Washington Mystics 2026 WNBA Draft Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

The Mystics already have a young core with guards Georgia Amoore and Sonia Citron on board, along with forward Kiki Iriafen. However, adding strength and size with the trio is something that would serve Washington well. At 6-foot-7, Betts uses every bit of her length to unravel defensive pressure and to elevate herself over her competition when scoring. She's a walking mismatch who also uses her size and skill to be disruptive on the defensive end, making her one of the best rim protectors in the country.

The thought of pairing Garzon with Citron should excite the Mystics. Garzon is a career 40% shooter from deep and would pair beautifully with the All-Star guard who shot 44% during her first year. However, Garzon isn't all perimeter shooting. She has no problem getting into the paint to score or dishing it out in the pick-and-roll game to a waiting big.

Jaquez at 11 to the Mystics will likely feel like an embarrassment of riches, but when glue players are available, you take them. Jaquez does many things that don't often show up on the stat sheet, but that's what makes her so good. She can score from anywhere on the court and shines in the gritty areas that are underappreciated: rebounds, steals, deflections and saving possessions.

Fudd was the No. 1 ranked recruit coming out of St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. in 2021. Returning home to the Mystics would be a full circle moment for the UConn star. There are still questions about her ability to create her own offense, but she is one of the best pure shooters to ever enter the draft. The Mystics, who attempted a league-low 17.1 3-pointers per game last season, desperately need an outside threat.

The Mystics have three first-round picks for the second year in a row, and are back up here at No. 9. With a hypothetical big three of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Azzi Fudd in place, Jaquez would make a lot of sense for the Mystics as a do-it-all wing who doesn't need the ball in her hands, isn't afraid to do the dirty work and plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor. If the improvement she's shown as a 3-point shooter to start the season is real, that would be a bonus.

Barker has been a fascinating player to evaluate over the years. She has the physical tools and skills to have a long career in the WNBA, but hasn't been able to put everything together regularly enough. Now at her third school in three years, she's off to a strong start for Kim Caldwell's Volunteers and could be worth a swing at No. 11 for the Mystics, who will be making their sixth first-round pick in two years and can afford the risk.

Betts is a dominant college player. She knows how to use her size to get post positioning, seal her defender and score at the rim. She effectively controls the glass and the paint on both ends of the floor. She passes well out of doubles and is expanding her shooting range to outside the paint. It's tough to score on her in the lane, and she's even hard to exploit on the perimeter. Betts was the hub of a team that made the Final Four last season and won the Big Ten tournament.

But her skills are better suited for college, where there is no defensive three-second rule and there aren't enough skilled scorers on a team to spread the floor against her. She isn't a great screener, her shooting touch needs improvement, and she has displayed a limited set of post moves — which, to be fair, generally get the job done. There are weaknesses in Betts' game for opponents to pick on. But she's also been hugely productive and impactful for winning at UCLA, and the bet is she figures out how to do so in the WNBA. The Mystics have exciting young frontcourt talent in Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen, who will give Betts some time to learn and grow into a WNBA role.

At 24, Leger-Walker is a bit older than some prospects, currently in her sixth year of college after missing 2024-25 due to a torn ACL. However, age didn't seem to bother the Mystics when they selected Georgia Amoore in the 2025 draft, and Leger-Walker can play as a point guard and off the ball. She zips passes all over the court and has steadily improved as a pick-and-roll operator throughout her college career. Her points per possession as the pick-and-roll ballhandler increased from 0.691 to 0.737 to 0.878 to 0.938 in her four years at Washington State, per Synergy. Leger-Walker is also a physical and crafty finisher in the paint. Assuming she has fully recovered from her torn ACL in January 2024, and UCLA has limited her minutes to build her strength throughout the season, there is no reason why Leger-Walker shouldn't be a first-round pick.

Cooper has one more year of eligibility after redshirting a season following her transfer from South Carolina. But physically, she already looks like a WNBA player. She leverages those physical tools particularly well defensively. Cooper has been a ball hawk in coach Kim Caldwell's up-tempo system in Tennessee, collecting three-plus steals per game in the full-court press. She defends well in isolation, navigates screens and is an elite shot blocker for her position. She also scores effectively in the paint and gets great lift on her midrange, though that hasn't yet made her a good free-throw or 3-point shooter.

Real concerns exist within Cooper's game, starting with shooting. Cooper also plays in a system unlike any WNBA team, with short, high-energy stints. How will that translate to extended shifts at the pro level? Nevertheless, the WNBA success of Saniya Rivers — another erstwhile South Carolina guard — gives hope for Cooper. Tremendous athleticism and smart defensive instincts can help Cooper carve out a role, and Washington's commitment to building through the draft can give her some time to figure out how to produce consistent offense.

Betts was the No. 1 pick in our first 2026 mock draft in October. A first-team All-American last season, she is off to a strong start (15.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.2 BPG) as a senior and hasn't done anything to drop on the draft board. But true centers in today's WNBA might not fit as comfortably into offensive systems until they adjust to the style of play. Still, Betts has a lot of talent, and she could join two star rookies from last season -- guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen -- in the Mystics' young core.

Williams went from being the star on a 13-17 team (19.2 PPG and 9.8 RPG for Wisconsin last season) to finishing her career with the talent-rich No. 1 Huskies. Her stats will drop, but her draft stock will rise with a program that regularly puts players into the WNBA. She is averaging 7.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG for UConn.

Jaquez has been solid for the Bruins, averaging 14.0 PPG, a team-high 7.8 RPG and 2.8 APG while shooting 39.1% from behind the arc. Jaquez became a full-time starter for UCLA last season and should help her draft stock if she continues her 3-point shooting improvement.