Dallas Wings Win 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery Again, Positioning Franchise To Add Another Cornerstone Next To Paige Bueckers
The Dallas Wings secured the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft for the second consecutive season on Sunday, winning the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery and positioning the franchise to add another foundational piece alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
The result comes at a pivotal moment for Dallas, which recently hired longtime South Florida head coach Jose Fernandez to lead a young roster that now will add another top-tier talent. Dallas entered the lottery with the highest odds — 420 of 1,000 possible combinations — after posting a 19–65 cumulative record over the past two seasons. The Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky rounded out the top five in an order that mirrored pre-lottery odds.
Forward Maddy Siegrist represented Dallas on the ESPN broadcast and said the franchise’s momentum was reflected in another top selection.
“It’s super exciting,” Siegrist said. “There’s so many exciting things going around in Dallas. New coach. We’re super excited with Jose. Practice facility. Obviously a couple top picks the last few years, so we’re just super excited to bring in another great prospect.”
She added the group is looking for the right competitive fit.
“Just somebody who wants to win,” she said. “We have an exciting young group and we really bond together. So I’m excited just to bring somebody else in.”
Curt Miller: “There Are Six Prospects That Have Really Separated.”
General manager Curt Miller called the night “another great momentum moment” for the Wings and said his staff anticipated a heightened level of uncertainty heading into the drawing.
“I felt more nerves this year than last year, surprisingly,” Miller said. “But when we got past three, you knew anything could happen. We didn’t want to be three, so we knew we were going to be one or two.”
With no consensus No. 1 pick this year, Miller said the class features a deep and diverse top tier.
“There are six prospects that have really separated,” Miller told DallasHoopsJournal.com.
He gave his most comprehensive public evaluation of the class to date.
“It covers the gamut,” he said. “You have a great passer and leader at point guard. One of the best shooters with one of the fastest releases. A transition player who thrives in the full court. A big-time scorer who’s led the nation. Two post players projected in the top six. An international young phenom who is still 19. Lauren Betts with her size at UCLA.”
The reference to “one of the best shooters with one of the fastest releases” aligns with UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who climbed to No. 1 in ESPN’s updated mock draft after a dominant weekend at the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase. Fudd scored 55 points across two games and is averaging 21.0 points while shooting 54.8% from three.
Pre-lottery favorite Awa Fam, a 19-year-old Spanish post player, remains firmly in the mix and matches Fernandez’s long-standing history of recruiting and developing international talent while at South Florida.
Scouting, Optionality, and a Complex Offseason
Miller said the Wings have already spent significant time evaluating the top prospects through travel, film, and live scouting.
“Jose and I are very much aligned,” Miller said. “We’ve been scouting aggressively already… constantly at college games or watching college games even when we’re not there in person.”
With expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland, a new CBA deadline on Nov. 30 and a potentially turbulent free-agency period approaching, Miller said flexibility will be crucial.
“I think a lot goes into this one… with an expansion draft of two teams on the horizon,” Miller said. “An unprecedented free agency will all play into it. The optionality that we’re going to have as we approach April is going to be really important for us.”
He said expansion-draft protections will be among the league’s toughest decisions.
“League-wide, we have a difficult decision on protections,” Miller said. “I’m not the only general manager that’s going to have sleepless nights. Nearly every day we talk about our protections.”
Building Around Paige Bueckers, Culture and a Young Core
Miller said teams have already shown more interest in acquiring this year’s top selection than the pick used to draft Bueckers last year.
“I think it’s fair to say we received very few phone calls about the number one pick last year,” Miller said. “The last couple years have been consensus, and teams weren’t going to trade their number one pick. I’ve received more pre-phone calls before people even knew where we would be drafting about this year’s draft than I did all of last year.”
Miller said the Wings intend to select someone who will elevate the team on and off the court.
“A great character piece,” Miller said. “Someone who’s going to champion the locker room and represent us on the court and in the community. Someone who can galvanize as we transition into new facilities in Dallas. We want someone who will grind day in and day out.”
He emphasized locker-room chemistry as a priority.
“We want to win in the locker room before we win on the court,” Miller said. “Despite our record last year, our locker room was really together. They bonded and had incredible relationships off the floor. We want to add to that chemistry and that culture.”
Miller said building through the draft is central to the Wings’ long-term strategy.
“You certainly view this as an integral piece moving forward — a core piece,” he said. “Teams in recent years have been built through the draft, and when they’re built through the draft, other players want to play with great players.”
He added that Bueckers already attracts interest from around the league. “Paige is a magnet,” Miller said. “People want to play with great players.”
Organizational Commitment and the Path Forward
Miller said the franchise is aligned from ownership to coaching staff as it enters the next phase of a multi-year build.
“One of the things that is so special right now is the commitment from above — from our ownership led by Greg Bibb,” Miller said. “There’s commitment to the player experience and to taking this to another level… We’re putting the right processes and people in place to build what we ultimately want to build.”
He also referenced lessons from his Connecticut Sun tenure.
“The culture was created and the 2016 draft class really energized the Sun roster and franchise, building them back into a dominant team,” Miller said. “Six years we led the league in wins. I’m excited that our young core group is going to have another opportunity to add a piece to that.”
With another No. 1 pick and Fernandez’s arrival, Miller said the franchise expects renewed excitement from its fan base.
“My message is: go get your season tickets,” he said. “It’s going to be a really bounce-back year for the Dallas Wings, and we’re really excited and know what this pick can do for us.”
The 2026 WNBA Draft will be held on April 13.
More Dallas Wings News & Rumors
- WNBA News: ‘This Won’t Be The Same Old Dallas Wings, My Brother’: Jose Fernandez Outlines Vision To Build Winning Culture Around Paige Bueckers
- WNBA News: Geno Auriemma Explains Confidence In Jose Fernandez As Ideal Fit For Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings
- WNBA News: Sources: Dallas Wings Hire USF’s Jose Fernandez As Head Coach
- WNBA News: Paige Bueckers Named To All-WNBA Second Team After Historic Rookie Year
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Fire Head Coach Chris Koclanes After One Season
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Break Ground On New Practice Facility In West Oak Cliff
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Headlines Initial Player Pool Announcement for Unrivaled’s 2026 Season
- WNBA News: “A Great Environment”: Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale Coach Youth 3-on-3 at DICK’S House of Sport Dallas Opening
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings, City of Dallas Announce Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Practice Facility
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Wins WNBA Rookie of the Year After Historic Season
- WNBA News: “A Whole Bunch of Potential”: Paige Bueckers Embraces Dallas Wings Rebuild Despite Tough Season
