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Lauren Betts surges up WNBA draft boards, Azzi Fudd slides after NCAA Tournament
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- Lauren Betts surges up WNBA draft boards, Azzi Fudd slides after NCAA Tournament
UCLA was crowned NCAA champions for the first time in program history to cap the 2025-26 women's college basketball season after an electric performance from the Bruins' senior core.
Lauren Betts , Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez led UCLA to a stunning 79-51 win over South Carolina on the biggest stage and the trio will likely be back under the spotlight on Monday, April 13, when WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert ushers in the league's newest members at the 2026 WNBA Draft.
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In fact, UCLA's entire starting lineup could hear their names called. Betts, Rice, Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens were all projected first-round picks ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while Charlisse Leger-Walker was on the outside looking in, but they may have moved up the draft board following a historic March Madness run.
"I've been doing this for 33 years. This is the most intentionally hardworking group of people in terms of being prepared for the pro level," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "They know what it takes to be a pro... They're ready."
On the other hand, Azzi Fudd was projected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but her lackluster performance and UConn's exit in the semifinals could impact her stock.
How the 2026 WNBA Draft shakes out remains to be seen. Until then, USA TODAY Sports compiled a list of players that'll likely move up or down the draft board following their performance at the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
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Risers
Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
The 6-foot-7 center led UCLA to the program's first NCAA title, but the Bruins' title hopes came down to Betts' game-saving block against Texas in the Final Four. Betts swatted away Madison Booker's shot attempt to end the Longhorns run and punch UCLA's ticket to the title game. Betts' size was disruptive in the paint and routinely flustered opponents. She averaged 2.8 blocks across six tournament games and recorded four double-doubles, including a 14-point, 11-rebound performance in the championship game.
UCLA center Lauren Betts won Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four.
Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA
No one boosted their draft stock more than UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez, who did "whatever the team needed" in UCLA's national championship win. Jaquez led the team in scoring with 21 points while shooting 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-4 from the 3-point line. The 5-foot-11 guard also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists in the title game. Jaquez is the ultimate glue player that can slide into any team and her effectiveness on both sides of the ball will make her an asset to any WNBA team.
Gabriela Jaquez had 21 points in the national title game.
Kiki Rice, G, UCLA
Kiki Rice is another UCLA senior that played their way up the draft board. (Are you noticing a trend here?) Rice posted career highs in points (14.9), rebounds (5.9), steals (1.5) and field goal percentage (49.0%) this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last April, a decision she called "one of the best things I ever did." The 5-foot-11 guard knows when to make the pass or drive to the basket, but her greatest improvement has been her commitment defense this year.
Kiki Rice had offseason shoulder surgery and improved in every category.
Olivia Miles, G, TCU
Miles opted to bypass the 2025 WNBA Draft because she said, "Deep in my heart I needed one more year to be ready, physically, mentally." She said she's more than ready now, as evidence by her performance in TCU's run to the Elite Eight. The 5-foot-10 point guard showcased her passing ability and routinely found her teammates wide open looks, but Miles can also score in a variety of different ways. She averaged a near triple-double in the tournament with 19 points, 9.75 rebounds and 9 assists in four games.
Olivia Miles averaged a near triple-double in the tournament.
Fallers
Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
Fudd entered the NCAA Tournament as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, but she struggled from beyond the arc as UConn had it 54-game winning streak stopped in the national semifinals. Fudd shot 3-of-15 from the field and 2-of-9 from deep in UConn's loss to South Carolina. She did show her upside in UConn's second-round win over Syracuse, where she shot a blistering 8-of-11 from the 3-point line. But Fudd's hot and cold performance will probably drop her down the draft board.
Azzi Fudd struggled to find consistency with her shot in the tournament.
Ashlon Jackson, G, Duke
Ashlon Jackson delivered a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer to lift Duke over LSU in the Elite Eight, but the 6-foot guard failed to back it up against UCLA when a trip to the Final Four was on the line. Jackson was held scoreless for the first time all season in Duke's Elite Eight loss to UCLA, shooting 0-of-8 from the field and 0-of-5 from the 3-point line. Jackson averaged 34.3% from the field and 30.7% from the 3-point line this season, but shot well below her average in the tournament. She was 13-of-46 from the field and 5-of-29 from the 3-point line through four games.
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Marta Suarez, F, TCU
Marta Suarez is an anchor for TCU and certainly helped the Horned Frogs clean up the glass in their NCAA Tournament games. However, the forward left a lot to be desired offensively. Beyond a 33-point career-high outing against Virginia in the Elite Eight, where she and Olivia Miles paired score or assist on all the team's points, Suarez wasn't spectacular from the field. She shot 33% or less in three games and was a mixed bag from the 3-point line. Suarez also never made more than four field goals in those same matchups and found herself in foul trouble multiple times.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 WNBA Draft risers, fallers: Where do Lauren Betts, Azzi Fudd land
