Who Will Go No. 1 In This Year's WNBA Draft? Here Are Three Candidates

After all of the uncertainty surrounding the CBA, the 2026 WNBA season is now set for take-off. Bright young stars are on the horizon of this league as the WNBA Draft takes place next Monday.

For well over a year, the debate surrounding the no. 1 pick has raged on in social media and on network television. Fans and analysts have different ideas about the top overall selection that the Dallas Wings should make on April 13, and in reality, it’s a happy problem for the Wings to have.

After finishing dead last in the standings last season, the Wings are looking to re-establish themselves as a respectable squad in the Western Conference. They can move closer to that redemption by making a great selection at the top of this year’s Draft.

So, who should the Wings target? Here are three top-of-mind prospects.

A recently crowned national champion would make a lot of sense for the Wings at no. 1.

Just days after leading UCLA to the 2026 NCAA title, Lauren Betts could be shaking hands with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert before any other draft prospect next Monday. Crowned the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player, the 6-foot-7 Betts averaged 17.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, and 3.2 apg in her final college season.

The Wings were a good rebounding team in 2025 (third-best in the WNBA, in fact), and Betts should be able to help them sustain their energy on the glass. More importantly, she’ll provide Paige Bueckers a great pick-and-roll partner who’s equipped with impeccable footwork and great finishes at the rim.

Speaking of Bueckers…

Last year, Azzi Fudd shot to the top of mock drafts on multiple occasions. Fudd earned this respect among analysts after playing a pivotal role in UConn’s 2025 championship run. Even with Bueckers on the Huskies’ lineup, it was Fudd who took home Most Outstanding Player honors.

“The People’s Princess” has taken a step back in the eyes of pundits due to her perceived underperformance in March Madness this year. Still, the Wings would be highly incentivized to keep Bueckers happy, making it a strong possibility that they’ll take her significant other Fudd with the no. 1 pick.

Betts and Fudd have become popular names among basketball fans in the U.S. over the past few years. The same cannot be said about Awa Fam.

That, however, is not an indictment of the 6-foot-4 center’s game. Fam, a 19-year-old prospect from Spain, has already filled her resume with silver medal finishes at international tournaments like EuroBasket and the FIBA Under-17 World Cup.

There’s a reason why Fam has supplanted the likes of Fudd and Olivia Miles as the number one pick in recent mock drafts. With a polished skill set on both ends of the floor, not to mention a tremendously high ceiling, the energetic Fam could be the jolt of energy that the Wings need to propel themselves to the postseason.