WNBA mock draft: UCLA’s players rise, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd drop

WNBA mock draft: UCLA’s players rise, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd drop

UCLA was crowned champions four days ago, and in another four days, the six seniors who accounted for all of their points in the Final Four will be starting their professional careers at the WNBA Draft.

Over the past three weeks, several Bruins managed to raise their draft stock with strong NCAA Tournament performances. Even with all the tape front offices have on the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year seniors leaving college for the WNBA, it still helps to have a few good games against the nation’s best competition when the stakes are at the highest.

This is the first (and last) mock draft with the correct first-round order after Toronto won the offseason coin flip and elected to pick sixth in Monday’s WNBA Draft.

1. Dallas Wings

Awa Fam | 6-4 center | Valencia (Spain)

Previous projection: 1

After all of the player-friendly provisions introduced in the new collective bargaining agreement, international players still have an advantage over American ones when it comes to entering the WNBA. Awa Fam may not be as good as Lauren Betts right now, but she is about three years younger and already has impressive reps against WNBA-caliber competition. As the Dallas Wings build for the future, it will be hard to turn down the Spanish center with outstanding athleticism who seems to teleport in the half-court. Fam has good shooting touch and reads the floor well, making her a natural complement to Paige Bueckers for years to come.

2. Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago Sky)

Lauren Betts | 6-7 center | UCLA

Previous projection: 4

Betts was a big winner in the NCAA Tournament — aside from ending as a national champion, she showcased her full gamut of skills across the six games. The Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while making 68.8 percent of her field goals and 80 percent of her free throws. She elevated her game in high-pressure situations and showed off that midrange jumper that WNBA personnel have been looking for. Betts also had one of the highlights of the tournament, as her block against Madison Booker to close out the national semifinal was the latest example of her mobility and rim protection. The Lynx lost a backup big in the expansion draft, and Alanna Smith is an unrestricted free agent with many suitors, so adding more frontcourt depth would help now and in the future.

3. Seattle Storm (from Los Angeles Sparks)

Olivia Miles | 5-10 guard | TCU

Previous projection: 3

Miles remains the best point guard prospect in this draft. Even if her defense looked even worse in the harsh light of the NCAA Tournament, her passing continued to shine, as did her scoring in isolation. Plus, her celebrations are already pro-ready.

Miles nearly averaged a triple-double in TCU’s Elite Eight run, tallying 17 points, 9.8 rebounds and 9 assists per game. She can make any read out of a high ball screen. As her coach Mark Campbell said, “There’s like half a dozen people in the world that have her vision that can process it that quickly, that can throw a one-handed bounce pass to the opposite corner, off the dribble, on a laser and then do it with their left hand.” Even accounting for his bias, there is no denying Miles’ prodigious skill and her ability to show up in clutch situations. Considering what Miles accomplished with Clara Silva at center, her partnership with Dominique Malonga should be incredibly fruitful.

4. Washington Mystics

Azzi Fudd | 5-11 guard | UConn

Previous projection: 2

This was a tough call between two local products in Azzi Fudd and Kiki Rice. Ultimately, Fudd gets the nod because her shooting talent is better than any singular skill in Rice’s bag. Fudd had a difficult tournament, and her inability to impact the game offensively when her shot wasn’t falling against South Carolina was concerning. But Washington has a good player development program — look at the way Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen grew their games from their senior seasons in college — and when a player still makes 45 percent of her 3s in a season, it’s hard to quibble with a couple of games.

Fudd also developed as a defensive asset as a senior, using her length and strength to deter drives and create turnovers. She doesn’t have the offensive upside of a No. 1 option, but no one else in this draft class does either.

5. Chicago Sky (from Connecticut Sun)

Kiki Rice | 5-11 guard | UCLA

Previous projection: 5

The tournament was another showcase for what Kiki Rice does well: she gets downhill, she rebounds, she defends and she is a good shooter on 3s and free throws. Her finishing around the basket could use some work, as she sometimes seems to drive without a plan, but overall, putting pressure on the rim is a good asset. Rice could play the one or the two positions in the pros, allowing her to fit with both Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot when she returns.

6. Toronto Tempo

Iyana Martín | 5-9 guard | Avenida (Spain)

Previous projection: 6

The Tempo picked up a floor general in the expansion draft in Julie Allemand, so they can afford to be patient here. Martín probably isn’t ready to lead a WNBA team, but she has all the tools (pace, passing and size) to do so in a couple of years. Martín averaged 12.5 points and 5 assists per game in EuroCup this season while making 81.8 percent of her free throws. She can come to Toronto and learn from Allemand, or the Tempo can stash her in Spain for now, since they also have Lexi Held as a backup point guard in 2026.

7. Portland Fire

Gabriela Jaquez | 6-0 wing | UCLA

Previous projection: 10

As it turns out, it wasn’t possible to be overexuberant on All-Gas Gabs. Jaquez is the motor for her team every time she steps onto the court, and she combines that with excellent off-ball cutting, rebounding and post-entry passing. She is a passable shooter and ballhandler. Most importantly, she knows her role on the court and doesn’t try to step out of it. But she can also post 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a national title game through pure hustle, joining a 20/10/5 club that includes Dawn Staley, Chamique Holdsclaw, Breanna Stewart and Sarah Strong. As the Portland Fire try to establish a culture, Jaquez is an ideal foundation, just as she was at UCLA.

8. Golden State Valkyries

Ta’Niya Latson | 5-8 guard | South Carolina

Previous projection: 15

In her first extended NCAA Tournament run, Latson proved that she could be the same player she was against lesser competition. Most importantly, Latson could get into the lane and score. On the first possession of the national semifinal game, she went right at Strong and scored two points. For the rest of the night, all UConn could do to stop her was send Latson to the free-throw line. Her burst and downhill attacks will translate to the WNBA, as will her improved defense from her South Carolina stint. Golden State had an excellent defense in 2025 but needs another player who can put her head down and get to the basket.

9. Washington Mystics (from Seattle Storm)

Flau’jae Johnson | 5-10 guard | LSU

Previous projection: 11

It was an inconsistent season for Flau’jae Johnson, who started the season projected as a lottery pick but isn’t certain to land in that range anymore. She had a difficult time being a scorer and a playmaker in the same game, her free-throw shooting took a considerable dip and her defensive effort manifested itself in highlight plays rather than solid, team defense.

Nevertheless, Johnson is an incredible athlete who has shown up in big games throughout her career. She has a smooth pull-up jumper and makes great decisions in transition. A change of scenery would likely benefit her after the intense spotlight she faced at LSU. Since Citron is already ahead of her at her position, the Mystics can bring Johnson along slowly.

10. Indiana Fever

Raven Johnson | 5-9 guard | South Carolina

Previous projection: 7

Raven Johnson is a winner, and that’s what the Fever are trying to do. Coach Steph White will love Johnson’s defensive intensity, and Johnson’s strength and long arms make her switchable and scheme-versatile. That defensive acumen makes Johnson a useful complement to Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. The spot-up shooting will be a swing skill; if she can hit 3-point jumpers at a 35-percent clip, Johnson can play off the ball. Otherwise, she might be more limited as a full-time backup point guard who lets Clark work off of screens instead of creating everything in the pick-and-roll. Still, Johnson should be able to fill in the Aari McDonald role from the 2025 Fever, ideally with fewer injury concerns than McDonald.

11. Washington Mystics (from New York Liberty via Connecticut Sun)

Frieda Bühner | 6-2 guard | Movistar Estudiantes (Spain)

Previous projection: N / A

A new entry into the last mock! Bühner earned a spot on the All-Star five at the World Cup qualifying tournament, averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds for Germany. She was even better in league play this season, averaging 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in the top Spanish league while making 59.2 percent of her 2-pointers. She makes quick decisions off the catch as a scorer and passer and uses her bulk to overpower smaller defenders inside.

Bühner doesn’t have the best lateral quickness, but her size and smarts allow her to have a positive impact defensively nonetheless. She made only 25 percent of her 3s in Liga Femenina. However, she did make 81.5 percent of her free throws and 41 percent of her 3s in EuroCup play, so the jumper could be an asset going forward. The Mystics don’t have any forwards beyond Iriafen, so Bühner could slot in nicely in their future core.

12. Connecticut Sun (from Phoenix Mercury)

Nell Angloma | 5-11 guard | Lattes Montpellier (France)

Previous projection: 8

This might be a glut of strong guards who can’t really shoot on the same team. However, it might be more comfortable for Angloma to come to the U.S. on a team that has another French player and a French-speaking coach. The soon-to-be Comets are in pure asset accumulation mode and can’t turn down a physical guard who can already make her way through professional defenses at age 19.

13. Atlanta Dream

Gianna Kneepkens | 6-0 guard | UCLA

Previous projection: 9

Kneepkens didn’t really do anything to warrant falling in the draft, but Atlanta is a wonderful landing spot for the NCAA champion. Kneepkens spent four years in Utah’s system, which emphasized layups and 3s, not unlike what coach Karl Smesko has brought to the Dream. It would be a seamless plug-and-play fit. Kneepkens is one of the best shooting prospects college basketball has produced in recent memory, and showed during the tournament — particularly against Madison Booker — that she can hang defensively.

14. Seattle Storm (from Las Vegas Aces)

Cotie McMahon | 6-0 guard/forward | Ole Miss

Previous projection: 14

McMahon will benefit from WNBA officiating, as she is less likely to be whistled for so many offensive fouls compared to her college career. Her strength should be more of a plus, especially if she continues to be a credible ballhandler in the pros. McMahon has taken major steps forward in reading the floor, having positive body language and leading a team. The Storm could use some offensive talent.

15. Connecticut Sun (from Minnesota Lynx via Washington Mystics)

Madina Okot | 6-6 center | South Carolina

Previous projection: 12

Okot did not have the finest tournament. She often looked sped up and too willing to settle for jumpers instead of asserting herself inside. But the South Carolina center has a ton of tape against quality SEC opposition when she displayed her physicality and composure. The year-to-year improvement for Okot, who is still relatively new to high-level basketball, makes it too hard to pass on her, even if this is more of a developmental pick than someone who can contribute right away.

Also considered: Angela Dugalić (UCLA), Marta Suárez (TCU), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma)

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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