The WNBA is an exclusive club. Only a select few people get a chance to play in it. Even fewer get an opportunity to attend the league’s draft and have their name called in the first round.
Naturally, to join a group with that type of exclusivity, a hazing ritual comes first: walk on this stage with all your nerves and emotions and do this awkward television interview in front of a silent auditorium of people listening closely to every word.
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Welcome to the W!
Listen, the draft is a special moment for every player who gets dressed up to hear their name called. So players power through to make the best of it no matter what. With family and friends in attendance, it even presents as a cozy environment on TV.
But that same intimacy that gives the draft its charm also makes for some incredibly uncomfortable moments. And it was never more obvious how awkward the whole production can be than it was Monday night, from the very beginning of the 2026 draft.
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With the The Shed in New York City piping in ESPN broadcast audio, Azzi Fudd and Awa Fam Thiam presumably could hear the announcers speculate over which would be the No. 1 pick while sitting at their tables. And after Fudd was the pick by the Dallas Wings, she fumbled through her interview with Holly Rowe upon hearing her own voice over the PA system.
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“Oh my God, I don’t like hearing myself,” Fudd said. Then, Rowe stumbled through an awkward question about Fudd teaming up with girlfriend Paige Bueckers again — with Paige Bueckers in the crowd listening.
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No. 2 overall pick Olivia Miles tripped over her first few words too. “That is so weird,” she said to agreement from Rowe. Yup, welcome to the club! Hopefully it’s a warm welcome after Miles also told the room “I have the highest IQ as a guard” before realizing how that might’ve sounded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that in a harmful way.”
Oh, then there was the Flau’jae Johnson trade that was apparently agreed to before she was picked No. 8 by the Golden State Valkyries but not announced until 40 minutes later, after she had already done post-draft interviews as a Valkyrie. Hey, maybe announce the trade at the time of the pick next time?
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I haven’t attended a draft for any league, so maybe they’re all a bit awkward in person. Or maybe this one wasn’t as awkward as it seemed. But I’ve watched plenty on TV, and from an in-home viewing experience, the WNBA took the cake with this one.
WNBA draft grades
Should Minnesota have gone in a different direction?
Which teams nailed their picks and which team whiffed? Let Cory Woodroof and Mary Clarke answer that with grades for all three rounds of the draft.
The Lynx were the only team to come out of the first round with less than a B grade:
“To be honest, we feel like the Lynx missed the boat here to replenish its frontcourt after losing Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard and Bridget Carleton earlier this month. Cheryl Reeve is a great coach, so we’re sure she’s got a clear vision for what she wants out of Miles. However, the team’s issue wasn’t at guard, at least in the starting lineup.”
Fair points. Miles’ potential to have an immediate impact might’ve been too much for Minnesota to pass on.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The WNBA draft is so awkward
