Dallas Wings land another No. 1 pick, winning WNBA Draft Lottery for 2nd straight year

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DALLAS – The Dallas Wings are back on top of the WNBA Draft board. 

For the second consecutive year, Dallas has secured the No. 1 overall pick, winning Sunday night’s draft lottery with a 42 percent chance at the top selection.

What we know:

The Wings’ latest lottery win comes on the heels of a breakout rookie campaign from last year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers, who captured the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Bueckers quickly became the face of the franchise, leading the Wings in scoring and sparking new hope for a team that has spent the past several seasons retooling its roster.

Minnesota will select second in the 2026 draft, followed by Seattle, Washington and Chicago. The Lynx obtained the Sky’s first-round pick in a previous trade, while the WNBA’s two new expansion franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will pick sixth and seventh.

2026 Draft Class

Dig deeper:

This year’s draft pool doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 prospect like Bueckers a year ago, but it’s loaded with collegiate and international talent. UCLA’s Lauren Betts, UConn’s Azzi Fudd, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, and TCU’s Olivia Miles headline the list of college stars expected to enter the draft, alongside Spanish forward Awa Fam.

Rebuilding taking flight

Big picture view:

The Wings’ back-to-back top picks come at a pivotal time for the franchise. Earlier this offseason, Dallas hired longtime University of South Florida coach Jose Fernandez to lead the team’s next phase of development.

Fernandez has 35 years of coaching experience and nearly 500 career wins for the Wings. He is known for his player development and success coaching international talent. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to serve as your Head Coach and will work tirelessly to lead this organization to a level of success that both the Wings and the DFW community can be proud of,” said Fernandez.

Future of the WNBA

What’s next:

With Bueckers already established as a cornerstone and another top prospect on the way, the Wings appear to be building a foundation for sustained success, one that could soon elevate them into championship contention.

The WNBA is also in the midst of labor talks, with the league and players’ union extending their collective bargaining agreement deadline to Nov. 30. If a new deal is finalized, the draft will take place in April as usual.

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