dailyloe.com – The 2026 WNBA draft is scheduled for Monday night in New York. The event will determine where the league’s newest rookies will begin their professional careers. ESPN has released its final mock draft projection ahead of the selection process. The projection includes another change at the very top of the draft order.
UConn shooting guard Azzi Fudd has returned as the projected No. 1 overall selection. The Dallas Wings hold the first pick in the draft. The Wings have been active during the recent free agency period. They are bringing back veteran guard Arike Ogunbowale.
Ogunbowale was the No. 5 pick in the 2019 WNBA draft. She has spent her entire career with the Dallas franchise. The team also has 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers returning at the guard position. They added veteran free agents Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard.
Both Smith and Shepard were with the Minnesota Lynx last season. Fudd is considered an elite three-point shooter at the collegiate level. She has also shown growth as a defender during her time at UConn. ESPN projects she should fit well with the current Dallas Wings roster construction.
The other top guard prospect in this draft class is TCU’s Olivia Miles. Miles was projected as the No. 1 pick in last week’s mock draft from ESPN. She is no longer the top projection in this final update. The draft will be broadcast live on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET.[]
Source: ESPN
