The WNBA draft is underway, as the league welcomes its newest rookie class on Monday night.
With the No. 1 pick for the second straight year, the Dallas Wings opened the night by selecting Azzi Fudd, reuniting the 5-foot-11 guard with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers.
WNBA’s international flavor
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before the draft started that the league is looking to play a game outside North America for the first time in 2027.
Then the league’s teams spent the three rounds adding 10 international players.
A trio of international players were selected in the first round. Center Awa Fam Thiam became the highest drafted Spanish player at No. 3 overall. Spain added a second player when Iyana Martin Carrion was taken by Portland with its first ever draft pick at No. 7 overall. Nell Angloma of France was the 12th selection by Connecticut.
Forward Frieda Buhner of Germany was the second pick in the second round by Portland. Toronto, another expansion franchise, took Australian Saffron Shiels at No. 26 and Phoenix drafted French guard Ines Pitarch-Granel at No. 27.
Golden State went for Kokoro Tanaka of Japan in the third round at No. 38 overall. Manuela Puoch of Australia was taken at 41 by the New York Liberty. Phoenix added Eszter Ratkai of Hungary at No. 42, and Atlanta took Kejia Ran of China at No. 43.
Round 3 picks
31. Dallas Wings – Zee Spearman
32. Chicago Sky – Tonie Morgan
33. Connecticut Sun – Serah Williams
34. Washington Mystics – Rori Harmon
35. Los Angeles Sparks – Amelia Hassett
36. Toronto Tempo – Charlise Dunn
37. Portland Fire – Taylor Bigby
38. Golden State Valkyries – Kokoro Tanaka
39. Seattle Storm – Grace VanSlooten
40. Indiana Fever – Jessica Timmons
41. New York Liberty – Manuela Puoch
42. Phoenix Mercury – Eszter Ratkai
43. Atlanta Dream – Kejia Ran
44. Las Vegas Aces – Jordan Obi
45. Minnesota Lynx – Lani White
There’s hope for third-round picks
The odds are against third-round picks, but expansion creates more job opportunities.
In 2025, just three made WNBA rosters: JJ Quinerly (No. 27), Liatu King (No. 28) and Taylor Thierry (No. 36).
So don’t count any of these players out. Teams are always in the market for someone to rise above the odds.
Round 2 picks
26. Toronto Tempo – Saffron Shiels
27. Phoenix Mercury – Ines Pitarch-Granel
28. Atlanta Dream – Indya Nivar
29. Las Vegas Aces – Janiah Barker
30. Washington Mystics – Darianna Littlepage-Buggs
Who is Seattle getting?
Name: Taina Mair
School: Duke
Stats: 5-foot-9 guard, averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 assists, 5.9 rebounds
Strength: Good ball-handler with active hands on defense
Weakness: 3-point shooting must be more consistent
Round 2 picks
21. Chicago Sky – Latasha Lattimore
22. Toronto Tempo – Teonni Key
23. Golden State Valkyries – Ashlon Jackson
24. Los Angeles Sparks – Chance Gray
25. Indiana Fever – Justine Pissott
And another draft record for UCLA
The UCLA Bruins came to the WNBA draft with a chance at having a lot of players selected.
They now have a pair of records all to themselves with the most players drafted in the first round and most in any draft.
Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic and Gianna Kneepkens all were drafted in the first round setting a record for the most players from one school taken in the first round.
Then Charlisse Leger-Walker became the sixth UCLA Bruin drafted overall when taken by the Connecticut Sun at No. 18.
That tops the mark of five from one team held by three teams. Tennessee first had five taken in 2008 followed by Notre Dame in 2019 and South Carolina in 2023.
Round 2 picks
16. Seattle Storm – Marta Suarez
17. Portland Fire – Frieda Buhner
18. Connecticut Sun – Charlisse Leger-Walker
19. Washington Mystics – Cassandre Prosper
20. Los Angeles Sparks – Ta’Niya Latson
Trade alert
The WNBA has its first trade of this draft.
The Golden State Valkyries have swapped the rights to Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm in exchange for the rights to forward Marta Suarez of TCU.
The Valkyries wanted Suarez enough to also send a 2028 second-round selection to Seattle. Suarez was the first pick of the second round at No. 16 overall. Johnson was the eight pick overall. winning four-straight titles from 1997-2000.
Who is Connecticut getting?
Name: Gianna Kneepkens
School: UCLA
Stats: 6-foot guard, averaged 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds
Strength: Strong 3-point shooter who’s efficient taking shots and can move without the ball
Weakness: Defense
Record night for UCLA
UCLA had a record first round.
The Bruins became the first team to have five players selected in the first round, a little more than a week after winning the school’s first NCAA championship.
And two of them aren’t finished being teammates.
Lauren Betts was taken with the No. 4 pick by the Washington Mystics, who later selected Angela Dugalic at No. 9.
Gabriela Jaquez went right after Betts to Chicago at No. 5, followed by Kiki Rice to the expansion Toronto Tempo at No. 6. Jaquez helped UCLA tie the WNBA record of four taken in the first round set by UConn in 2002.
Then UCLA got the record to itself when the Connecticut Sun took Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15.
Tennessee, in 1999 and again in 2008, had five players selected in the draft, as did Notre Dame in 2019 and South Carolina in 2023. But the players from those teams weren’t all taken in the first round.
Who is Atlanta getting?
Name: Madina Okot
School: South Carolina
Stats: 6-foot-6 center, averaged 12.8 points, 10.6 rebounds
Strength: Size and consistent double-double threat
Weakness: Experience
Who is Connecticut getting?
Name: Nell Angloma from France
School: BLMA
Stats: 5-foot-11 forward, averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 assists in France’s premier league
Strength: Scorer who can handle the ball with ability to play forward or guard.
Weakness: Turns 20 in June
Who is Washington getting?
Name: Cotie McMahon
School: Mississippi
Stats: 6-foot forward, averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds
Strength: Tough, physical player
Weakness: 3-point shooting and shooting outside the paint
Who is Indiana getting?
Name: Raven Johnson
School: South Carolina
Stats: 5-foot-9 guard, averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 assists
Strength: Spreads the ball around while limiting turnovers and strong defender even when giving up size
Weakness: Shooting and scoring
Who is Washington getting?
Name: Angela Dugalic
School: UCLA
Stats: 6-foot-4 forward, averaged 9 points, 5.6 rebounds
Strength: Plays physically and a mismatch
Weakness: Needs more time to develop her game fully
Bruins go back-to-back-to-back
UCLA came to the WNBA draft looking to make history by having as many as five Bruins taken in the first round.
The Bruins took a big step toward that with center Lauren Betts, guard Gabriella Jaquez and guard Kiki Rice being drafted back-to-back-to-back from the national champs.
Betts went off the board first to the Washington Mystics with the fourth pick overall.
Jaquez heard her name called next by the Chicago Sky.
Then it was Rice’s turn as the No. 6 selection by the Toronto Tempo as the expansion franchise’s first WNBA draft pick.
Rice says it was so special to follow her teammates in this draft.
Angela Dugalic made that four in the first nine selections, tying the WNBA record of four set by UConn in 2022.
Gianna Kneepkens now can make give UCLA the record if and when her name is called.
Who is Golden State getting?
Name: Flau’jae Johnson
School: LSU
Stats: 5-foot-10 guard, averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds
Strength: Sticky, physical defender who can score and make plays
Weakness: Consistency
Who is Portland getting?
Name: Iyana Martin Carrion from Spain
Stats: 5-foot-8 guard, averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 assists
Strength: Strong passer able to find open teammates
Weakness: Just turned 20 and needs to add strength and improve as 3-point shooter
Who is Toronto getting?
Name: Kiki Rice
School: UCLA
Stats: 5-foot-11 guard, averaged 14.9 points, 4.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds
Strength: Efficient shooter and nearly automatic at the free-throw line, poised with the ball, good defender
Weakness: Getting to the rim and 3-point shooting
Who is Chicago getting?
Name: Gabriela Jaquez
School: UCLA
Stats: 6-foot guard, averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds
Strength: Good shooter and better at the free-throw line with active hands defensively
Weakness: Keeping composed
Who is Washington getting?
Name: Lauren Betts
School: UCLA
Stats: 6-foot-7 center, averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds
Strength: Consistent scorer inside with the ability to pass and block shots
Weakness: Free-throw shooting
Who is Seattle getting?
Name: Awa Fam Thiam from Spain
Team: Valencia Basket Club
Stats: 6-foot-4 center, averaged 9.2 points, 5 rebounds
Strength: Scorer and rebounder with size
Weakness: Just 19 and needs time to develop
Yet another UConn player goes No. 1
Azzi Fudd becomes the seventh UConn player to be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft.
That list: Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (’04); Tina Charles (’10); Maya Moore (’11); Breanna Stewart (’16); Paige Bueckers (’25) and Fudd (’26)
Who is Minnesota getting?
Name: Olivia Miles
School: TCU
Stats: 5-foot-10 guard, averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists
Strength: True scorer whether at the rim or from 3-point range who can spread the ball around
Weakness: Defense
Who is Dallas getting?
Name: Azzi Fudd
School: UConn
Stats: 5-foot-11 guard, averaged 17.3 points, 3.1 assists
Strength: Improved shooting efficiency each season and nearly automatic at the free-throw line
Weakness: Struggled scoring in final three NCAA Tournament games.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Read the full article here
