With the 2026 WNBA Draft now behind us, it’s time to look ahead to 2027. And unlike this year’s draft, next season has a superstar player who is already locked into the No. 1 overall slot: USC guard JuJu Watkins. Despite missing the 2025-26 season with injury, she is still viewed as the consensus No. 1 in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
But behind Watkins, there are a number of good players jockeying for position. From the best pure small forward prospect in a few years to a high-upside center whose defensive game is full of serious question marks, 2027 might be one of the most compelling draft classes in recent seasons.
1. G JuJu Watkins, USC
While Watkins could choose to stay in school for another season after a medical redshirt year this past season, the new WNBA CBA probably gives her ample reason to declare for next year’s draft.
Watkins has played two full college seasons, finishing in the top three in scoring both years. She’s a dual threat, capable of creating her own shot on the offensive end while playing lockdown defense on the other side. I have some concerns about her efficiency, but she won’t be asked to shoulder so much of a load in the pro game, so I’d expect the efficiency concerns to be lessened.
2. F Madison Booker, Texas
If your only exposure to Madison Booker was her nightmare performance in the Final Four, then you don’t understand how good of a basketball player she is. Booker is a versatile forward who can score from anywhere, though the lack of 3-point volume from the Texas offense means we don’t really know her full potential as a shooter from long range.
One other thing that works in Booker’s favor as far as draft stock goes is the relative dearth of small forwards in recent classes. The last pure three to go in the top-five was Rickea Jackson in 2024, and I’d argue that the position is among the shallowest in the league, as a number of players who could be elite threes are playing at the four. Booker can give a team a nice positional advantage.
3. G Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Hannah Hidalgo proved she could lead a team this year, leading the Irish to the Elite Eight while leading all Division I players in the following stats: field goals made, field goals attempted and steals.
Hidalgo is one of the best perimeter defenders we’ve seen in recent seasons and while her steal rate may not fully translate, she should be a top on-ball defender. As far as concerns go, she’s undersized and struggles with her jump shot, which makes her a hard player to project. WNBA teams will hope to see improvement from deep and midrange in her final collegiate season.
4. G S’Mya Nichols, Kansas
In an era of player movement, S’Mya Nichols deserves credit for sticking with the Kansas Jayhawks, even if it’s led to her going under the radar with the casual fan.
I don’t think she’s under the radar for WNBA front offices, though. Nichols can score at every level and is very effective at drawing fouls, making her a great lead guard prospect at the next level. She’s shot at least 38 percent from 3-point range in each of her collegiate seasons.
5. C Clara Strack, Kentucky
It will be interesting to see what teams think of the 6-foot-5 Clara Strack. She’s an elite shot blocker and shot 54 percent inside the arc this past season with Kentucky, plus she has the ability to step out and shoot from deep, though her efficiency there hasn’t caught up to her volume yet.
I think the big question here is if Strack can rein in her issues with fouls and turnovers, as well as if she’s ever able to actually shoot well from 3-point range. If she keeps shooting sub-30 percent from there at the expense of working on her inside game, that could hurt her overall projection.
6. G/F Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Mikaylah Williams is my pick to make a massive leap up the draft board during her final collegiate season. I could definitely see her landing as high as No. 2 overall with a strong season for the Tigers.
Williams can score efficiently from all over the floor, possesses the ability to create her own shot and has seen her assist numbers rise each season. She can play the two or the three for a pro team. Defensive concerns could keep her off the court in crunch time, but I think the worst-case scenario for her offense is that she’s a high-level 3-point shooter with enough creation skills to be a secondary ball-handler.
Khamil Pierre saw her numbers dip after transferring from Vanderbilt to NC State, but that dip was accompanied by a very encouraging rise in efficiency, as she shot a career-high 52.5 percent from the floor.
Pierre’s lack of any semblance of an outside game mixed with turnover issues make her a tough player to project, especially in a league where her best positition is the four and fours have been doing more and more on the outside. Still, she’s worth a late first-round bet because of her athleticism and the improvement we saw last year.
