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For most WNBA Draft-eligible players, the NCAA Tournament is their final opportunity to make a strong impression on scouts. Not only are they playing in the last game(s) of their collegiate careers, but it’s in front of a national audience against the toughest competition in the country, so every play—good or bad—will be under the microscope.
While it’s unlikely that a single tournament run will outweigh an entire body of work for the best players in the draft class, the high-stakes environment can be a good thing for everyone else. Let’s talk about a few of the players whose WNBA Draft stock could benefit from strong performances in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Charlisse Leger-Walker (UCLA)
It might seem unfair to include someone who plays for a No. 1 overall seed on a list like this, but Leger-Walker’s situation isn’t a typical one. Once one of the most statistically productive guards in the country, Leger-Walker’s senior season at Washington State was cut short by a torn ACL, and she spent the entirety of the following season rehabbing. She’s since resurrected her career playing a lower-usage role for one of the most dominant teams in the country. It may be difficult for Leger-Walker to stand out on a UCLA roster full of other future WNBA draftees, and her days as a triple-double threat may be over, but her ability to dictate tempo and get the ball where it needs to go are going to be needed if the Bruins are going to return to the Final Four—or go even further.
Every year, there are a handful of draft prospects from mid-major programs who, despite putting up massive numbers for much of their careers, have flown under the radar due to lack of visibility or name recognition. Doogan headlines that list of players in 2026, having averaged 21 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field, and she was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year for the second season in a row. In fairness to Doogan and Richmond, this won’t be the first time we’ll be seeing them in the NCAA Tournament—she was extremely impressive in the Spiders’ second-round loss to UCLA last year—but if they earn a win or two against Nebraska and Baylor in this year’s tournament, it could be just the boost Doogan needs to be considered amongst her power conference peers.
Janiah Barker (Tennessee)
Barker’s collegiate career has been one of both intriguing potential and frustrating inconsistency, so in a way it’s fitting that she’d finish it playing for a Tennessee team whose season has been just as tumultuous. No one doubts that the rangy, 6-foot-4 forward with guard skills and a smooth midrange jumper has the talent to play in the WNBA, and there have been plenty of times over the years when she’s looked like a first-round draft talent, but she hasn’t sustained that level of play for long enough stretches to be considered a lock. Barker will have one last chance on the national stage to prove that she’s for real.
During her sophomore and junior seasons at Michigan, Phelia seemed like a surefire WNBA prospect, but she suffered an eye injury shortly after transferring to Texas and had to redshirt. She’s finally healthy again, and though she hasn’t been as consistent of an offensive player as she was with the Wolverines, her stout perimeter defense has been a major factor in Syracuse’s bounceback season. Phelia is currently shooting just 41.0 on 2-pointers and will need to have a strong offensive showing in the NCAA Tournament to move the needle on her draft stock, but her size and strength on the wing should already have her on WNBA teams’ radars.
Cassandre Prosper (Notre Dame)
Notre Dame may be known as the Hannah Hidalgo show, but the Irish will need someone else to step up alongside their star guard if they’re going to make a deep tournament run. Prosper seems like the most likely candidate to do so. She’s averaging 13.8 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game for Notre Dame, though she was inconsistent offensively in ACC play, particularly in their ACC Tournament loss to Duke. Crucially, Prosper was never a full-time starter prior to this season, nor did she have much of an offensive role despite being a fixture of Notre Dame’s rotation. A strong performance in the NCAA Tournament would go a long way in proving that she’s taken a leap forward and is worthy of being drafted.
