Women’s Basketball Stars Dazzle the Orange Carpet at the 2026 WNBA Draft

Graphic by Hyouji Joo

On Monday, April 13, collegiate and international basketball players gathered at The Shed in New York City to attend the 2026 WNBA Draft. For many of those young women, the WNBA Draft is the most important night of the year, if not their entire careers. Teams select college seniors and international talents to take part in their pre-season training camp, after which players will either be cut or signed to the team. 

As is appropriate for the significance of the event, most WNBA Draft prospects are dressed to the nines—especially those who received formal invitations to attend based on their high likelihood of being drafted within the first round. 

That being said, the trend of formal wear on the WNBA Draft’s orange carpet has evolved dramatically over the league’s 30-year history. WNBA legends like Sue Bird have opened up about the pressures she and other players faced to look more feminine. 

In a podcast interview with sports journalist Pablo Torre, Bird revealed that she was told, “The only way I was going to have success from a marketing standpoint is to really sell this straight girl next door.” 

In the early years of the WNBA, players were often stuffed into heels, dresses, makeup, and long hair. As the WNBA has grown and players have become more outspoken about their fashion preferences and sexualities, the fashions of Draft Night have evolved accordingly.

This year, WNBA prospects experimented with masculine and feminine silhouettes, mixing streetwear and more traditional formal dress, and pushing the boundaries of what formal womenswear can look like. 

University of Connecticut shooting guard and number one overall draft pick Azzi Fudd stole the show with two stunning dresses. On the orange carpet, Fudd shone in a custom black-and-silver Coach dress featuring a high slit and a sequined body. Although the gown was stunning, I much preferred her second look, which she changed into upon entering The Shed. The dress was similarly sparkly, but featured oranges and browns that complemented her skin and a deep V-neck. 

Fudd was picked first overall by the Dallas Wings. As Fudd walked across the stage to shake WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s hand and take a photo with her new team’s jersey, the camera panned to the audience, where Fudd’s girlfriend, former UConn teammate and soon-to-be Dallas Wings teammate Paige Bueckers, made a surprise appearance.

In contrast to Fudd’s long, sparkly dresses, TCU guard Olivia Miles opted for a more masculine silhouette for her two outfits of the night. Miles paired black trousers with a black bomber jacket on the orange carpet, then switched into olive green pants and a black suit jacket inside the building. As a final touch, Miles opened her jacket to reveal red stitching on the inner lining, the thread spelling out the names of her loved ones—a gesture of gratitude and affection toward the people who made her journey to the WNBA possible. 

Spanish talent Awa Fam, drafted number three overall by the Seattle Storm, stood out amongst her fellow draftees with a stunning red number. While other players opted for more neutral and muted colors, Fam’s bright crimson dress differentiated her among the crowd. The dress wrapped around Fam’s figure, with gaps between the fabric creating visual interest. The piece was textural, eye-catching, and complemented Fam’s stature perfectly.

Not to be outdone, LSU star and number eight overall pick Flau’jae Johnson had arguably one of the more daring looks of the night. Despite her Bent Kahina gown’s monochrome black material, the drop waist and fur shrug added an air of luxury and elegance to the outfit, elevating the look above other black dresses on the carpet.

Johnson revealed to ESPN basketball analysts that she’d told her stylist she wanted to “look like I’m going to the WNBA Draft at 6 and the Met Gala at 6:30.” 

However, as with any red—or, in this case, orange—carpet, several looks fell flat for me. Englebert, a key figure in the WNBA draft, wore a sparkly green dress. In all honesty, the piece made her look Grinch-like, due to its unflattering color and awkward sleeve length.

Meanwhile, draftees themselves also struggled with poorly fitted pieces on the orange carpet. TCU’s Marta Suarez, French talent Nell Angloma, and UCLA’s Kiki Rice looked stiff in outfits that appeared clumsily altered. 

Badly-tailored suits and dresses are indicative of a larger problem within the fashion industry, not a fault of the draft prospects. Designers and stylists have long struggled with dressing and fitting women whose figures don’t match the slender, hourglass figure touted by the Western beauty standard. 

As the 2026 WNBA season tips off, I look forward to seeing new players’ first tunnel fits, and the ways they explore their personal style outside the more formal—and, honestly, more conservative—dress code of Draft Night.