Dallas Wings hold top pick as new salaries raise stakes for 2026 WNBA draft prospects

TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Apr 14, 2026, 02:16 IST

Image credit : AP

The Dallas Wings enter the 2026 season holding the No. 1 draft pick, now more valuable than ever under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. The top selection is expected to earn around $500,000, a major increase compared to previous years and significantly higher than what Paige Bueckers received as last year’s top pick. Leading candidates include Azzi Fudd from UConn Huskies women's basketball, who could reunite with Bueckers, international prospect Awa Fam Thiam and Lauren Betts from UCLA Bruins women's basketball. With a strong core already in place, Dallas is focused on adding the right fit rather than rebuilding. Meanwhile, UCLA could challenge UConn Huskies women's basketball for the record of most first-round picks by a single program. The draft highlights growing financial recognition for incoming players.

UConn's Azzi Fudd smiles while answering a question during a news conference prior to the national semifinals at the Women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The Dallas Wings are heading into the 2026 WNBA season with the No. 1 draft pick, and this time the stakes are much bigger. Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement in the WNBA, the top pick will earn around $500,000 in her rookie season, which is a massive increase compared to previous years. It’s about seven times more than what Paige Bueckers earned when she got drafted as the No. 1 pick last season.

The Dallas Wings have a few strong options to choose from. Azzi Fudd, who previously played alongside Paige Bueckers at UConn, is one of the top names in college basketball and also a projected No. 1 as per the recent WNBA mock draft. Both Bueckers and Fudd led the 2025 UConn team to its 12th national championship last March. And if the Wings pick Fudd, then the two athletes could reunite that chemistry at the pro level. Spanish forward Awa Fam Thiam is another exciting option. At just 19 years old, Fam brings international experience. Then there’s Lauren Betts, who recently helped UCLA lift its first ever national championship title.

The Wings already have a strong core led by Bueckers, so this pick is more about adding the right piece than rebuilding. The rest of the top picks follow with Minnesota at No. 2, and Seattle, Washington, and Chicago filling out the top five.

UCLA could also make history in this draft. They have six of their senior players entering the WNBA draft on Monday night and there’s a real chance they break the record for most first-round picks by a single school. That record currently belongs to UConn, which was set back in 2002.

The salary jump has completely changed how rookies will look at the league. This is definitely a big step forward for players coming into the league since they can finally feel that their talent is being valued the right way.

Now all eyes are on Dallas to see who they trust with that No. 1 spot and the future of the franchise.

Dallas Wings hold top pick as new salaries raise stakes for 2026 WNBA draft prospects

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