The 2026 WNBA draft came and went—but did, at least, last much longer than a certain expansion draft earlier this month.
In one of the marquee events of the year, the W’s top prospects heard their names called on Monday night at Hudson Yards in New York, with the Dallas Wings taking Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick. The Minnesota Lynx took TCU guard Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick, followed by the Seattle Storm drafting Spain’s Awa Fam Thiam, the Washington Mystics drafting UCLA star Lauren Betts and the Chicago Sky surprising reaching for UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez to round out the top-five.
Fudd, affectionately known as the “People’s Princess,” will reunite with former UConn teammate (and rumored girlfriend) Paige Bueckers in the pros. With Fudd’s top selection, the Huskies became the first program since 2011 to produce back-to-back WNBA No. 1 picks. The last time it happened, two former Huskies also topped the big board: Maya Moore and Tina Charles got taken first overall in 2011 and ‘10 respectively. Only two UConn players in total got drafted Monday—compared to UCLA’s historic six total and five in the first round—but the NCAA powerhouse can still call this a fair win.
As for the other striking headline of the night, Flau’jae Johnson saw her fortune take an interesting turn after she was traded by the team that originally drafted her, the Golden State Valkyries. The Valkyries took the talented LSU guard with the No. 8 pick, only to turn around and trade Johnson to the Seattle Storm in return for Seattle’s No. 16 pick Marta Suárez and a 2028 second-rounder.
While the deal makes a lot of sense for the rebuilding Storm, who lost a number of proven vets in free agency, the move looks more baffling from the Valkyries’ standpoint. The organization appeared to take who it thought was the best player available on the board at the time in Johnson, but it turns out Golden State apparently only wanted to shop her around. In return for Johnson, Golden State got a capable wing in Suárez along with a future mid-round draft pick. Suárez impressed during her lone season with TCU in this past year’s NCAA tournament and can undoubtedly grow into a reliable piece in Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase’s rotation. Yet, it will be very difficult in the future for the Valks not to wonder what could have been if they had simply kept Johnson, an instantly beloved fan-favorite and versatile star-in-the-making, who will now bring her tenacious defense and efficient 3-point shooting to Seattle instead.
What Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin said about the Johnson trade isn’t aging too well, either: “When I'm ready to speak more about what the strategy is behind it, I'll speak on it ... I don't really speak about my strategy publicly because other teams are watching.”
How did the rest of the league’s teams fare on Monday night? Catch up on all of the action from an eventful 2026 WNBA draft in Sports Illustrated’s live blog below.
2026 WNBA Draft Recap: Where Azzi Fudd, Lauren Betts and Top Prospects Landed on Draft Day
More WNBA from Sports Illustrated
- Why Caitlin Clark Might Want to Apologize to Raven Johnson, Who the Fever Took No. 10 in the WNBA Draft
- Valkyries GM Raises More Questions Than Answers With Mid-Draft Flau'jae Johnson Trade
- SI:AM | A Very Interesting WNBA Draft
- How Much Money Will No. 1 Pick Azzi Fudd Make in Rookie Contract Under New CBA
- Dawn Staley Was Extremely Excited to See Raven Johnson Be Drafted to Fever
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 WNBA Draft Takeaways: UCLA, Azzi Fudd Make History, Flau’jae Johnson Stunningly Traded to Storm.
