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The Dallas Wings own the first overall pick for the second year in a row after winning the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery. They selected Paige Bueckers with the first overall pick last year, which was the obvious selection. No one would’ve passed on Bueckers last year, just like no one would’ve passed on Caitlin Clark the year before.
But the choice this year isn’t obvious. And if it’s up to Bueckers, they won’t be here again. She spoke with Meghan L. Hall of For the Win about the Wings winning the first pick. While she’s excited, she doesn’t want this to become a trend.
“Just a lot of excitement,” Bueckers said. “Obviously, as a team and an organization, you don’t wanna continue to keep getting number one picks because that means you’re not winning. We want this to be a stride in the right direction and continue to keep getting better, have a great first pick, and then just continue to build off that. As good as it sounds, you don’t want to keep mounting No. 1 picks. It’s just exciting for the future.”
Dallas went 10-34 this season despite tremendous play from Bueckers, who won Rookie of the Year and was an All-WNBA Second Team selection, but they were under a first-year head coach who has now been fired, Chris Koclanes, and Arike Ogunbowale had her worst season as a pro.
The Wings brought in USF’s Jose Fernandez to be the next head coach, and it helps that he has actual coaching experience, since he was in Tampa for 25 years. He’s a great friend of Geno Auriemma, Bueckers’ college coach, so there should be some familiarity there. And with another first overall pick in the team’s back pocket, a superstar already in Bueckers, and some other young talent, they could reboot this team quickly.
READ MORE: Clippers’ Chris Paul gives advice to Wings’ Paige Bueckers after winning WNBA ROTY
There is no obvious selection for the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. The last few years have had an obvious choice even entering the college season, but there are a few names to consider this year.
It will likely come down between UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Spain’s Awa Fam, and UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who also happens to be Bueckers’ girlfriend.
Betts likely doesn’t have the offensive upside needed, but she’s a fantastic interior defender, something that has to be fixed for the Wings. Fam has the youth and potential as a 19-year-old center, and she looks like a modern-day big. Fudd has the floor-spacing ability that’s desperately needed because the Wings were one of the worst shooting teams in the WNBA last year.
Either Fudd or Fam would be good picks, but it’ll be up to the Wings to decide what they need most.
READ MORE: Dallas Wings may need patience with potential No. 1 overall pick
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