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The Dallas Wings are poised to make their selection for the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, with a lucrative $500,000 contract awaiting the chosen player.
The top draft pick in Dallas will experience a significant increase in her first-year earnings, thanks to the recently approved collective bargaining agreement. This salary is nearly seven times higher than what last year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers, earned. Meanwhile, the players selected second and third will receive $466,913 and $436,016, respectively.
For those drafted in the second and third rounds, the new minimum salary is set at $270,000, surpassing the previous CBA’s maximum salary cap.
On draft night, the Wings may opt for guard Azzi Fudd from UConn, Spanish forward Awa Fam Thiam, or UCLA center Lauren Betts, to enhance their already formidable lineup led by Bueckers.
Former UConn teammates Bueckers and Fudd played pivotal roles in securing the Huskies’ 2025 national championship. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Fam Thiam continues to showcase her skills in Spain’s domestic league.
Betts is one of six UCLA players in the draft. The 6-foot-7 center helped the Bruins win their first national championship eight days ago. UCLA has a chance to break UConn’s record of having four players drafted in the first round, a mark the Huskies set in 2002. They also could top Tennessee (2008), Notre Dame (2019) and South Carolina (2023), which all had five players drafted in total.
Minnesota picks second with Seattle, Washington and Chicago rounding out the top five. Expansion teams Toronto and Portland pick next. The Tempo chose to have the higher pick in the college draft after winning a coin toss, giving the Fire the top choice in the expansion draft earlier this month.
Golden State is next with Washington owning the ninth and 11th picks. Indiana chooses between them. Connecticut, Atlanta, Seattle and the Sun close out the first round.
Watch the WNBA Draft Monday night on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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