The WNBA draft will be held on Monday, April 13 at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City, and for the third year straight, fans are invited to watch the event in person as some of the biggest prospects in the sport like UConn’s Azzi Fudd, TCU’s Olivia Miles and UCLA’s Lauren Betts gather to take the first step in their professional career. This year’s draft includes the league’s newest expansion teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, who will build out their 2026 season rosters as they begin their inaugural pro seasons.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The Dallas Wings will select first, followed by the Minnesota Lynx, then the Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky (a complete list of the draft order is below). The draft will be preceded by the WNBA Orange Carpet Special on ESPN2 at 5:30 pm ET) and the WNBA Countdown Presented by Google on ESPN at 6:30 pm ET. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 2026 WNBA draft.
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Where to watch the 2026 WNBA draft:
Date: Monday, April 13, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV and more
When is the 2026 WNBA draft?
The 2026 WNBA draft is on Monday, April 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
Where to watch the WNBA draft:
The WNBA draft will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Where to stream the WNBA draft without cable:
This year’s WNBA draft will stream on ESPN Unlimited. You’ll also be able to access the live TV broadcast on services like DirecTV and YouTube TV.
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ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content only available on the app, and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays and more). Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.
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Day Pass is ideal if you want to catch a specific event like the WNBA Draft without subscribing to a monthly streaming plan.
2026 WNBA Draft Order
First Round:
1. Dallas Wings
2. Minnesota Lynx
3. Seattle Storm
4. Washington Mystics
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5. Chicago Sky
6. Toronto Tempo
7. Portland Fire
8. Golden State Valkyries
9. Washington Mystics
10. Indiana Fever
11. Washington Mystics
12. Connecticut Sun
13. Atlanta Dream
14. Seattle Storm
15. Connecticut Sun
Second Round:
16. Seattle Storm
17. Portland Fire
18. Connecticut Sun
19. Washington Mystics
20. Los Angeles Sparks
21. Chicago Sky
22. Toronto Tempo
23. Golden State Valkyries
24. Los Angeles Sparks
25. Indiana Fever
26. Toronto Tempo
27. Phoenix Mercury
28. Atlanta Dream
29. Las Vegas Aces
30. Washington Mystics
Third Round:
31. Dallas Wings
32. Chicago Sky
33. Connecticut Sun
34. Washington Mystics
35. Los Angeles Sparks
36. Toronto Tempo
37. Portland Fire
38. Golden State Valkyries
39. Seattle Storm
40. Indiana Fever
41. New York Liberty
42. Phoenix Mercury
43. Atlanta Dream
44. Las Vegas Aces
45. Minnesota Lynx
