The WNBA may not have a new CBA yet, but that doesn't mean teams aren't looking for players — and the Chicago Sky is said to be eyeing quite a few who play for UCLA.
The Sky will have the No. 5 overall pick next year, which means there are certainly quite a few players the team could pick from. UCLA boasts several seniors who all have WNBA potential: Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, and Gianna Kneepkens are all draft-eligible at the end of the 2025-26 NCAA season.
The Sky are also in a pretty interesting spot heading into this season. The team will also have the No. 17 overall pick and the No. 26 pick in the second round, and will have the No. 32 overall pick in the third. Unlike some teams in the league, the Sky actively need to build a stronger roster, which could make each of those draft picks crucial.
Several UCLA players could be drafted by the Sky at the No. 5 spot
Fortunately for the Sky, there are three Bruins who could conceivably be drafted at the No. 5 spot. While Lauren Betts is likely to be drafted as the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick, Rice, Jaquez, and Kneepkens are all viable choices for No. 5, the Chicago Sun-Times noted. Both Jaquez and Kneepkens are known for their shooting, and Rice's defensive prowess is likely to be attractive to most teams in the WNBA.
The WNBA needs to solve its CBA negotiations before the draft can happen
Of course, the 2026 WNBA Draft can't take place until the WNBA and the WNBPA have resolved the current labor dispute that has dragged out for months. The parties are currently negotiating in good faith after the January 9 extension date lapsed and there's a moratorium on league business.
This means the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire haven't held their expansion drafts and that the league hasn't entered in free agency yet. As it stands out, most reporting indicates the players have not received a response to their latest proposal to the league — and that no response is actually a response. If that's the case, things may not progress until one side decides to give something up.
That's a problem for everyone, but potentially the people most impacted by stalled negotiations will be the players currently active in the league. While they've made it clear that the CBA negotiations are for everyone, including future athletes in the league, they're the ones who have put their careers on the line to fight for what they feel they're owed.