Dallas Wings Strike Gold Again in WNBA Draft Lottery

The Dallas Wings have done it again! They won the top spot in the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery, giving them another shot at picking a star player. This is the second year in a row they've won the lottery, which is a big deal. Last year, they picked Paige Bueckers, who became the Rookie of the Year in 2025. Now, they get another chance to add a top player to their team. The Wings have been through some changes. They have a new coach, Jose Fernandez, who used to coach at the University of South Florida. The team also has new facilities coming up, which is exciting. Curt Miller, the team's executive vice president and general manager, said this is a big moment for the franchise. He's right—having the top pick two years in a row is a huge opportunity to build a strong team. But who will they pick? Unlike past years, when the top pick was obvious, this year it's not so clear. There are several college players who could be top picks, like Flau'jae Johnson from LSU, Olivia Miles from TCU, Azzi Fudd from UConn, and Lauren Betts from UCLA. There's also Awa Fam, a 19-year-old Spanish forward, who could be a top pick. Miller said this draft has a lot of options, which is good for the Wings. The Wings have been through some tough times. Last season, they had a bad record, which gave them the worst two-year cumulative record among the teams that didn't make the playoffs. This bad record gave them the best odds in the lottery. The Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky are the other teams in the top five picks. The Wings have been lucky in the lottery, but they've also had some bad luck. For example, their flight issues prevented Miller from being in Dallas for the results last year. This year, he had more issues with his flight and lost his luggage for 48 hours. Despite all this, he was more nervous this year than last year. He said the top pick is an important piece for the team's future. The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13, but the date could change depending on the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement talks. The Wings are now the third franchise since 2015 to win consecutive lotteries. The Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces have also won back-to-back lotteries in the past. The Indiana Fever won the lottery in 2023 and 2024, picking Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark.