select

For the second straight yr, . After a league-worst 10-34 season and a mixed 19-65 file over the previous two years, the Wings entered the lottery with a whopping 42% likelihood at touchdown the No. 1 general choice. These odds gained out, and Dallas has one other likelihood to pair one other franchise expertise with Paige Bueckers, final yr’s prime choose.

Not like 2024 and 2023, when Bueckers and Caitlin Clark have been respectively drafted first general, this yr’s draft lacks a consensus, can’t-miss participant. There are a handful of gamers talked about in prime prospect discussions, and Wings’ normal supervisor Curt Miller could have a tricky resolution to make; the Wings can’t afford to bust this yr.

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With this in thoughts, let’s check out the consensus top-five prospects, the place their inventory stands proper now, and in the event that they could be good choices for Dallas with their choose. I’ll additionally embrace an early model of my 2026 Draft Board to offer an concept of how I’m evaluating this class at this stage.

Awa Fam — Huge, Valencia (Spain)

Although she won’t be the largest identify, Awa Fam is the perfect prospect on this draft class. The 6’4” middle is simply 19 years previous, and whereas her statistics within the Spanish league gained’t wow anybody, it’s straightforward to see the imaginative and prescient once you watch her play.

Fam performs with a maturity far past her years on offense. She possesses unbelievable footwork within the submit, tons of counters, and spectacular creativity as a scorer. Her screening is superior, as she’s ready to make use of her robust base and size to open up area for ball handlers to function. She is aware of when and the place to roll, and her timing is impeccable. And Fam’s wonderful screening opens up the perfect a part of her offensive recreation: her playmaking.

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There haven’t been many middle prospects who can cross the ball like Awa Fam. She has each cross in her bag: one-handed skip passes to the nook, bounce passes to different bigs in visitors, contact passes off the catch, whip passes to the wing out of a post-up. Her ambition can get her right into a little bit of hassle with turnovers, however I’m assured that may be reined in. Think about Paige Bueckers, some of the environment friendly pick-and-roll ball handlers ever, working with a screener and passer like Awa Fam. It’s a match made in heaven.

Defensively, Fam is at the moment extra of an idea than a actuality. That, coupled along with her age, is why she’s struggled to earn constant minutes for Valencia. For somebody of her measurement, with a plus wingspan and good athleticism, Fam hasn’t functioned effectively as a rim protector. To me, it is a downside along with her motor, which tends to return and go. A lot of protection is about effort, and Fam might stand to present some extra of it constantly. However I’ve religion that she’ll determine this out. She has too many instruments to not be an affect defender.

The Wings are determined for good bigs, because the final two seasons have been completely dire within the frontcourt. Although Fam isn’t an ideal prospect, she’s unquestionably their best choice. She and Bueckers would kind a nightmarish duo for opposing groups. Fam’s inventory is rising, as has her going No. 1 general.

Olivia Miles — Level Guard, TCU

For a lot of final yr’s cycle, it seemed like Miles (then at Notre Dame) would declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft. Miles was projected as a top-three choose then, and that hasn’t modified for this season. The 5’10” level guard is likely one of the most dynamic playmakers in faculty basketball historical past, representing a tantalizing choice on the prime of this draft.

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After standout freshman and sophomore seasons at Notre Dame, Miles tore her ACL and missed her total junior yr. When she returned in 2024, there was one large query: can she shoot the basketball in any respect? Miles’ passing, driving, and ending have been all excellent, however she couldn’t throw a rock into the ocean.

Effectively, final yr, Miles responded to these questions in an enormous method, taking pictures 41.6% on 5.3 three-point makes an attempt per recreation. She was nice off the catch and off the dribble, and he or she really tried extra of the latter. It didn’t seem like Miles had modified a lot along with her mechanics, however the pictures went in.

Thus far this yr for TCU, Miles is 7-23 from three (30.4%). It’s a small pattern, and I believe her enchancment as a shooter is actual, even when she’s not the 40% marksman she confirmed a season in the past. She’ll shoot sufficient to maintain defenses sincere, which is able to open up the opposite components of her unbelievable offensive recreation. Miles is probably the most artistic and impressive creator in basketball. Her court docket imaginative and prescient, processing, and live-dribble passing are all exceptional. Miles has been criticized for attempting to make the “spotlight” cross too typically, however that’s not an actual concern to me. When she’s not dishing the rock, she’s attending to the rim and ending at a excessive degree. Her driving skill is one in every of her strongest attributes.

Miles’ detractors will level to her protection as an enormous crimson flag, they usually’d have some factors there. To place it flippantly, Miles will take some performs off on that finish. Aside from not giving constant effort, she tends to get flattened on screens and misplaced off-ball. She has the quickness, basketball IQ, and power to be a strong point-of-attack defender, however she actually must work on the margins and take a look at tougher.

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Although the Wings have already got a generational level guard in Paige Bueckers, Miles would match properly subsequent to her. It’s by no means a nasty factor to have extra high-level creators, and Bueckers has the perfect off-ball abilities within the WNBA. This duo would have a ton of synergy, and Bueckers might assist cowl a few of Miles’ defensive deficiencies, too. If Dallas decides to go this route, Wings followers ought to be excited concerning the pairing.

Lauren Betts — Huge, UCLA

Lauren Betts represents one thing of an ideological watershed for prospect evaluators. For those who acknowledge that the WNBA is a Bigs league and are impressed with Betts’ spectacular scoring and rim-protecting, you’re probably slotting her in as the highest prospect on this draft. However if you happen to worth the place the league is heading by way of playstyle, you’ll be cautious of spending on a lottery choose on Lauren Betts.

Make no mistake, the 6’7” Betts has dominated faculty basketball since transferring to UCLA as a sophomore in 2023. She is an unbelievable submit scorer who does a wonderful job sealing her defender and utilizing her measurement and contact to get buckets. She’s additionally an incredible passer who can discover cutters and shooters from the submit and hit them in stride, although she does battle with turnovers, particularly when doubled.

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On protection, Betts is a generational rim protector. She is superior in drop protection with nice timing and instincts. When opposing gamers get to the basket towards her, she is a human eraser. Betts averaged 2.9 blocks per recreation final yr, and her mere presence within the paint typically discourages drivers fully.

The difficulty with Betts is that she’s a little bit of a one-trick pony. When she’s not posting up or scoring off deep seals, what does she do? The reply is usually nothing. Lauren Betts is allergic to setting ball screens. UCLA coach Cori Shut doesn’t ask her to do it, and Betts doesn’t wish to. When she does set a uncommon display screen, she seems to be uncomfortable doing so, and it doesn’t create a lot area for the ball handler. She doesn’t roll to the basket or look to attain or create after screening. Oftentimes, she’ll set a display screen and instantly pivot right into a post-up afterwards. In a WNBA more and more pushed by pick-and-roll play, it’s robust to think about Betts thriving. She can also be a whole non-shooter.

And defensively, Betts’ measurement and slower footspeed forestall her from taking part in a number of ball-screen coverages. Although laterally fast for her measurement, Betts isn’t snug hedging or switching. She will solely defend at a excessive degree in drop protection. And whereas that’s not a horrible factor, it undoubtedly holds her again and places her a tier behind an enormous like Awa Fam, particularly once you consider Betts’ offensive limitations.

Betts has a comparatively secure flooring on account of her measurement and talent. That stated, it could be a catastrophe if the Wings drafted her over a few of these different prospects. There are too many crimson flags right here, too many points which can be incongruent with profitable basketball within the fashionable age. If I have been Curt Miller, I might steer clear in any respect prices.

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Flau’jae Johnson — Wing, Louisiana State

Johnson has been a two-way power all through her profession at LSU, and it’s onerous to ascertain a world the place she doesn’t turn into an incredible participant on the WNBA degree. Listed at 5’10”, Johnson herself insists that she’s nearer to 6-feet. Whereas that’s not plus-size on the wing, Johnson makes up for that by being top-of-the-line athletes in faculty basketball.

The promote for Johnson begins along with her skill to operate as a “3&D” participant— she will be able to guard the opposite group’s greatest scorer and knock down open threes with ease. If that have been all she dropped at the desk, it could give her a strong flooring as a professional. However Johnson has much more to her recreation. Her deal with is elite, permitting her to interrupt down defenses and get to her spots. When she will get there, her midrange pull-up is computerized. If the Wings drafted Johnson, she and Paige Bueckers would set information with that shot.

Johnson’s athleticism and deal with assist her blow by defenders and get into the paint, however she’s not probably the most adept at ending on the basket. Her contact across the basket isn’t nice, with nearly no left hand to talk of. However these are improvable areas, and Johnson nonetheless places stress on the protection any time she has the ball. The larger concern on offense is Johnson’s processing of the sport. She doesn’t see the ground all that effectively, limiting her upside as a playmaker. Whereas Johnson’s passing is strong, she is commonly late with reads or doesn’t see them in any respect. She’s flashed some enchancment right here early this season, posting a virtually 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. However LSU has performed all six of its video games towards comically inferior competitors, so just about all of that may be taken with a grain of salt. Johnson might additionally stand to take and make extra pull-up threes; as nice a shooter as she is, that hasn’t been in her bag. (Sound acquainted?)

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Defensively, I’ve no considerations with Johnson. She’ll be capable to guard one via three successfully within the W, and I’d wager that she makes All-Protection groups sometime. Her motor, athleticism, and instincts are too good. Johnson has the Dawg Think about spades, and he or she performs with a aptitude and tenacity that followers love. Pairing Johnson with Bueckers would accomplish that a lot for the group’s aura that I virtually don’t even care concerning the basketball match, although the 2 complement one another effectively. The one draw back right here could be that Johnson’s lack of playmaking wouldn’t go well with Bueckers’ off-ball brilliance all that effectively. Even so, Dallas might do lots worse.

Azzi Fudd — Capturing Guard, Connecticut

The discourse surrounding Azzi Fudd as a prospect is mind-numbing, and there’s a lot of disingenuousness about who she is as a participant and what meaning for her WNBA prospects. Some folks argue that she ought to be the clear-cut No. 1 choose on this draft, whereas others dismiss her as one-dimensional, inflated by the UConn system and her proximity to Paige Bueckers.

The precise analysis of Azzi Fudd is fairly easy. For starters, she’s one of many best shooters in basketball historical past. Her kind is image good, with a lightning-quick launch. Fudd can shoot off motion and screens, and he or she has a wonderful pull-up middy to assault closeouts with. When she will get to the rim, she finishes at a excessive price with each arms.

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Along with the taking pictures, Fudd performs onerous and at all times is aware of the place to be. She’s an unbelievable cutter and relocator, and he or she’s good at discovering teammates when the protection zeroes in on her. Her excessive basketball IQ and flooring recreation make her a plus offensive participant in any system.

The difficulty with Fudd is that she can not break down the protection off the bounce in any way. She can not create her personal shot outdoors of attacking closeouts. She doesn’t get to the rim or free-throw line. Fudd’s mediocre athleticism and footspeed forestall her from doing these items, and enchancment in these areas seems to be unlikely. And that’s okay! Fudd’s taking pictures and ancillary abilities mitigate these self-creation considerations.

As soon as labeled a nasty defender, Fudd has made nice strides on that finish. She competes onerous, and her 5’11” body helps her maintain her personal throughout the perimeter. Fudd doesn’t get misplaced off-ball, she’s good at executing scheme, and he or she communicates. That stated, the dearth of athleticism will maintain her again on the subsequent degree. Fudd gained’t be a nasty defender, but it surely’s onerous to ascertain her ever being a plus one.

Azzi Fudd, offered she stays wholesome, could have an extended and profitable profession within the WNBA. She will probably be a optimistic contributor to many good groups. I don’t suppose she’ll be a star, however not many draft picks turn into these. Fudd is commonly in comparison with Kayla McBride, which is smart given the prolific taking pictures. However McBride has at all times had extra on-ball juice and obtained to the road far more than Fudd as a prospect. I view Fudd way more as a supercharged Allie Quigley, which might be an incredible participant. And whereas I’m excessive on Fudd’s WNBA profession, I believe there are higher choices for the Wings to select from with the No. 1 general choose.

Right here’s a have a look at an early model of my 2026 WNBA Draft Board because it stands proper now: