Connecticut Sun 2026 WNBA Draft Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

The Sun play with a level of physicality that would suit Martin Carrion well. She has exquisite body control that allows her to attack the paint and finish at the basket through contact. The Spain guard is also adept at navigating screens, whether that's to knock it down from 3-point range or find her teammates for an open shot using her vision.

Barker's athleticism and ability to get downhill with her head down are her best assets. The combination of size and skill makes her hard to defend. The Tennessee forward's activity on the boards will be appreciated in Connecticut as well. If she can be consistent on both sides of the ball, she can easily be a plug-and-play player for the Sun.

The Sun went 11-33 last season, but will miss out on the lottery because they do not control their own first-round pick. Still, they have two chances to add to their rebuild late in the first round. McMahon, who is off to an excellent start in her first season at Ole Miss, would make sense here. She's an extremely physical, hard-nosed forward who would fit in with the culture Rachid Meziane is building in Uncasville. Keep an eye on her 3-point shooting throughout the season.

Another defensive-minded guard with a questionable outside shot isn't exactly the Sun's biggest need, but it would be hard to pass on Rice if she was still on the board here at No. 15. Rice is big and physical on the perimeter, and is a reliable playmaker who takes care of the ball. Good luck bringing the ball up the floor against a defensive backcourt of Rice, Leila Lacan and Saniya Rivers.

Yes, this is the fourth Bruin in the first round — a sign of how much is expected of UCLA this season and how far the Bruins could fall off next year. Focusing on the draft, Kneepkens is simply one of the most efficient scorers in all of college basketball. She isn't a hyper-athlete, but she is a career 42.8 percent 3-point shooter who has also made 56.9 percent of her 2-pointers. Playing at Utah for four years has made Kneepkens analytically driven, as mid-rangers were just 8.3 percent of her shot diet before coming to UCLA. She simply gets to her spots and makes a lot of baskets, and she can use that scoring gravity to become a facilitator. Kneepkens isn't exactly a defensive playmaker, but she has good size; she'll need to prove she can compete on that end to stay in this spot.

In spurts, Barker looks like an All-WNBA player. She is a fluid and dynamic athlete, she can cover ground that makes you do a double-take, and she has an ease with her jumper, especially in the midrange. But she is maddeningly inconsistent. She commits silly fouls and gambles herself out of position on defense; she also attacks crowds when she should pass and takes unnecessarily difficult shots. Barker's game needs a lot of refinement, which is what makes her fit in Tennessee so interesting — she doesn't necessarily have to tone down any of her instincts when she can play at full speed for short bursts for the Lady Vols.

Still, I can't quit the potential of Barker. Seeing her in person regularly in Los Angeles reinforced the idea that she has gifts that cannot be taught. This is Connecticut's second pick of the first round and it has the third pick of the second round, so the Sun can afford the risk.

In April, she was named Young Player of the Year for her EuroLeague debut season with Perfumerias Avenida. Fam's teammate on the Spanish national team, Martin Carrion also helped that squad advance to the EuroBasket championship game this summer. She turns 20 in January.

Sun coach Rachid Meziane of France is, of course, familiar with Angloma, who plays for Basket Lattes Montpellier Agglomeration (BMLA). Angloma averaged 17.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG for France in the U19 Women's World Cup this summer. She turns 20 in June.