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The team selected Paige Bueckers, the UConn guard long considered an elite prospect whose production as a rookie met the hype.
Her Rookie of the Year-winning campaign came in contrast to a last-place finish for the Wings, one that also gave Dallas the best odds for again receiving the No. 1 draft selection. On Sunday, they officially secured the top pick, marking the fifth time a WNBA team has had consecutive No. 1 picks.
Dallas executive vice president and general manager Curt Miller called the win a “huge momentum moment” for the franchise Sunday.
The path forward with this pick is far less clear than last year, however. In the past few seasons, the projected top pick was well-known by the time the lottery took place, perhaps only with lingering questions concerning whether they would declare.
In 2026, such a consensus doesn’t exist quite yet. For example, ESPN has already mocked three different players to the Wings in the top slot — UCLA center Lauren Betts, Valencia (Spain) center Awa Fam and UConn guard Azzi Fudd.
Miller said that “six prospects” have separated themselves, not naming most of them but giving short praise to each.
“You have a great passer and leader from the point guard position,” Miller said. “You have one of the best shooters that we’ve seen in a long time, one of the fastest releases. You have a transition player that really thrives in the full court, and in transition offense, you got a bonafide big-time scorer that’s led the nation. You got two post players that are projected to be in these top six, an international young phenom that’s still 19. And the center out in UCLA in Lauren Betts and her great size in that great program.”
The five unnamed players can be assumed to be TCU guard Olivia Miles, Fudd, LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson and Fam, respectively. The six prospects also make up the top six in the The IX Sports’ first 2026 draft board.
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Miller said one of the main advantages of having the top pick is “optionality.” Before the college draft takes place, there will be a two-team expansion draft and a free agency period that is expected to be packed with action. With the roster shifts to come this offseason, Dallas’ draft needs may change.
As of now, there’s not much solidified for Dallas besides Bueckers’ stardom and perhaps the retention of forward and successful lottery representative Maddy Siegrist. With a collection of youth and the impending free agent status of veteran guards Arike Ogunbowale and Ty Harris, the Wings will have tough decisions to make.
“League-wide, I think we have a difficult decision on our protections. I’m not the only GM that’s going to have sleepless nights. Nearly every day we talk about our protections and what potentially that could look like in the expansion draft,” Miller said. “Obviously, free agency is top of mind for everyone as we get a new CBA ratified on this unprecedented free agency.”
The lack of a can’t-miss star in this class also means other teams see a trade for a top pick as a real possibility. Miller said that even before the Wings knew where they’d pick, he received more calls about a potential deal than he did last year.
“The Caitlin Clark draft, there was not going to be a trade, Paige was not going to be traded,” he said. “It will be interesting and it makes our job fun to listen to those phone calls that come in for the No. 1 pick. And we’ll do what’s best for our franchise.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Dallas intends on going through with a deal for the top pick. But another dynamic has been added to the conversation that hasn’t been present in recent years.
Regardless of how the Wings utilize their top pick, Miller said it has the potential to “catapult” the team into success after a few tough seasons.
“Just a really special time,” Miller said. “I know our ticket takers are in the office tonight on a Sunday night, we were hoping for this result and generating even more season ticket sales. So my message is, ‘Go get your season tickets.’ It’s going to be a really, really bounceback year for the Dallas Wings, and we’re really excited and know what this pick can do for us.”
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Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
