2027 WNBA Mock Draft: USC's JuJu Watkins goes No. 1 to Comets as franchise embarks on new era

The 2026 WNBA playoffs began on Sunday, and while most of the women's basketball world is focused on that action, the seven teams not participating have already turned the page to the offseason. 

The first big item on the agenda is the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery, which has not yet been scheduled. In fact, we don't even know the lottery odds. The addition of two expansion teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, means the lottery now includes seven teams, up from five last year. As a result, the odds will have to change, but for some reason, the league has not announced them yet. 

The Draft Lottery will likely take place in late November or early December, and while we're currently short on details, we do know the teams involved and the order for the best odds. The Connecticut Sun (soon to be Houston Comets) and Tempo will split the best odds after the Sun beat the Tempo on the final day of the regular season. 

2027 WNBA Draft Lottery odds order: Who has the best chance at the No. 1 pick?

Jack Maloney

With the WNBA season over and the college season just around the corner, this is the perfect time for a mock draft. In the event that there is an odd number of lottery combinations, the Sun/Comets will get the extra one via a tiebreaker with the Tempo, so for the purposes of this exercise, they have been given the No. 1 pick. 

Without further ado, here is CBS Sports' 2027 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0

1. Houston Comets: JuJu Watkins, G, USC

Watkins is returning from a torn ACL that cost her all of last season, but despite the injury, she is the obvious choice at No. 1 no matter which team wins the lottery. A 6-foot-2, do-it-all wing, Watkins has a unique offensive skillset for her size and is a high-level defender. She has the ability to transform a franchise, both on and off the court, and would be an ideal choice to lead the Comets into their new era. 

2. Toronto Tempo: Madison Booker, F, Texas

The Tempo's biggest need is in the frontcourt, but there are no bigs in this class worth selecting at No. 2. Even if there were, it would be hard to pass on Booker, another big, versatile, highly-skilled wing. Booker is an elite pull-up shooter in the mid-range, but can also play off the ball and excels in transition. Her size and physicality on the defensive end would also help a Tempo team that had the worst defensive rating in WNBA history this season (116). 

3. Washington Mystics (via Chicago): S'Mya Nichols, G, Kansas

Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Dream was yet another reminder that, for as well as the Mystics played down the stretch, they need more juice on the perimeter. Enter Nichols, an elite high-volume pick-and-roll threat. She's a big guard who plays at her own pace, draws fouls at an unprecedented rate and is a very reliable spot-up 3-point shooter (albeit on fairly low volume). The Mystics have an elite defensive infrastructure; now it's time to build out the offense. 

4. Seattle Storm: Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame

An unbelievably determined competitor, Hidalgo set the NCAA single-season steals record last season (202) and is one of the best guard defenders in college basketball history. She's also 5-feet-6 with a jumper that's shaky at best, which raises some questions about her professional prospects. The Storm, one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season, desperately need a point guard to pair with their young frontcourt of Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga, and Hidalgo would be a good complement on both ends. 

5. Portland Fire: Mikaylah Williams, G, LSU

The Fire exceeded expectations in their debut season thanks in large part to coach Alex Sarama and point guard Carla Leite. They ran more pick-and-rolls than any other team and shot more 3s than any team besides the Valkyries. The 6-foot Williams, one of the best shooters in this class, would be a perfect fit for that system. In three collegiate seasons, she's never shot below 40% on catch-and-shoot 3s, and the spacing threat she provides would make life easier for Leite and Iyana Martin, who will join the Fire in 2027. 

6. Los Angeles Sparks: MiLaysia Fulwiley, G, LSU

Last season was a disaster for the Sparks, who missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive campaign -- a result that cost general manager Raegan Pebley and coach Lynne Roberts their jobs. The one silver lining is that they were able to flip Kelsey Plum at the deadline in a deal that brought back an extra lottery pick. Using one of them on Fulwiley would make a lot of sense. Fulwiley has struggled with consistency and decision-making at times in college, but is an electric talent on both ends of the floor. She's the type of high-upside backcourt swing that could change the franchise. 

7. Los Angeles Sparks (via Phoenix): Ashlyn Watkins, F, South Carolina

In the last three seasons, the Sparks have finished 13th, 10th and 10th, respectively, in defensive rating, and last season they were last in opponent field goal percentage in the restricted area. Another upside swing with Watkins -- a former teammate of Fulwiley's at South Carolina -- could really help change their fortunes on the defensive end. She's dealt with off-court issues and hasn't played since January 2025 due to a torn ACL, but prior to the injury, she was an incredible interior defensive presence for the Gamecocks.  

8. New York Liberty: Oluchi Okananwa, G, Maryland

Okananwa is a special perimeter defender with the size, length and athleticism to make an immediate impact in the W. She would make a lot of sense for a Liberty team that finished last in opponent turnover rate and needs a jolt on the wing. Her offense, particularly her outside shot, remains a work in progress, but she wouldn't have the ball in her hands too often on a veteran team that figures to still be in win-now mode. 

9. Dallas Wings: Talaysia Cooper, G, Ole Miss

The Wings are super thin on the wings and will be holding their breath that one of Okananwa or Cooper will still be on the board at No. 9 when they make the first of their two first-round picks. The 6-foot Cooper is a strong athlete with a knack for making plays defensively. The big question is with her offense. She made big jumps in both 3-point rate and 3-point percentage last season. If that's real, there's a lot of upside here. 

10. Indiana Fever: Clara Strack, C, Kentucky

The Fever's lack of frontcourt depth behind Aliyah Boston has been a major issue for them all season. If the 6-5 Strack is still available here, she would be a no-brainer selection. She's a terrific rim protector and rebounder, which are two clear areas of need for the Fever, who notably allowed the third-most shots in the restricted area this season. Strack has become a very willing 3-point shooter, but remains significantly more efficient around the basket. 

11. Chicago Sky (via Washington): Tessa Johnson, G, South Carolina

The Sky will have to give up a lottery pick to the Mystics, who in turn will hand over No. 11. Chicago should target Johnson here. She is the best pure shooter in this class, making 47.2% of her catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts last season at South Carolina, and would immediately be the best shooter on the roster. There may not be a ton of upside here, but she fills a clear area of need for the Sky, who finished 14th in 3-point percentage last season. 

12. Chicago Sky (via Atlanta): Sarah Cissé, F, France

The Sky will pick again at No. 12, using one of the first-round picks they got from Atlanta in the Angel Reese deal. Chicago has seven players with guaranteed contracts on the roster next season, and that doesn't include Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, Sydney Taylor, Rachel Banham or the No. 11 pick. There may not be room for multiple rookies on next season's roster, so a draft-and-stash option would make sense here. The 6-2 Cissé was named MVP of FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket 2026 after leading France to the gold medal. 

13. Dallas Wings (via Las Vegas): Chloe Kitts, F, South Carolina

The Wings, who have this pick from the Aces via the NaLyssa Smith trade, are up again as the third team that will make two selections in the first round. Perhaps they take a look at Kitts. She's not the most exciting player, but she's an extremely solid big who's coming off the best season of her career at South Carolina. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have some reliable frontcourt depth given Alanna Smith's injury issues and Awak Kuier's impending (restricted) free agency. 

14. Golden State Valkyries: Aïnhoa Risacher, F, France

The Valkyries went draft-and-stash with Juste Jocyte with their first-ever draft pick, then bizarrely punted on the first round last year. It's easy to see them trading this pick too, but for now, we'll go with another draft-and-stash candidate: Risacher, the younger sister of former NBA No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. She's a big, crafty wing whose unselfish style would fit well in Natalie Nakase's system. 

15. Minnesota Lynx: Khamil Pierre, F, NC State

Frontcourt depth has been an issue for the Lynx, which makes Pierre an intriguing option here with the final pick of the first round. She was a double-double machine last season at NC State, and plays with the type of motor that's usually worth betting on. While she doesn't shoot 3s, her ability to put the ball on the deck at her size does stand out, and it would be interesting to see how she could develop under Cheryl Reeve.