With two new expansion teams and more roster spots than ever before, it’s an historic year to be drafted into the WNBA.
Monday’s 2026 WNBA Draft saw 45 players drafted across three rounds. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire made their inaugural collegiate draft picks and Kiki Rice became the first player ever selected by an international team.
With the addition of at least 54 new player spots this season, the league’s roster size has jumped to 210, making 2026 the best year ever to enter the W. Combine those odds with a new CBA guaranteeing increased rookie salaries, and this draft class is joining the league at a transformative moment.
It was an eventful night in New York as UCLA became the first school to have six players selected at the same draft, we saw the most Canadians chosen since 2016 with three players with Canada Basketball experience selected, and Azzi Fudd reunited with Paige Bueckers in Dallas.
Here’s what stands out amongst all the history made.
Fudd and Bueckers reunited
With two consecutive first-overall picks, the Dallas Wings selected a pair of UConn stars.
The move to take Fudd is as much a win for the entire Wings organization as it is for Bueckers. Fudd is an elite shooter who is as consistent from the three-point line (44.7 per cent) as most WNBA players are from the field (last year the league had a field-goal percentage of 43.9 per cent).
Bueckers and Fudd are as familiar with each other as you can get. Together, they led the Huskies to the national championship in 2025 where Fudd earned the Most Outstanding Player award.
In basketball they are a proven unstoppable duo but, since announcing their relationship in 2025, the two have shown how incredible their partnership is off the court as well.
After signing the co-Defensive Player of the Year, centre Alanna Smith, just two days ago, the Wings shifted the focus to acquiring a guard to support Bueckers. With Fudd and Olivia Miles — a true point guard from TCU who was close to averaging a triple double during March Madness — the best options in the draft, it only made sense for Dallas to lock down a rookie Bueckers has already had success with.
Kiki Rice becomes first player drafted by Tempo
Toronto put a lot of weight on the sixth pick and according to Monica Wright Rogers, it paid off.
“We have an already established backcourt, but she's going to be a piece that adds to that,” the Tempo general manager told media after the draft.
Rice’s scoring and floor control was a big element in the Bruins' title run. She averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 39 per cent from three-point range. The 2025-2026 All-American selection will slot in well with the veteran guards Toronto has already acquired this month.
Plus, as she shared on draft night, her uncle, Ian Cameron, is Canadian!
With the 22nd pick, Toronto selected Kentucky forward Teonni Key, before picking two Australians (Saffron Shiels and Charlise Dunn) to stash for the future. It seems like head coach Sandy Brondello is trying to turn Canada’s team into Australia’s team.
UCLA makes history
UCLA became the first school to see five players drafted in the first round and six selected in a single draft.
Centre Lauren Betts was the first to go at fourth overall to Washington, but guard Gabriela Jaquez was right behind, going to the Chicago Sky at fifth. Rice was the third Bruin to fall before forward Angela Dugalic was chosen to join Betts on the Mystics with the ninth pick. Round one ended with Gianna Kneepkens going to the Connecticut Sun. Guard Charlisse Leger-Walker was also selected by the Sun with the third pick in the second round.
It is typical for the national champions to garner extra attention on draft night, but with the number of seniors UCLA had available, the excitement around this team reached another level. And for good reason: In the Bruins' Final Four win, the six drafted players combined to score 100 per cent of the team’s points.
Seattle Storm shockers
Over the last week, few teams have been as surprising as the Seattle Storm.
Seattle lost some big pieces in free agency — namely Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes, and Gabby Williams — but used this draft as a true launch pad for its rebuild.
With the No. 3 pick, Seattle brought in a strong international big in Awa Fam to accompany last year’s No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga. Fam is a powerful, six-foot-four forward from Spain, while Malonga is of a similar calibre at six-foot-six. The France native is one of the few W players who can dunk.
The Storm brought some havoc to the start of the second round after a surprising trade with the Golden State Valkyries moved freshly drafted Marta Suárez (No. 16) and a 2028 second-round pick to the Bay Area in exchange for 2026 No. 8 selection Flau’jae Johnson. Johnson is a national champion from LSU with a budding rap career and an even more impressive stat sheet.
Canada forging a way in the WNBA
Three players with Canada Basketball ties were selected in a single WNBA draft for the first time in 10 years.
The Mystics started it off with Notre Dame guard Cassandre Prosper at 19th overall. The Montreal native decided to bet on herself and declare for the draft even though she had one more year of college eligibility remaining. It could be tough for her to crack the Mystics’ roster given how much young talent they’ve added in the last two years, but after averaging 13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks in her senior year she has a good shot at becoming a solid depth piece.
Two picks later, the Chicago Sky selected Latasha Lattimore with the 21st pick. The Ole Miss forward is a reliable shot-maker who averaged 10.9 points a game this season.
Serah Williams, who went to high school in Canada and played for teams in Toronto and Niagara Falls Ont., was selected by the Sun with the 33rd pick and reportedly traded to the Fire following the draft. Williams has experience repping Canada on the national stage, including at the GLOBL JAM under-23 tournament in 2025.
