The 2027 WNBA Draft is shaping up to be one of the strongest classes ever, with USC's JuJu Watkins favored to go No. 1 despite recovering from an ACL injury. Other top prospects include Madison Booker, Hannah Hidalgo, S'Mya Nichols, and Mikaylah Williams, along with international talents like Aïnhoa Risacher and Zhang Ziyu.
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As soon as one cycle ends, another one begins. Now that the 2026 WNBA Draft is complete, with Azzi Fudd going No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, it's time to turn our attention to 2027. Next year's draft features one of the best classes in recent memory -- possibly ever -- and will be fascinating to track over the next 12 months.
USC star JuJu Watkins, who sat out last season to rehab her torn ACL, is the clear favorite to go No. 1 next spring despite her injury. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023 does have two years of eligibility remaining, so it's possible she could decide to wait until 2028 to turn pro, but for now we're including her in the 2027 class, which looks like one of the best in recent history.
To wit: other lottery picks include Texas forward Madison Booker, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Kansas guard S'Mya Nichols and LSU guard Mikaylah Williams. And that's not to mention Audi Crooks, who is currently in the transfer portal, or international prospects such as French forward Aïnhoa Risacher and Chinese center Zhang Ziyu.
Ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, which will get underway Sunday when training camps open, let's take a very early look at how the first round of the 2027 WNBA Draft might shake out.
Watkins, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, still has two years of college eligibility, but it's hard to see her staying in school longer than she needs to under the new WNBA CBA. Assuming she declares, she is the clear option at No. 1. Standing 6-foot-2, Watkins is a two-way force who can create her own shot at will, and was on her way to one of the best collegiate careers ever prior to her knee injury.
Booker didn't make a good final impression last season (6 of 23 shooting performance in Texas' loss to UCLA in the Final Four) but she's still one of the best prospects in the 2027 class -- and she will, of course, get another shot at a championship as a senior. Big, versatile wings who can create their own shot as easily as Booker are extremely valuable and she was extremely efficient last season from both the mid-range (49.8%) and at the rim (73.5%).
Nichols often flies under the radar because Kansas has only made the NCAA Tournament once since she arrived on campus, but she's an incredibly talented offensive player. Of the four players with at least 300 pick-and-roll possessions last season (which included Hidalgo and Olivia Miles), Nichols was by far the most efficient at 1.076 points per possession. She also led the country in free throw attempts (287) and shot a career-high 42.9% from 3-point range.
Hidalgo, who recently announced that she'll return to Notre Dame for her senior season, is a truly terrifying perimeter defender. She led the country in steals last season at 5.6 per game and had a triple-double with steals in the Sweet 16. Her defense and competitiveness alone will make her a top pick, but there are some questions about her size (5-foot-6) and inconsistent scoring outside of the paint at the next level.
Williams is yet another big guard in this class who already boasts pro-level offensive skills. A true three-level scorer, she can easily get her own shot whenever and wherever, and was one of the most efficient perimeter players in the country last season for LSU. After Flau'Jae Johnson's graduation and a number of transfers, Williams will have a chance to be the true No. 1 option for the Tigers as a senior.
The 18-year-old Risacher is the younger sister of Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and plays professionally in her native France for Lyon. She was the MVP of the U16 Women's EuroBasket in 2023 and named to the All-Star Five of FIBA U17 Women's World Cup in 2024. Her size (6-foot-1), craft and defensive versatility on the wing stand out, and she has plenty of potential as one of the youngest players in this class.
Cooper could have declared for the 2026 draft, but she decided to use her extra year of eligibility and transferred to Ole Miss for her final collegiate campaign. Her athleticism, creativity and defensive playmaking jump off the screen, and it was encouraging to see her shoot a career-best 34.3% on 6.1 3-point attempts last season for the Volunteers. Now, she'll get to learn from Yolett McPhee-McCuin in Oxford.
The 6-foot-5 Strack averaged a double-double last season for the first time in her career, and also finished seventh in the country in blocks per game (2.5). She is a real presence in the paint on both sides of the ball, and in a class heavy on guards and wings, her size and interior skills will stand out. Her 3-point experiment will be one of the most interesting individual skill development processes to watch next season. She keeps upping her volume, but to little success thus far.
Few players are as simultaneously exciting and frustrating as Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU last season after beginning her career at South Carolina. Fulwiley is one of the most talented players in all of college basketball, blending quickness, athleticism and creativity to regularly create highlight-reel plays on both ends of the floor. Her decision-making often leaves a lot to be desired, however, and she doesn't score consistently outside of the paint.
Pierre transferred to NC State for her junior season and took on a lesser scoring role with the Wolfpack, but was more efficient than ever and turned into a double-double machine who dominated the glass. She has an incredible motor and her ability to put the ball on the deck at 6-foot-2 is intriguing. It will be interesting to see if she can expand her offensive game and cut down on turnovers as a senior.
Johnson stepped into a starting role for South Carolina last season and had the best campaign of her career. She is an elite shooter – 44.8% on 5.3 3-point attempts per game as a junior – with a quick release and a unique ability to consistently knock down contested looks. Johnson still has room to grow in other departments, but she's one of the best pure shooters in this class.
Crooks decided to transfer from Iowa State and still has not decided where she will play her senior season. Whoever lands her will get one of the most dominant post scorers college basketball has ever seen. Crooks, who was second in the country in both scoring (25.8 points per game) and field goal percentage (64.9%), is a one-woman offense, but there are real concerns about how her game will translate to the WNBA, especially on the defensive end.
[Audi Crooks landing spots: Iowa State star entering transfer portal, so where could she end up?
Jack Maloney
Okananwa's viral moment with coach Brenda Frese during Maryland's season-ending loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament highlighted the All-ACC star's toughness and desire to grow. She transferred to Maryland for her junior campaign, which was by far the best of her career. Okananwa is a menace defensively, and is so athletic that it often doesn't matter that her jumper remains a work in progress. She loves to play in transition and excels at getting downhill and earning trips to the free throw line.
We've never seen a prospect like the 18-year-old, 7-foot-3 Zhang, who would be the tallest player in WNBA history if/when she appears in a game. She was the MVP of the U18 Women's Asia Cup in 2024, helped the Chinese senior national team win a bronze medal in the 2025 Asia Cup and made her professional debut in her native country in January. Though not the most mobile, her size allows her to completely overwhelm most opponents in the paint.
A lower-body injury derailed Brown's junior season, and she's now in the transfer portal after leaving Iowa State. Whichever program she joins will gain a unique forward. The 6-foot-2 Brown can operate out of the post, spot up on the perimeter – she shot 37.5% from 3-point range in her first two healthy collegiate seasons – and run pick-and-roll. She's not the most athletic player, however, and the 2026 draft showed that teams value that trait.
JuJu Watkins from USC is the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL, but she remains a top prospect for the 2027 draft despite this injury.
Other expected lottery picks include Madison Booker, Hannah Hidalgo, S'Mya Nichols, and Mikaylah Williams.
Yes, notable international prospects include French forward Aïnhoa Risacher and Chinese center Zhang Ziyu.
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