timmons, Alabama, SG, 5-8
The Fever are guard heavy, so they might have considered pivoting to a post player for one of these picks. But we have no qualms with taking Johnson in the first round. She was the best available defensive guard, one who can guard a variety of players — and she’s a good rebounder at her size, too. She also had her best offensive season as a senior, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 assists. Her energy will fit great with the Fever.
Pissott is an interesting pick because of her 3-point shooting at her size. She made a career-best 95 3s this season, shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc. Timmons is also a good long-range shooter, making 74 3s this past season as she averaged a career-best 16.3 points.
No. 12: Nell Angloma, France, SF, 5-11 No. 15: Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA, SG, 5-11 No. 18: Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA, PG, 5-10 No. 37: Taylor Bigby, TCU, SG, 6-1
Angloma was among the promising young European players expected to be selected in the first round, and the Sun were likely happy she was still available at No. 12. UCLA teammates Kneepkens and Leger-Walker bring strong 3-point shooting and playmaking from the national champions.
The Sun took Serah Williams, who played one season at UConn, with the No. 33 pick, then traded her to Portland for Bigby, who had her best season as a senior at TCU, averaging 8.2 points and hitting 65 3-pointers.
How Charlisse Leger-Walker made history at the 2026 WNBA draft
No. 13: Madina Okot, South Carolina, C, 6-6 No. 28: Indya Nivar, North Carolina, SG, 5-10 No. 43: Kejia Ran, China, SG, 5-8
Okot is still developing player with only two years of experience in the U.S. college system. But her propensity for double-doubles and ability to get up and down the court well for her size made her a first-rounder. She was projected to go a little higher in ESPN’s final mock draft, so the Dream’s grade rests on the belief that she is going to work out well for them.
Nivar was a surprise; she spent her first season at Stanford and the last three at North Carolina. She had her best season as a senior, averaging 10.6 points. She has not been a good shooter, hitting 25.4% of 3s and 57.3% of free throws in her career. But the Dream value her defense and energy. Ran has international experience and is known for her defensive skills, too.
No. 20: Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina, SG, 5-8 No. 24: Chance Gray, Ohio State, SG, 5-9 No. 35: Amelia Hassett, Kentucky, PF, 6-4
The Sparks didn’t have a first-round pick, so getting two scoring guards in the second round was what they needed. Latson was draft eligible by age in 2025 and likely would have been picked in the first round then after leading Division I in scoring while at Florida State. But she’s a better all-around player now after her senior season with South Carolina and will be looking to prove that in the WNBA.
Gray played two years at Oregon and then finished with two at Ohio State, averaging 14.7 points this past season while making a career-best 85 3-pointers and shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc. Hassett played just two years in college but stood out with her 3-point shooting, making 55 last season and 99 this season.
No. 5: Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA, SG, 6-0 No. 21: Latasha Lattimore, Ole Miss, PF, 6-4 No. 32: Tonie Morgan, Kentucky, PG, 5-9