After three years of wire-to-wire No. 1 picks (Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers), the WNBA is entering a draft cycle with a little more mystery. The top of this class is talented, but no single player stands head and shoulders above the rest as we take an early look at the best prospects for the 2026 draft.
The best players represent three positional archetypes: multi-talented wing, table-setting lead guard and paint-bound center. Individual teams might vary in preference for specific styles, but there is a lot of value to be had throughout the lottery. All four top players could have declared for the 2025 draft — and been high selections this season — but, as college seniors, they’ll first have the opportunity to further distinguish themselves.
A few caveats: This is a list of only NCAA players. International prospects will assuredly factor into next year’s draft, but for this exercise, the scope is domestic. Furthermore, the pandemic bonus year is mostly behind us, as only a couple of prospects (Charlisse Leger-Walker and Angela Dugalić) are benefiting from that extra year of eligibility. As a result, the only asterisks are for players who can return to school with a medical redshirt. Finally, this is merely a big board, not a mock draft; there are no…
