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HomeDallas Wings‘Super Exciting’: UCLA Star Lauren Betts Reacts To Dallas Wings Winning No. 1 Pick In 2026 WNBA Draft
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‘Super Exciting’: UCLA Star Lauren Betts Reacts To Dallas Wings Winning No. 1 Pick In 2026 WNBA Draft

Grant AfsethGrant Afsethno comment
Lauren Betts, UCLA, WNBA Draft
Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images

The Dallas Wings will once again enter a WNBA draft cycle holding the top selection, and one of the prospects widely expected to be in the mix offered a measured but appreciative reaction.

UCLA star center Lauren Betts, who is projected as a potential top pick in 2026, learned of the Wings winning the No. 1 pick during the league’s Draft Lottery on Sunday. Asked about Dallas landing the top spot for a second straight year, Betts kept the focus on her college season while acknowledging the moment.

“It’s amazing. It’s so cool,” Betts said. “Yeah, I don’t have a lot to say about that right now, but that is really amazing, and I’m excited to see what the future holds, but I’m just loving being a Bruin as of right now, so I’m going to focus on that. But yeah, that’s super exciting. Super exciting.”

The Wings secured the No. 1 pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft, which will be held on April 13, 2026, after entering the Lottery with the most assigned combinations (420 of 1,000). The Minnesota Lynx earned the No. 2 pick, followed by the Seattle Storm (No. 3), Washington Mystics (No. 4), and Chicago Sky (No. 5).

It marks the second consecutive year Dallas has come away with the No. 1 pick. Last season, the Wings won the 2025 Lottery and selected Paige Bueckers first overall. Bueckers delivered a historic rookie campaign that ended with 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Maddy Siegrist, the Wings’ No. 3 pick from the 2023 draft, again served as the team’s on-site representative and has now been present for back-to-back No. 1 selections.

Jose Fernandez Calls Result “Great for Our Franchise”

Recently hired Wings head coach Jose Fernandez, who will oversee his first draft with Dallas, welcomed the outcome.

“It is great for our franchise to have this opportunity,” Fernandez said. “We will continue to evaluate the great position we are in for next season and for the future of the organization. Our fans and season ticket members I’m sure are as excited as we are about tonight’s results.”

This is the first time in franchise history Dallas has earned consecutive No. 1 picks. Only two other teams have done so before, most recently the Indiana Fever in 2023 and 2024.

Curt Miller: “Optionality Is Going to Be Really Important”

Wings general manager Curt Miller opened his post-lottery session by noting the significance of securing the No. 1 pick for the second straight season and how it fits into what the organization views as a broader period of growth. Dallas is coming off a difficult, injury-plagued year, but Miller emphasized that the franchise believes it is building real stability through its young core, upgraded facilities, and the continuity formed around new head coach Jose Fernandez.

“Exciting night back here in Dallas and sending our good luck charm Maddy Siegrist to the draft lottery again to secure the number one pick for a second year in a row,” Miller said. “Huge momentum moment for our franchise. Exciting times with our young core and new facilities coming on board, and a new coach.”

Throughout his availability, Miller emphasized the complexity of this draft cycle — including expansion, unprecedented free agency movement, and widespread roster turnover across the league.

“As you said, I think the great thing about this draft is a lot of optionality coming out of some other upcoming big roster momentum times,” Miller said when asked about evaluating the class. “So the optionality that we’re going to have as we approach April is going to be really important for us.”

When asked what stands out about the skill sets in this class — a question that prompted his direct mention of Betts — Miller gave a full, detailed assessment.

“You have a great passer and leader at point guard,” Miller said. “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.

Miller noted that the Wings received “very few phone calls” about last year’s No. 1 pick, but have already heard from multiple teams this time.

“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. Again, that optionality is going to be key for us.”

Lauren Betts Continues Rise Ahead of USA Basketball Camp

Betts, a senior at UCLA, will join the USA Basketball Women’s National Team for a December training camp at Duke University. She is one of ten players making their senior national team camp debut, joining prospects such as Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and JuJu Watkins.

The 6-foot-7 center has been among the nation’s most efficient players this season, averaging 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 61.7% from the field through six games. Her résumé includes silver at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup and two gold medals with Team USA at the junior level.

As the Wings enter another pivotal offseason — one shaped by expansion, looming free agency and the continued rise of young talent — the league’s newest No. 1 pick will eventually join a roster led by Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and a rapidly developing core.

For now, Betts says she is staying locked in on UCLA. But her reaction made clear she’s aware of the significance of Sunday’s news — both for the Wings and for the upcoming class.

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Tags :Curt MillerDallas WingsJose FernandezLauren BettsPaige BueckersUCLA BruinsUSA BasketballWNBAWNBA DraftWNBA Draft Lottery

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Grant Afseth

Grant Afseth

Senior Writer
Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.
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