Dallas Wings Get First Pick in WNBA Draft for Second Straight Year
For the second consecutive year, the Dallas Wings secure the first selection in the WNBA draft. This achievement, announced after the 2026 draft lottery held on Sunday, marks a significant milestone for the franchise. The Wings, who selected UConn’s Paige Bueckers in 2025, will have the opportunity to pick first in the draft on April 13. They are the fourth team in league history to get the first overall pick in two consecutive seasons, although other teams have managed to win consecutive lotteries and then trade one of the picks. The lottery odds were based on the cumulative records of the last two regular seasons of the WNBA for the five teams that did not qualify for the playoffs in 2025. Trade movements led the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm to participate in the lottery. With a cumulative record of 19-65, the Wings had the best odds of obtaining the first pick (42%) and were guaranteed at least a top-three pick.Bueckers was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and was also selected for the All-WNBA second team. However, the Wings failed to make the postseason again and finished the 2025 season with the worst record in the league (10-34). In the last five years, only the Indiana Fever have had more lottery picks than the Wings. Bueckers and Siegrist (number 3 in 2023) were the only lottery picks who played for Dallas last season. The draft lottery this year was the first to feature five teams since 2010. The Lynx, who had the second-best odds, will select second. The Storm will pick third, followed by the Washington Mystics at number 4 and the Chicago Sky at number 5.“We want someone who wants to win,” said Maddy Siegrist, team representative at the lottery. “We have an exciting young group and we really bond. I’m excited to bring someone else in.”
Maddy Siegrist, Dallas Wings Player
In the latest mock draft, UConn’s Azzi Fudd is projected to be number 1, with Awa Fam from Spain at number 2. TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson round out the rest of the projected lottery picks. While most of the league’s teams are currently made up of free agents, the Wings have five players under contract, including Bueckers, Siegrist, Diamond Miller, Aziaha James, and JJ Quinerly. Arike Ogunbowale, Li Yueru, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Tyasha Harris are free agents. The Wings will start the 2026 season with a new coach, Jose Fernandez, after firing Chris Koclanes after only one year.“We are very excited,” said Storm general manager Talisa Rhea. “I think being in the top three, especially in this draft, will give us a great player. So we are definitely happy to have gotten there. I think there are definitely a handful of great players who will be able to make an impact on teams immediately, which isn’t always the case. I think there’s good depth and there’s high-level talent in this draft. At pick 3, I really think we’ll get someone who will help us immediately.”
Talisa Rhea, General Manager of the Seattle Storm
The 2026 season will also feature two expansion franchises: the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. They will select in sixth and seventh place, although it is not yet known in what order. A date for the expansion draft has not yet been set, the rules of which must be collectively bargained. The rest of the order of the first round is: number 8 Golden State, number 9 Washington, number 10 Indiana, number 11 Washington, number 12 Connecticut, number 13 Atlanta, number 14 Seattle, number 15 Connecticut.“There are a lot of exciting things happening in Dallas,” Siegrist said. “We have a new coach… the training facility… a couple of high picks in recent years. We are very excited to bring in another important prospect.”
Maddy Siegrist, Dallas Wings Player
