WNBA 2026

[SoonerTy]

Hey All, it’s that time of the year again, time for the 2026 WNBA Draft.

The Dallas Wings (formerly Tulsa Shock) own the #1 overall pick for the second straight year and are looking to add another foundational piece to a young core including last year’s #1 pick Paige Bueckers.

UConn’s Azzi Fudd, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, TCU’s Olivia Miles and Spain’s Awa Fam headline a promising draft class.

And for those looking for a local connection, Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers & Payton Verhulst are strong possibilities to see their name called in the drafts’ 2nd-3rd rounds.

The WNBA will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary this season and welcoming 2 new expansion teams: the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo.

After the success of last year’s new expansion team the Golden State Valkyries, more and more cities are in line for expansion franchises due to the rising popularity of the women’s game. The NBA/WNBA Board of Governors recently announced that Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia will be the next cities to welcome WNBA Expansion Teams within the next 4 years.

The new season kicks off with the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday April 13th, starting at 6:30pm EST / 5:30pm CST on ESPN.

 

[SoonerTy]

 

[SoonerTy]

 

[SoonerTy]

 

[SoonerTy]

WNBA mock draft 2026: Azzi Fudd returns to projected No. 1

WNBA draft day is here! We project all three rounds. Four UCLA players and a South Carolina trio help make up Round 1.

www.espn.com

Michael Voepel/ ESPN’s Final Mock Draft

 

[SoonerTy]

 

[Soonercuda]

So even with the significant salary increase from the new CBA, they are all getting pay cuts to play professionally…crazy spot we are in presently

 

[SoonerTy]

Azzi Fudd goes #1 overall to the Dallas Wings

 

[Soonerguy06]

Reagan beers has not been drafted. We are on the 30th pick in the second round and she's not even being listed as the next best five.... Could it be because she only played 22 minutes per game because she couldn't stay out of freaking foul trouble?

 

[Bball121]

Reagan beers has not been drafted. We are on the 30th pick in the second round and she's not even being listed as the next best five.... Could it be because she only played 22 minutes per game because she couldn't stay out of freaking foul trouble?

I think I her conditioning may be a factor. The WNBA prefers quick agile centers.

 

[Soonerguy06]

I think I her conditioning may be a factor. The WNBA prefers quick agile centers.

Probably so. There are players averaging 6 PPG that are getting drafted now and she's still not listed

 

[SoonerTy]

Yikes, Raegan did not get drafted.

 

[SoonerTy]

Training camp contracts will be coming shortly.

There’s also overseas IF she wants to continue her career.

This time last year Raegan & Payton were on everyone’s watchlist but not being able to take that next step up as a team really set that back this season.

 

[Pagosa1]

Probably so. There are players averaging 6 PPG that are getting drafted now and she's still not listed

I feel bad for Raegan. This is also a concern for our recruiting top players in the future. I'm guessing most of them want to play for teams that have a good track record of developing players to move on to the WNBA.

 

[Soonercuda]

I don’t know if ESPN’s best available has any accuracy…but I looked at it to see if Reagan was their best available player not drafted (she was 2nd behind Yarden Garzon). But looking down the list the 4th best available player was our freshman to be Sina Hollerl…I guess as an international player she was draft eligible. So at least some scouts have her considered to be a high level player.

 

[Soonerguy06]

I think Sina is probably much better than any OU fan expects her to be. I knew when I saw all the other P4 schools that had recruited her that she must be solid

 

[Tom4OU]

I think Sina is probably much better than any OU fan expects her to be. I knew when I saw all the other P4 schools that had recruited her that she must be solid

She looks like a good player. I watched some videos. Hope she is even better than the videos. Hate Beers wasn’t drafted, but I said earlier in the year her stock was falling. She should have been the priority this year. Yes, she was in foul trouble, but there were plenty of times she was on the floor and they played like she wasn’t. I said it and got blasted.

 

[SoonerinNC]

I am a little suprised that Beers was not selected but she doesn't play tall. I guess it is a statement on our talent level overall that neither she or Verhulst got a look. Suprised that this board hasn't picked up on the transfer of Keeley Parks to OU yet.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

I am a little suprised that Beers was not selected but she doesn't play tall. I guess it is a statement on our talent level overall that neither she or Verhulst got a look. Suprised that this board hasn't picked up on the transfer of Keeley Parks to OU yet.

Hopefully, she will be able to continue her career at some level. I really believe her lack of athleticism hurt her. Look at the top WNBA bigs, and ask yourself, can she guard them out on the floor? Aja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Ezi Magbegor, Boston, etc... they all can step out and shoot from the perimeter, and they can guard other bigs who play on the perimeter. If Beers were more dominant on the block, she would probably have a better chance at her size, but I don't know if she would have a role in the current style of play in the WNBA....

 

[Soonerguy06]

Lot of the things I saw online about why she wasn't drafted are that she was underside and her outside shooting was not good enough... I suppose 6'4 is not huge in the WNBA and you have to be that much more athletic if you are undersized for that league...