2026 WNBA Draft Grades
The WNBA Draft is in the books, and it was very eventful! There was one trade and a lot of interesting picks and surprises, including a first-round pick of someone I didn’t think would be drafted. I included my grades below. Something worth noting is that my grades typically favor if the pick makes sense for the team versus what I think of the player, though this is also accounted for.
Atlanta Dream
Drafted
- Madina Okot (13)
- Indya Nivar (28)
- Kejia Ran (43)
I didn’t think Atlanta needed to do a ton entering the
draft, but I thought they did a good job building their depth. I really like the selection of Okot for Atlanta. While she is really raw, especially with her
passing and shooting, she is an impressive defender, finisher, and rebounder
with amazing size. It’s not surprising
that she is raw since she didn’t play basketball until 2020, but she is much
more raw than most players her age due to this; as such, I am a little nervous that
she will never reach her ceiling due to just how raw she is. I think a big swing skill is her jumper,
which she has shown glimpses of demonstrating, though I think she isn’t that
confident in it yet. The good news for
Atlanta is that they don’t need her to be ready immediately due to their depth,
so they can take their time with developing her. I have serious concerns about Nivar’s
offensive potential, especially due to her poor shooting and finishing, but she
is a great defender and solid playmaker; her defense alone is good enough to
compete for a roster spot. Ran is very
raw and a little small for a 2, but she has a pretty looking shot and is a
competitive rebounder for her size. I think
Atlanta was successful at taking players to fill in roles off the bench. Grade: B
Chicago Sky
Drafted
- Gabriela Jaquez (5)
- Latasha Lattimore (21)
- Tonie Morgan (32)
I can definitively say that I do not know what Chicago is doing
at this point. After trading Angel
Reese, I would think that they would have tried to draft a player with star
upside to pair alongside Rickea Jackson (who I think is a great building block),
especially since their best bet at this point is banking on Kamila Cardosa
improving to end up being an All-Star (I continue to question if she can be
better than an All-Star level player due to her limitations outside of the
paint). Instead, they drafted Jaquez,
who is a good all-around player with a high motor who can definitely be a nice
role player, but I don’t think she is going to be better than a very good
starter; this really stings when there are several players with higher ceilings
still in the class, including Kiki Rice and Iyana Martin (both of whom I had
higher on my board than Jaquez), or Flau’jae Johnson and Nell Angloma if they
wanted to take a chance on a lower floor player. I think Lattimore is a second rounder who can
end up making Chicago’s roster due to her rim protection; that said, it’s worth
noting that her finishing, shooting, and rebounding are inconsistent. It will be tough for Morgan to make the team,
especially since I don’t trust her shot or defense translating, but she is a
great playmaker and is competitive as hell on both ends; I am higher on her
than most despite my concerns about her efficiency. If either end up making Chicago’s roster, I
don’t see either of them being better than role players (though that’s often
the case with players drafted outside the first round). The best thing I can guess about this team is
that they think that they will be competitive now that Skylar Diggins is with
the team, but I don’t see how they can look themselves in the mirror and
believe that; as such, I think their draft was not great. Grade: C-
Connecticut
Sun
Drafted
- Nell Angloma (12)
- Gianna Kneepkens (15)
- Charlisse Leger-Walker (18)
- Serah Williams (33)
In Connecticut’s last draft before relocating to Houston, I really like their draft. With their first pick in the first round, they took a high upside swing in Angloma. She is raw in all aspects of her game and has a low ceiling, but she is a great athlete with impressive tools who is still only 19; while I’d question this decision for a lot of other teams, Connecticut is still in the early stages of their rebuilding and could take a crack at a player with star upside. This selection also adds another French player to French coach Rachid Meziane’s roster, which worked out well about Leïla Lacan. 3 picks later, they selected Kneepkens, who slipped a little bit (I thought she would go top-10 for sure). While Kneepkens has a low ceiling due to limited on-ball and defensive skills, she is an elite shooter and a great off-ball mover; Connecticut is building around a lot of players who are not good shooters, so they need any shooting they can get, making this a great pick. With their second and third round picks, they drafted players I’m not high on, but it makes sense to give a training camp opportunity. Leger-Walker is a talented playmaker and defender who could find a role in the league, though I don’t think she is as explosive as she was prior to her ACL injury, which is concerning since I don’t trust her jumper. Serah Williams is a great rebounder and shot blocker, but she was bad when in a faster pace system and hasn’t shown she can play much of a role for even a good college team. At that point, it’s worth giving both Leger-Walker and Williams a chance at the roster since both have proven a willingness to be a supporting cast member. I think their draft was so good, especially the first round. Grade: A
Dallas Wings
Drafted
- Azzi Fudd (1)
- Zee Spearman (31)
I’m a bit torn about Dallas’ draft, especially with the top
pick in the draft. With Fudd, I think
they were more looking at chemistry and fit than talent (not to say that she
isn’t talented). Fudd is probably the
best shooter in the draft (I think there’s a case to be made for Gianna
Kneepkens, though I would choose Fudd over Kneepkens) who can score from anywhere
on the court. Her defense is solid,
though I think she isn’t as good of a defender as others make her out to
be. Additionally, she has never averaged
30 MPG in college while also dealing with injuries, so she could fade a little
late in her first couple seasons. My
biggest concern is what her upside is; she is limited on the ball, which usually
limits the upside players have, especially since that likely will limit her to not
being the best player on a team at any point.
The problem with this is that I think that both Awa Fam and Olivia Miles
have higher upside while also likely being ready to contribute now. While the fit is better with Fudd, especially
since they are trying to make the playoffs, Dallas was so bad last year that I don’t
think they should focus on short-term fit over long-term talent, even while
improving the team in free agency. As
for Spearman, she probably won’t make the team, but she’s a good defender and
was a better finisher when she was less of a focus offensively; maybe she can make
the team and provide some value as a finisher off the bench when she is the last
option. I’m sure some will praise the
draft, but I’m more reserved; that said, there is the potential for me to be
totally wrong, especially if Fudd has a higher upside than I expect. Grade: B-
Golden State Valkyries
Drafted
- Marta Saurez (16)
- Ashlon Jackson (23)
- Kokoro Tanaka (38)
Acquired
- 2028 2nd round pick (SEA)
Traded
- 8th Pick (Flau’jae Johnson)
In my opinion, Golden State’s draft left something to be desired. While some have viewed trading the 8th pick for the 16th pick and a future second rounder as trading a first for two seconds, I think it’s more appropriate to view this as accepting a second rounder in exchange for moving down 8 spots in the draft. Even still, I don’t know that this was a good enough return for the 8th pick, especially with Johnson available; while they said that they agreed to the trade prior to the draft and knowing Johnson would be available, it shouldn’t have been viewed as unfeasible that she would be available, so I think they could have gotten more for her. As for Saurez, who they traded down to select, she is a skilled and competitive player who can pass some, but she is a poor defender and turns the ball over a ton. I think the biggest swing skill is if her jumper improves significantly, but even there I don’t see her being more than a supporting cast member. As for Jackson, she is a great playmaker and perimeter defender, though she is a poor finisher, never gets to the rim, has inconsistent shot selection, and struggles guarding inside the perimeter; I think her swing skill is if she develops her jumper, which has some upside. I find the Tanaka pick a bit strange since she is so raw and inconsistent; I wonder how much Godlden State is banking on a World Cup run that featured elite shooting. I personally think they had a disappointing draft despite opportunities for it to be better. Grade: D-
Indiana Fever
Drafted
- Raven Johnson (10)
- Justine Pissott (25)
- Jessica Timmons (40)
Indiana entered the draft not necessarily needing anything,
though depth would help, and they were successful with getting some depth. Some might think the fit of Johnson is odd,
especially with Caitlin Clark already on the roster, but I think her defense
and playmaking will allow her to fit either off the bench or alongside Clark
due to Clark’s size. While she is only 5’9,
she is a long and aggressive defender whose length and IQ outweighs her
size. The question that I have is how
much of her season was a senior breakout; I think a good chunk of it was due to
that, which makes me pessimistic about her offensive game outside of her
playmaking translate to the W. Even if her
offense doesn’t translate, she should be able to provide value with her
defense. Pissott is a very good shooter
with nice size who is low maintenance offensive player, which makes me think
she will make the roster and be a solid fit if she does. They don’t need her to be a star, which works
well because that is just what she will provide. I don’t think Timmons will make the roster,
especially given her size and lack of playmaking at her size, but she is a good
shooter who is aggressive at getting to her spot; I could see her competing
hard in training camp. I think they made
some good selections. Grade: B+
Los Angeles Sparks
Drafted
- Ta’Niya Latson (20)
- Chance Gray (24)
- Amelia Hassett (35)
Las Vegas Aces
Drafted
- Janiah Barker (20)
- Jordan Obi (44)
After winning the championship and retaining most of their
team, Vegas didn’t have any major needs (or first-round picks), so they took a
chance on a couple of athletic forwards.
Barker feels like a bit of a risk since her effort is underwhelming and
erratic, her shot (while improving) isn’t something I trust, and she often
bails at going to the rim to take a tougher shot. That said, I was high on her because I think
the tools are so good and that she can thrive in transition due to her
athleticism and finishing ability. It
wouldn’t surprise me if Obi doesn’t make the team, but she’s a good defender
and finisher whose athleticism looked good after returning from injury; I’m not
sure what her WNBA prospects are, but there is a clear path for her to play a
role. It’s possible that this doesn’t pan
out, but they really don’t need it to, so I think the picks are fine. Grade: B-
Minnesota Lynx
Drafted
- Olivia Miles (2)
- Lani White (45)
Despite a lot of uncertainty over their lineup given
injuries and departures, Minnesota went with long-term talent who can also have
an impact this year over drafting someone just based on fit. Despite already having a backcourt of
Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, Miles has a clear path to WNBA success due
to her all-around game, especially as a playmaker and ability to push the ball
in transition. While her shot is
streaky, I think that she will be a better shooter with improved spacing,
especially with Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier (once she returns) around
her. There are justified questions about
her defense, but the good news is that they can allow her to adjust on that
end. The best part of her fit with this team
is that they can take the time to let her develop. While some might comment on the fit with
Cheryl Reeve, especially with how chaotic Miles’ game can get at times, I would
remind people that the fit of Reeve and Courtney Williams has been
stellar. As for White, she probably won’t
make the roster, but she is a great shooter who I thought would be drafted much
earlier, so they could do worse. I
really like this draft for Minnesota. Grade: A
New York Liberty
Drafted
- Manuela Puoch (41)
New York only had one pick, which was close to the end of the
draft, and they decided to take Puoch.
Puoch is extremely raw (possibly one of the rawest players in this
draft) and is unlikely to contribute in the W for a long time, but she has
intriguing tools for a 19-year-old.
Ultimately, New York was unlikely to find someone who would make the
roster, so it makes sense to take a swing on someone who could have an impact
if they come to the W in a few years. Grade:
B-
Portland Fire
Drafted
- Iyana Martin (7)
- Frieda Bühner (17)
- Taylor Bigby (37)
In Portland’s first draft, I thought they made some
interesting moves. I might be the
biggest supporter of Martin considering the fact that I had her ahead of Lauren
Betts (I’m lower on Betts than most, but I felt lonely having Martin 5th
on my board). While she isn’t the best
athlete and could struggle initially against defenses, I think her IQ,
shooting, and playmaking will make her a very good player. Even if she isn’t a star player, I think she
can be a starter in the W. Her IQ and
skillset is really advanced for someone at her age, and I think Portland will
be impressed with what she is able to do on the court at her age, especially
when there are a bunch of shooters or bigs who are good at setting screens
alongside her. I’m torn on Bühner, as
she is a solid shooter who is smart and could be a solid role player, but she isn’t
a good playmaker and has stretches where she cannot hit her jumpers; the swing
skill will be her defense, which I don’t believe in. I don’t think Bigby will make the roster, but
she is a good shooter who found success on both ends of the court in a
supporting role. In my opinion, they
took one “swing” that I think will be safer than people think, one “swing” that
I’m not sure will be as safe as people think, and one player who could play a
role if she makes the team; that’s fine.
Grade: B
Phoenix Mercury
Drafted
- Ines Pitarch-Granel (27)
- Eszter Ratkai (42)
After filling out their team with players who came over from
international leagues, Phoenix appeared to take the same approach with their
draft, although there is uncertainty with one pick. While Pitarch-Granel is a little raw, I think
she is a good defender whose shot has improved significantly to the point that
she could be a 3-and-D player sooner than I would have predicted. As for
Ratkai, while a good playmaker and finisher for her size, I think she is extremely
raw and will struggle on both ends if she comes to the W over the next couple of
years. At worst, both picks will end up
being draft-and-stash selections, but I think the first of the two was worth a
shot. Grade: B-
Seattle Storm
Drafted
- Awa Fam (3)
- Flau’jae Johnson (8)
- Taina Mair (14)
- Grace VanSlooten (39)
Traded
- 16th pick (Marta Suarez)
- 2028 2nd round pick
Seattle absolutely had a busy draft night, and I think the
best way to describe it was interesting.
They started the night by taking Fam, who I had at the top of my
board. I believe that she is more WNBA
ready than most players at her age and is an amazing athlete, which makes her
ceiling really high. She is already a
crafty finisher and good rebounder; on top of that, she has shown glimpses of
defense and passing, which will be great since she has nice size. I think she could struggle at first due to
the fact that she is skinny and an underwhelming rim protector; additionally,
she is a bit of an erratic and reckless passer at this point, so patience will
be needed. The bigger question is what
their plan is with roster construction, especially with Domonique Manlonga and
Ezzi Magbegor; that said, if they are rebuilding (which I think they are), it’s
best to just take as much talent as possible and go from there. They ended up trading up for the 8th
pick (as I mentioned in the grade for Vegas, it’s not right to think of this as
flipping 2 second rounders for a first, but rather that they gave up a second
rounder to move up 8 spots) to select Johnson, who I didn’t think would still
be available at this pick (coincidentally, I had Johnson 8th on my
board, which is lower than most). Johnson
is a great athlete who is incredibly explosive and could thrive in situations
where there is more spacing; she is also a good shooter who has defensive
upside. The reason that I am lower on
her is because I think that she still feels pretty raw and has a low floor for
her tools; she is inconsistent as a rebounder, playmaker, defender, and
finisher while making a bunch of mistakes on both ends of the court. I think this is a good pick since Seattle can
allow her to develop with the hopes that she ends up reaching her ceiling. The first big surprise of the draft was when
Seattle drafted Mair 14th, who I didn’t think would be drafted. She is a great playmaker and perimeter
defender who is also a nice free throw shooter; I could see her having
struggles defensively inside the perimeter, but I think her perimeter defense
will translate. That said, she is a poor
finisher and inconsistent shooter; while there has been improvement with her
shooter, it isn’t that good right now.
The reason I’m so worried about this is because I wonder what her game
will look like if she cannot hit her shots.
As for VanSlooten, she is an amazing defender, but her offense is so bad
that I don’t know what she will be able to do in the W. While there was good that came from the
draft, I think the bigger problem is that Seattle doesn’t seem to know what
they’re doing, which I felt over the last few years. Grade: C-
Toronto Tempo
Drafted
- Kiki Rice (6)
- Teonni Key (22)
- Saffron Shiels (26)
- Charlise Dunn (36)
Toronto’s first draft had some good picks early and then
some interesting ones later. I love the
selection of Rice, as I had her 4th on my board (the only players I
had ahead of her were Awa Fam, Olivia Miles, and Azzi Fudd). She is an amazing driver and is so fast, but
unlike most players with that skillset at her age, she is a great decision
maker who almost always makes the right plays (in my mock draft, I compared her
stylistically to if Arike Ogunbowale had a better sense of what play to
make). While she’s a streaky shooter and
is still improving as a playmaker, I still think she will be a very good
player. Even if she isn’t great at
first, their moves in the expansion draft give them a starting backcourt that
will allow Rice to develop a little bit.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Key makes a roster this year, though I think
she will have struggles despite her finishing and rebounding; I think she will
need to be a better defender, shooter, and passer while being more used to
being a forward than a wing in the W to succeed. Shiels is extremely raw and I’m not even sure
that she will be WNBA ready by the end of her rookie contract (even if she
receives a multi-year contract this year), but she has upside as a shooter and
passer while also playing very strong against opponents of her age (there is
value in that; for instance, I was higher than most on Hugo Gonzalez when he
was drafted in the NBA Draft because he dominated his age group in
international competition). I wonder if
they selected Shiels to have her be a draft-and-stash type player. As the only mid-major player selected in the
draft, Davidson’s Dunn has some shooting upside, but I really don’t understand
why she was selected since her shot selection and defense were poor; I’ll be
stunned if she makes the roster, but it’s the third round. While I don’t love their last two picks, I
think their first two picks were fair, especially their first-round pick, which
was amazing. Grade: B
Washington Mystics
Drafted
- Lauren Betts (4)
- Angela Dugalic (9)
- Cotie McMahon (11)
- Cassandre Prosper (19)
- Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (30)
- Rori Harmon (34)
Washington had one of the busiest nights, but it ultimately
resulted in a mixed bag in my opinion. I’m
lower than most on Betts (I had her 6th on my board while many had
her in the top 4; I am higher on Kiki Rice and Iyana Martin), but I still think
she can still be a very good player in the W.
She is so tall and is great at utilizing her size on both ends, as she has
been great at finishing in the paint and defending the rim, especially as a
drop defender in switches. She is also
very physical, which is important for a big because we know that she will not
shy away from contact. I think that her
playing style will allow her to not demand that she be the star, which is
beneficial with Washington already having Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin,
especially if they want this big combo going forward. My biggest concern is that her game is extremely
limited outside the paint on both ends of the court; while there is benefit with
having these players on a team who are great in the paint at the expense of all
other aspects of the court, they can get played of the court in the playoffs (this
has happened to Brionna Jones a few times, who has rightfully been a multi-time
All-Star). The biggest swing skill is
her passing, which has improved though is still not great. I’m lower than most Dugalic than most. I think the biggest benefit with her is that
she is willing to take a lesser role and do a lot of things consistently on
both ends of the court. While her
shooting has been inconsistent, I’m not as worried about that due to her free
throw shooting being good and her having moments where the shots are falling. The bigger things that I am concerned about
involve how real her finishing and the lack of minutes. She had a breakout year with her efficiency
last year, and I’m not sure whether it was because she improved significantly,
was surrounded by a lot of talent, or was older than a lot of her opponents; if
it’s either of the last two, that’s not the most promising for her prospects in
the W. The other concern is that she has
never averaged 24 MPG in her college career; while she had some injuries early,
how good can she be in the W if she played a little over half the time at her
best in college (albeit for a great college team)? I think her floor and ceiling are both too
low to justify a first round pick. Despite
her aggressiveness, defense, and playmaking in college, I’m concerned about how
McMahon will fair in the W. I think the
biggest problem is that she is too small to be a 4 (even though she has been
treated as 3, she plays more like a 4), which makes me wonder how she will
translate on defense in particular. On
top of that, I don’t trust her shot (to my credit, she doesn’t seem to either),
which will cause some problems if she has difficulty finishing against bigger
WNBA players. I think the biggest thing
that could help her is that her playmaking could be better against WNBA
spacing. I’m low on Prosper because I
don’t think she is a good enough shooter or playmaker, which could lead to
inconsistency about what her role will be in the W on offense; that said, she
is a good defender and finisher while also showing some versatility in
college. I’m a little lower on Littlepage-Buggs
since I don’t think she is WNBA ready of either end, especially with her lack
of getting to the rim and amount of turnovers, but she is a great rebounder and
finisher who has a high IQ, which she utilizes on defense. I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t make
it on the roster, but she could at leat make it and find a role. I don’t think Harmon is going to make the
roster due to her size and scoring efficiency (I really feel like I’m so
negative here), but she is a great playmaker who is competitive on both ends;
she will put up a fight during training camp, which helps. I hope that I’m just overly pessimistic and
that I am wrong, but I really am not sold on this draft due to the number of
players that I think will not translate in the W. Grade: C
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