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The Dallas Wings officially have the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft after winning the draft lottery at the end of November, and there’s not a player guaranteed to go first this year like with Paige Bueckers last year or Caitlin Clark the year before.
As of now, Dallas is expected to choose between Spain’s Awa Fam, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, and UConn’s Azzi Fudd, but they could go in a number of different directions. Any of them would help solve issues for the team. Betts would provide a dominant interior defensive force, Fam would give them a modern big with some athleticism, and Fudd would give them some much-needed perimeter shooting.
But with the first pick still up for grabs, expect some players to make their claim to be drafted first, because even a player like Olivia Miles or Ta’Niya Latson could creep their way into the conversation. And another player has recently expressed their desire to go first.
READ MORE: Prominent WNBA star open to idea of seeing a Paige Bueckers-Azzi Fudd duo in Dallas
LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson is a unique star, as she’s dabbled in a rap career, but there’s no denying that she’s a talented player. She was a key part of LSU winning a championship as a freshman in 2023, and she’s only gotten more productive as the years have gone on.
Johnson was a Third Team All-American in the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.7 SPG while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 38.3% from three. She’s taken an efficient step up this year, increasing her production to 17.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.7 SPG while shooting 54.8% from the floor and a ridiculous 58.1% from three (nearly 6 attempts per game) through nine games.
She made her desire known to go first overall recently, saying, “I’m so ready to go pro. I really want to establish myself to show I could be the number one pick in the draft.”
Her fit alongside Paige Buecker and Arike Ogunbowale (if she returns) would be questionable, as those are already two guards who need the ball in their hands. But Johnson’s perimeter shooting, if it carries over to the next level, will be a huge point of emphasis for the Wings this offseason. They were one of the worst shooting teams in the WNBA this offseason, and they’re aware that they need to put more shooting around Bueckers.
READ MORE: Dallas Wings players expected to be hot commodity in upcoming WNBA Expansion Draft
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