The IX Basketball’s 2026 WNBA Draft Board, V1.0

Strengths:

• Rare combination of athleticism, strength and skill at her size
• One of the most polished interior scorers we’ve ever seen as a teenager, with great touch, a deep bag of counters and innate feel for navigating tight spaces
• Actively improving in most areas of her game
• Best passing center prospect in women’s basketball history: exceptional spatial awareness, visual processing and creativity from any angle and setup
• Can toggle across any defensive scheme at a high level
• Constantly communicating as a backline defender, standout rim protector
• Blends short-roll playmaking and finishing with scoring gravity that bends defenses
• Explosive off the catch with a great dribble and improving driving game make her a menace in transition
• Great screen-and-roller in just about every aspect
• Good one-on-one post defender
• Plus rebounder on both ends

Questions:

• Can Fam develop a consistent midrange jumper or 3-point shot?
• Will her defensive tools translate into more shot-blocking?
• How much can Fam’s motor improve?

Strengths:

• Excellent athlete in every direction
• Mind-boggling playmaking ability: velocity from awkward positions, picture-perfect accuracy, mapping the court and manipulating defenders like a supercomputer
• One of the best pick-and-roll (PnR) players in basketball at any level
• Plus-plus rebounder
• Elite finisher, between using a variety of angles, drawing contact and adjusting in midair
• Smart, active team defender
• Great handle, smooth bag and advanced feel for changing speeds to get downhill
• Very good downhill defender
• Made an absurd leap as a pull-up shooter in 2024-25

Questions:

• How much can Miles maintain her wild improvement as a shooter?
• Can she stick through ball screens at the pro level?
• How good of a help defender is Miles without so many long wings alongside her?

Strengths:

• Excellent offensive processing, second-best passing center prospect since Jonquel Jones (behind Fam) thanks to significant improvement after her sophomore year
• Very disruptive around the rim on both ends, both in very good finishing touch and well-timed rim protection without fouling
• Good interior movement, both finding and establishing position and through the midrange
• Solid all-around in drop coverage
• Great sticking with and contesting post-ups
• Good athlete for her size
• Have you considered that she’s 6’7?

Questions:

• What can Betts consistently do as a screen-and-roller?
• Can her jumper become a usable weapon?
• Will she improve defending on the ball in space?
• Does Betts have enough post moves against better defenders?

Strengths:

• Elite athlete — lateral quickness, body control, hang time, hip mobility
• Generally plus iso defender, from mirroring footwork and applying ball-pressure without fouling to screen navigation and verticality against finishes
• Great off-ball 3-point shooter, with a smooth release that compensates for a longer form
• Active, smart helper
• Very good getting open without the ball
• Crazy smooth pull-up middy with good touch
• Strong feel for getting downhill on the drive
• Elite last step — can decelerate on the ground, eurostep, adjust finishes in midair and step laterally into leaners or fadeaways

Questions:

• Will a mediocre floor game/processing limit Johnson’s ceiling?
• Can she shore up her inconsistencies with finishing and footwork in space?
• How much can Johnson’s playmaking develop?
• Can she expand her comfortable pull-up range to three?

Strengths:

• Exceptional all-around athlete with superb burst, balance, and midair body control
• Explosive downhill driver — impossible to stay in front of, with an elite first and last step
• Finishes through contact with power and touch, great vertical athlete off two feet and draws fouls at a staggering rate — best in the country among players under 6’
• Tight handle with strong dribble control
• Made noticeable improvements as a 3-point shooter, albeit on limited volume
• Versatile passer with very good read-and-react vision

Questions:

• Will Latson maintain her catch-and-shoot efficiency with higher volume?
• Can she tighten her defensive fundamentals (on and off the ball) if she has less offensive usage?
• Can she become a more proactive decision-maker when defenses collapse?
• What in the world happened to her midrange jumper? Can she get back to her previous accuracy with shoulders this unstable?

Strengths:

• Flawless off-ball shooter between her relocation skills, immaculate power transfer and virtually no-dip jumper
• Solid second-side midrange shot creator when attacking closeouts; extraordinary pull-up jumper
• Effective cutter with a supreme understanding of manipulating open space
• Smart and disciplined defender who’s consistently in the right spots — sharp off-ball rotations, strong box-out effort and sound closeout technique

Questions:

• Can Fudd stay healthy for another full season and put lingering injury questions to rest?
• Can she hold up against quicker WNBA guards on defense, given her limited foot speed and tendency to get caught on screens? Will she give back any of her defensive improvement from last year?
• How much does her limited ability to create her own shot cap her upside?

Strengths:

• Excellent iso defender, great footwork mirroring at the POA and on drives while using her strength well to bump offensive players off their spots
• Superb floor game, manages tempo and runs the PnR well
• Good driver, creates space and finishes at the rim using her strength, handle and change of pace
• Solid (and improving) playmaker, great passing ability, but usually requires two hands and it’s a proactive passer
• Athleticism, size and two-way ability makes her a nightmare in transition
• Great size at the guard spot allows plus off-ball defense and switchability
• Solid 3-point shooter off the catch on somewhat low volume for her career

Questions:

• Can Rice increase her volume from three?
• Can she improve her consistency at the rim?
• How does Rice consistently create advantages for herself or others in the halfcourt?
• Is she a good enough playmaker to play as a true point guard in the WNBA?

Strengths:

• Standout floor game, from internal tempo to visual processing, making her a strong playmaker
• Great burst and lateral quickness
• Very good 3-point shooter, quickly stabilizes with compact form off the catch and a pull-up threat with enough space
• Very good finisher with flashes of decel
• Strong midrange game, including a viable floater
• Active off-ball game — cutting, screening, attacking off the catch on offense, denying the ball and making team rotations on defense

Questions:

• Is there any hope for Martín’s footwork and discipline defending the point of attack?
• Can her hop flexibility translate to screen navigation?
• How much can Martín continue developing her ability to handle ball-pressure to create advantages at the point of attack (POA)?

Strengths:

• One of the best spot-up shooters in the world — shot 43.9% on 451 catch-and-shoot threes at Indiana, including over 50% on open shots every year — and can hit even off minor movement thanks to quick footwork
• Good instincts for off-ball movement, increasingly active cutter
• Excellent off-ball positioning and defensive visual processing
• Has shown some ability to create off the bounce with a good dribble and ball screen usage, make smart passes and score off the dribble with consistent downhill process
• Improved defense against ball-handling wings

Questions:

• How does Garzon do more than be a spot-up shooter against more athletic defenders?
• Can she get to a point where she is either strong enough to defend fours or quick enough to consistently defend on the perimeter?
• How much better can Garzon get at movement 3-pointers?

Strengths:

• Unparalleled court vision matched with audacious passing means that she creates good looks for teammates out of thin air
• Very intuitive understanding of space on a basketball court, improvisational wizard in every way
• Strong core and a really smart player, can defend bigger players in the post and hold her own
• Excellent toggling between on- and off-ball usage, a very good catch-and-shoot player, enhanced by great off-ball movement and smart cutting

Questions:

• How much has Leger-Walker’s ACL tear affected her athleticism?
• Can she make jumpers at her 2022-23 rate and not her 2023-24 rate?
• Who does Leger-Walker defend at the next level, especially when she is in a scheme that doesn’t automatically switch ball screens?

Strengths:

• Superb athlete, fluid both laterally and vertically
• Dynamic face-up game with an advanced handle and smooth midrange scoring
• Strong interior off-ball movement
• Mobile defender who can defend 4s, hold up well in space, switch effectively and affect shots at the rim
• Plus-plus rebounder on both ends

Questions:

• How does Barker translate extended flashes of brilliance into consistent, high-level production?
• Can she return to her Texas A&M form as a midrange and 3-point shooter?
• How much can we expect her decision-making to improve on either end?
• Will Barker ever become a more disciplined defender and avoid foul trouble?

Strengths:

• Quick processor and plus positional passer
• Elite motor and offensive rebounding
• Smart positional defender who stays in front of her matchup and is reliable one-on-one
• Great feel for space and reliable midrange scorer, driver and post threat against mismatches
• Youngest college player in the class
• Good screener affecting defenders and timing the roll, very good DHO hub
• Very good communicator on both ends

Questions:

• How much will Kitts’ stiffness athletically limit her at the next level?
• Can her shooting touch in the midrange translate into a 3-point shot?

Strengths:

• Excellent on-ball defender with rare mirroring and screen navigation skills
• Very good athletic tools and an ideal frame for a WNBA wing
• Potent midrange shot creation
• Solid spot-up shooter
• Confident driver with good deceleration and lives at the free-throw line 
• Good one-pass-away help and switching

Questions:

• How beneficial is the Syracuse context for Phelia’s WNBA prospects?
• Will the health issues from last year linger?
• Can she become a merely average passer?
• Can Phelia find a way to punish hard closeouts with consistent half-court finishing?
• It’s seriously wild that she’s never hit a pull-up 3-pointer in her college career — how much does this limit her upside?

Strengths:

• Tremendous defender across multiple positions and defensive roles: sticking with drivers while pressuring the ball, absorbing contact and staying physical in the post, closing out space in the midrange or PnR, contesting at the rim in help
• Good lateral athlete, stellar vertical athlete and superb hand-eye coordination
• Elite rebounder on both ends
• Best help defender in the class, between activity, instincts, positioning, off-ball tracking and timing
• Great interior off-ball movement
• Good play-finisher on rolls and cuts, some projectability with her shooting
• Plus passer, always finds dump-offs when available and make impressive reads and deliveries off the dribble

Questions:

• Can Littlepage-Buggs increase her midrange shooting volume and/or extend to three?
• If not, can she be a good enough screener to generate enough offense to stay on the court despite her wonky dribble and post game?
• Does she have the strength to defend post players in the WNBA?

Strengths:

• Tremendous variety of shotmaking from three, can make any look with high efficiency
• Has shown some ability to create off the bounce
• Sensational PnR scorer
• Active off-ball mover

Questions:

• Can Kneepkens defend anyone?
• Will she be able to do enough on the ball to stay on a WNBA court?
• Is she able to create enough separation against pro defenders to get her somewhat unconventional 3-point shot off?

Strengths:

• Excellent burst and proprioception
• Sticks well in isolation, very good defending downhill
• Strong finisher through contact, adjusts in midair, very good drawing fouls
• Great dribble control on the drive with a signature spin move

Questions:

• Is McMahon’s improvement in 3-point shooting last year going to stick?
• Will her offensive development stall in Oxford?
• Does McMahon have a dribble move besides her spin?
• Can she get better at screen navigation?

Strengths:

• Versatile defender, able to guard multiple positions
• Plus-plus cutter and offensive rebounder thanks to a high motor
• Good driver in spots
• Solid post game for her size
• Solid athlete, not a liability in any particular way

Questions:

• Can Jaquez increase her 3-point volume without sacrificing efficiency?
• Failing that, how can she be an effective W player offensively?
• Can she make decisions quickly and consistently with the ball in her hands?
• Will she still be a good enough defender against pro athletes to be able to play?

Strengths:

• Finds space on offense — cutting, in transition, spotting-up
• Versatile play-finisher
• Has juice off the dribble to her dominant hand and is very good attacking closeouts
• Good and willing screener
• Solid athlete
• Shot 36% in Spain over the last year and a half

Questions:

• Can Bühner find any level of defensive impact?
• Where will her shooting stabilize?
• Can her vision be developed?

Strengths:

• Plus-plus rebounder, possibly the best guard rebounder in U19 history
• Good PnR operator with a quick first step and precise angles to set up drives and finish with either hand
• Compact pull-up midrange jumper
• Makes quick decisions with the ball
• Good team defender who consistently defends up a position for an undersized team
• Youngest prospect in the class

Questions:

• Funky upper-body mechanics from three lead to some rough misses; how real is the shot?
• Limited tape defending at the POA – how capable is she there?
• What team is she even playing for this season?

Strengths:

• You shouldn’t be this strong at 19. It just shouldn’t be possible.
• Talented downhill driver with good pickup points in ball screens, isolation and transition 
• Excellent at drawing fouls and finishing through contact
• Good connective passer with quick processing
• Flashes of live-dribble playmaking out of PnR
• Physical defender who’s generally in the right spots

Questions:

• Can Angloma develop a merely passable jump shot worth guarding to stick on a WNBA court?
• Is she too short to play the 4 and not quick enough laterally to defend threes effectively?
• How does Angloma’s on-ball defense play if she doesn’t have a clear strength advantage?