The 2026 WNBA Draft is officially here. One of the most anticipated nights on the women’s basketball calendar takes place on Monday, April 13, at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City — and this year’s event arrives at a uniquely historic moment for the league.
When, Where, and How to Watch
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The evening kicks off earlier with two pre-show broadcasts: the WNBA Orange Carpet Special on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by the WNBA Countdown Presented by Google on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The draft will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream on ESPN Unlimited. Live TV broadcast options include DirecTV and YouTube TV. For cord-cutters, Sling TV’s Sling Orange plan includes ESPN and ESPN2, and Fubo offers a free trial that includes ESPN. Canadian fans can also watch draft coverage on TSN.
This marks the third consecutive year the draft has returned to The Shed in Manhattan, reinforcing its status as a marquee live event with fans in attendance.
The Broadcast Team
ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco will host the draft broadcast with analysts Rebecca Lobo and Andraya Carter and reporter Holly Rowe. The broadcast will feature all three rounds, with interviews, analysis, and real-time reactions. Ruocco and Lobo are veterans of women’s basketball coverage and bring an established chemistry to what figures to be a compelling night. Lobo in particular has already made news ahead of the draft with her pointed, insightful commentary about several top prospects — including South Carolina’s Madina Okot.
The Draft Order and Format
There are three rounds in the draft, with 15 picks in each, for a total of 45 selections. The Dallas Wings hold the top pick, followed by the Minnesota Lynx at No. 2, the Seattle Storm at No. 3, the Washington Mystics at No. 4, and the Chicago Sky at No. 5. The WNBA’s newest expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, will select sixth and seventh, respectively, in the first round.
This year’s draft marks a significant expansion moment for the league. Following the successful debut of the Golden State Valkyries in 2025, the WNBA welcomes two more franchises — the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first-ever WNBA team, and the Portland Fire.
Who’s Going No. 1?
This year’s rookie class doesn’t have a clear consensus No. 1 pick. Last year, it was a layup for the Dallas Wings, who didn’t have to blink twice to take UConn star Paige Bueckers. This time around, the decision is legitimately open.
The top choice is expected to be either UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd or TCU’s generational passer Olivia Miles. Lauren Betts of UCLA is also in serious contention following her tournament MVP performance in the national championship win over South Carolina, as is Spain’s Awa Fam Thiam. The lack of a consensus pick makes this one of the most genuinely suspenseful No. 1 moments in years.
The Gamecocks: Three Players, One Historic Opportunity
The most compelling story for South Carolina fans is the prospect of three Gamecocks being selected in the first round — something that would be only the third time in program history that Dawn Staley has produced three first-round picks in a single draft. South Carolina achieved that feat in 2017 and 2023. If Johnson, Latson, and Okot all go in the first round, the program adds another landmark chapter to its WNBA pipeline legacy.
Raven Johnson is the consensus earliest Gamecock off the board. Johnson seems likely to land with the Indiana Fever, who hold the No. 10 overall pick. ESPN’s latest mock draft has her landing in Indiana, where she would be a great defensive complement for Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. CBS Sports projects Johnson as the No. 6 pick to the expansion Toronto Tempo, while The Sporting News has her going No. 7 to Portland. Johnson spent five extraordinary years in Columbia, helping lead the Gamecocks to a 145-8 record when she was active, and exits as one of the most celebrated players in program history.
Ta’Niya Latson presents the most varied projections of the three. CBS Sports has Latson going No. 10 overall to the Fever to join Clark, ESPN has her going No. 13 overall to the Atlanta Dream, and The Athletic slots her at No. 8 to the Golden State Valkyries. Her scoring average dipped after transferring from Florida State, but her development under Staley was undeniable. “There were things I was missing, like the defensive presence,” Latson told ESPN. “I knew coming to South Carolina, I had to get better at defense. And also finding my spots offensively while playing with other great players. It hasn’t always been easy, but I feel like it will pay off going to the next level and make things easier in training camp.”
Madina Okot rounds out the South Carolina trio, her path to draft night shaped by the NCAA’s denial of her eligibility waiver. CBS Sports, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and Tankathon all project Okot as the No. 13 pick to the Atlanta Dream, while ESPN and The Athletic both slot her at No. 15 to the Connecticut Sun. CBS Sports noted that despite only playing basketball since 2020, her potential “is obvious, particularly on the defensive end” and her emerging three-point shot late in the season makes her “a worthwhile upside swing” for whatever team selects her.
Rebecca Lobo captured what makes Okot’s draft story so compelling: having analyzed her throughout the season, Lobo described the excitement around Okot as rooted in how new she is to the game and what that means about her future potential — noting that she is not even close to touching what she can be as a professional player.
A Big Night for Women’s Basketball
Monday’s draft does not happen in a vacuum. It arrives in the middle of one of the most unprecedented WNBA offseasons in league history , with the new collective bargaining agreement reshaping player salaries, two expansion teams drafting for the first time, and a historic free agency period already producing blockbuster deals. The energy around the WNBA has never been higher — and the 2026 Draft, headlined by some of the most celebrated names in recent college basketball history, is set to be one of the defining nights of the league’s 30th season.
