🏀 2026 WNBA Draft Odds & Predictions: Latest Market Projections, Full Picks for 1st Round

With the expansion draft and free agency (mostly) behind us, all eyes are on the WNBA rookie draft tonight at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) with UConn's Azzi Fudd widely expected to be the No. 1 pick - a dramatic shift from just 48 hours ago in the prediction markets.

Below, I break down the latest WNBA draft odds and predictions for the top five picks at Kalshi, one of the most popular prediction market apps, with my mock draft for every pick in the first round tonight. We also broke down the full WNBA championship odds earlier this month with live odds for all 15 teams, including both expansion teams.

1️⃣ Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft?

The biggest question surrounding the WNBA draft for the last few weeks has centered around the No. 1 pick: will the Dallas Wings select Fudd, the former consensus No. 1 recruit who excelled across four years at UConn, or would they take intriguing Spanish center Awa Fam with the top pick?

It sure looked like the answer would be Fam, who entered April as the favorite to be the No. 1 pick, and this was still a two-player race until WNBA free agency. That's when the Wings re-signed star scorer Arike Ogunbowale and added former Defensive Player of the Year winner Alanna Smith to a three-year max deal to shore up the frontcourt.

That makes center a less pressing need for Dallas, and it clears the way to draft Fudd as a plug-and-play shooter and defender for a team that struggled in both areas last year. There's also the interpersonal angle: Fudd is dating former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, who is the face of the franchise for the Wings. That's a driving force for the public backing Fudd with nearly $225,000 in volume, but I think it's the right call.

Prediction for No. 1 pick: Azzi Fudd -> Dallas Wings

2️⃣ Who will the Lynx select at No. 2?

The market has been all over the place with this pick, and I've seen TCU guard Olivia Miles mocked to the Lynx - or even the Wings at No. 1 - in the days leading up to the draft. I simply don't buy it: Minnesota has a glaring void at center after losing Smith and Jessica Shepard to Dallas, and Miles doesn't seem like the type of player who would fit well under head coach Cheryl Reeve given her lackadaisical effort on the defensive end.

With the Lynx having just committed max money to bring back guard Courtney Williams, I'm convinced that Minnesota is going with either Fam or UCLA center Lauren Betts. The better pick for this roster is easily Fam - she'll need the ball less to make an impact, and the 6-foot-4 center teases the type of long-term upside that the Lynx need right now.

Prediction for No. 2 pick: Awa Fam -> Minnesota Lynx

3️⃣ Who will the Storm select at No. 3?

This would be the best-case scenario for the Storm, who are entering a new era under head coach Sonia Raman after losing Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins in free agency. Seattle is rebuilding around Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga, so taking a guard with All-Star potential in Miles feels like a no-brainer if she's still on the board.

Prediction for No. 3 pick: Olivia Miles -> Seattle Storm

4️⃣ Who will the Mystics select at No. 4?

There are four premier prospects in this year's draft, so the Mystics can't go wrong with whomever falls into their lap. In this scenario, that would be Betts, who helped secure her draft stock with a sensational effort in the NCAA Tournament to lead UCLA to its first title in the modern era. I wouldn't be surprised to see another team try to trade up to the fourth pick if Betts falls, but for now, we'll pencil in the former Bruin to D.C.

Prediction for No. 4 pick: Lauren Betts -> Washington Mystics

5️⃣ Who will the Sky select at No. 5?

It's a tough year to have the No. 5 pick, though the Sky are in full rebuild mode and should be focused on taking the best available player. That would seem to be Kiki Rice, another star on that UCLA team who improved her stroke all four years and finished shooting 38.5% from deep as a senior. International stars Iyana Martin (Spain) and Nell Angloma (France) are both dark-horse candidates here if Chicago wants a draft-and-stash player, but Rice is the conventional pick here.

Prediction for No. 5 pick: Kiki Rice -> Chicago Sky

📈 More WNBA draft prediction markets

Instead of trading on the exact selection for each pick, you can also buy shares on any of the top prospects landing in the top three or top five - or fade them if you think they fall.

Which players will be drafted in the top 3?

Fudd and Miles are essentially locked into the top three with Betts and Fam both trading above 50% to land inside the top three picks. Obviously, all four players aren't going to make the cut, though I'm surprised to see Fam as the odd one out. To me, that says more about the public's lack of awareness for the Spanish star than what happens tonight.

Which players will be drafted in the top 5?

The four aforementioned top prospects are all virtual locks to be drafted in the top five, but who will join them? Rice is the runaway favorite among the field, which tracks with her being the No. 5 pick by the Sky, while LSU star Flau'jae Johnson has seen her stock tumble as of late with the other five priced over 50% in the hours before the draft.

🏀 2026 WNBA mock draft (1st round)

Here is how I project the first 15 picks to play out tonight in the WNBA draft: