WNBA draft to be held April 13 in New York

Field Level Media|published: Thu 26th March, 19:53 2026

WNBA: Indiana Fever at Golden State Valkyries

Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) holds a ball as the WNBA logo appears on the ball and shorts before the game against the Indiana Fever at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With the collective bargaining agreement signed and settled, the WNBA's league calendar is quickly coming into focus.

The 2026 WNBA Draft will take place April 13 at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York, the league announced Thursday.

This comes one day after the league said its two-team expansion draft was slated for April 3. The pair of incoming franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will have a coin flip on Friday to determine which team selects first.

As for the collegiate draft (which also includes top international prospects), the Dallas Wings won the first overall pick in the draft lottery for the second year running, followed by the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky at Nos. 2-5.

The Wings picked Paige Bueckers out of UConn last year, and Bueckers went on to win Rookie of the Year honors.

The draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET and be televised by ESPN.

--Field Level Media

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