WNBA Draft Recap

By Liv Armstead 

The 2026 WNBA Draft occurred in New York City this past Monday, April 13 and featured some of the top rookie prospects from colleges and universities all across the country. There were plenty of picks in The Shed at Hudson Yards that might’ve surprised some fans. 

Courtesy of Sports Business Journal

As projected by most, UConn guard Azzi Fudd was the No.1 draft pick and was drafted by the Dallas Wings, per the official WNBA website. Fudd will get to play alongside her former teammate and romantic partner Paige Bueckers on the court. 

Another widely projected pick that became reality was the No. 2 pick of TCU guard Olivia Miles drafted by the Minnesota Lynx. Miles averages 15.6 PPG (points per game) with an FG percentage (field goal percentage) of 47.2, giving her what many consider a competitive edge. 

However, there were some unexpected shakeups that happened throughout the night. LSU guard and fan favorite Flau’jae Johnson was initially drafted by the Golden State Valkyries in an overall No. 8 pick and their second round pick, but was ultimately traded shortly after to the Seattle Storm. 

Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin ended up explaining the sentiment behind the trade saying, “Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection. I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau’jae or any specific athlete selection,” said Nyanin to ESPN, per Defector. 

Despite the surprising trades, fans seemed to be pleased overall with the results of the WNBA Draft. HU student Kaitlyn Howell, who played basketball in her high school years, shared her thoughts on the draft picks. 

“I’m really happy Azzi Fudd went No. 1, that was well deserved,” said Howell. “I was surprised Flau’jae got traded like that, and Olivia Miles is a solid pick for Minnesota.”