BACKWNBA Draft Preview: the Ball-Handler, the Bucket-Getter and the Bigs
Written by Dallin Duffy
Welcome to what is most likely the busiest month in WNBA history. The expansion draft unfolded early in April and free agency opened on the 6th, exactly a week before the first-year player draft. Oh, games start on May 8th. Good luck!
A storyline emerging through all that noise is how talented the 2026 draft class is. The recently concluded NCAA Tournament gave scouts, front offices and fans one last look at some of the nation’s best players, including a handful of UCLA prospects who upped their stocks while leading their squad to the national title.
This year’s class is celebrated for its depth, but there’s also a clear top tier — four players who stand above everyone else. It would be a surprise if the first four names off the board weren’t some combination of Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, Lauren Betts and Awa Fam. The exact order is the real question, and not one we have the answer to right now.
Those four players each fit nicely into an archetypal bucket of baller that makes it easier to preview, one by one. Let’s do that instead.
The Ball-handler: Olivia Miles
Miles was considered a likely top-3 pick of last year’s draft before she returned for one final season of college ball. It was a smart decision, as the Notre Dame transfer won Big 12 Player of the Year and led a run to the Elite Eight during her lone season with TCU. The point guard is a triple-double threat who combines efficient scoring and strong rebounding with her top trait: truly special passing. Just about any team would be happy to add her pick-and-roll prowess to its roster.
Bottom line: Miles is a traditional point guard with goggle-covered eyes on the back of her head, and there’s a reason she’s been mocked highly in back-to-back years.
The Bucket-Getter: Azzi Fudd
Fudd is the biggest name on the board. That’s not exactly a surprise, is it? As the face of the sport’s biggest program, she guided UConn to a national title, then an undefeated regular season over her final two campaigns in Storrs. She also carries a heavy social media presence and has been stealing headlines since she was the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit out of high school years ago. All that, combined with her buttery shooting stroke, has put her in the mix for the first player off the board.
Bottom line: As soon as the Dallas Wings won the lottery, they had to start thinking about reuniting Paige Bueckers with Fudd, her friend and backcourt partner at UConn. Regardless of who she’s running alongside, Fudd is a plug-and-play star who can be one of the WNBA’s best swishers from her first game.
The Bigs: Lauren Betts and Awa Fam
Even as someone who was already supposed to be a top-5 pick, Betts gave her stock quite the boost by winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. The 6-foot-7 center remains high on WNBA teams’ lists thanks to her double-double consistency, decorated defense and built-in size advantage. If nothing else, she silenced the few doubters she did have with her March magic.
Next up is Fam. This is a clear “last but not least” case because the majority of mock drafts have the Spanish center going first overall. Her numbers overseas won’t blow you out of the water, but her main appeal is potential. She’s the high-ceiling, home-run swing who has every tool needed to become the league’s next big thing. Did we mention she’s 19 years old — four years younger than Miles and Fudd?
Bottom line: It’s hard to look at Betts’ numbers and imagine her going outside the top 3, but that’s the kind of top-shelf draft class we’re dealing with. Her around-the-rim production on both ends of the floor gives her true All-Star potential.
Fam is the odds-on favorite to go first overall because of her work tomorrow, not today. She’s held her own as a teenager overseas and her blend of youth, athleticism, strength and ball skills makes her one of the most intriguing bigs to enter the league in years.
Not long from now, each of the four players listed above, along with a deep list of fellow newcomers, will start their WNBA careers and bring their uniquely sharp skill sets to a new home. They’ll also be finding themselves on brand-new Panini rookie cards.
As general manager of your own card collection, you don’t have to pick just one of the four brilliant ballers above. All four are collect-worthy players who’ll feature as main rookie chases from Panini’s forthcoming WNBA releases.
As for what jersey they’ll be rocking on those cards, you’ll have to wait until April 13th to figure that out.
