I was sitting in the media area of Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, during the Sweet 16 last year. I was chatting with another writer, talking about how there really is no offseason (great podcast on The Athletic, by the way) for women’s hoops.
Think about it:
- The WNBA season runs from May until October
- NCAA women’s basketball runs from October until April
- Unrivaled runs from January to March
And that’s only basketball stateside.
It’s nonstop. It’s a lot. And it’s absolutely fantastic.
And while it’s a lot for the basketball fan, it’s even more strenuous for the players—especially those who are entering the WNBA Draft right after their season concludes.
“It was definitely a quick turnaround,” Te-Hina Paopao said after being drafted by the Atlanta Dream nine days after playing in the NCAA Championship game.
It’ll be a quick turnaround for players who are entering the 2026 WNBA Draft, too. But before they get to that point, they continue to build their resumes throughout the 2026-2027 collegiate season.
Every other week at Winsidr, we’ll be taking a look at players we’re expecting to appear in this year’s draft class, what they are doing on the court, and how their value is changing.
Flau’jae Johnson (G – LSU)
Stay or go? That was the decision that Flau’jae Johnson had to wrestle with last year. Ultimately, she decided to return to LSU for a final season.
So far, it looks like it was the right call.
While Johnson would have done fine in the WNBA from the jump, there were elements of her game that she needed to work on. We needed to see more facilitation. We needed to see more consistency from behind the arc. We needed to see her shed the label of being just a slasher.
Johnson has done all that and more through the first third of the LSU campaign.
Through 12 games, Johnson’s been more efficient from the field. She’s shooting 53.3 percent overall, with an eFG of 61.1 percent. What’s really stood out is the work that she’s been able to do from beyond the three-point line. Johnson is shooting 51.2 percent from behind the arc—the highest mark of her career—while averaging 3.4 attempts per game.
What’s more, Johnson’s assists are up from last year, averaging 2.8 per game, but what is more impressive is that she’s reduced her turnovers per game from a ghastly 2.7 (12th percentile) to a respectable 1.5 (50th percentile). That’ll be huge for Johnson at the next level.
The defense has always been elite for Johnson, but she’s taken it to the next level this year with a defensive rating of 69.6 (98th percentile).
The true test will be how these numbers carry over into conference play, but Johnson looks every bit the part of a first-round pick.
Janiah Barker (F – Tennessee)
For my money, Janiah Barker remains one of the more underrated prospects in the draft class still. The UCLA transfer is having a career year so far at Tennessee, besting her numbers with the Bruins and Texas A&M before that.
She’s thriving in Kim Caldwell’s fast-paced system, putting up a 29.3 usage rate and a 57.3 eFG percent.What’s been great to see from the forward is her willingness to shoot the ball from beyond the arc. It’s the wave we are in, so if you aren’t offering spacing, it’s going to be hard to succeed consistently at the next level. Barker has already attempted 39 threes (35.9 percent), which is six more than she attempted last year for UCLA in 36 games.
The turnovers are still high for Barker (2.7 per game), so it’s something that she’ll need to work on, as the decision making has always been an issue. But we’re seeing an uptick from her defensively by getting into the passing lanes and generating 1.4 steals per game.
Putting together consistent performances has been the issue with Barker. She’s an electric player, but still needs to improve her decision making on both sides of the ball. Caldwell is the perfect coach to continue to mold her for the next level to bring the electricity out each game and limit the number of preventable errors.
See Also
That’s the difference for Barker being a fringe first-round pick and a late second-round pick.
Madina Okot (C – South Carolina)
Did you know that we started a women’s college basketball podcast at Winsidr? It’s hosted by me and Melissa Triebwasser. It’s called “The Next Woman Up.”
In the first episode, Melissa asked who was rising up my draft board the quickest. The answer was, as you can guess by the header in this section, Madina Okot.
Man, I have been so impressed by Okot’s game, and it makes sense why Dawn Staley wants to keep her around South Carolina beyond this year.
Okot is averaging a double-double on the season with 14.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Both numbers are up from last year at Mississippi State, and while her field goal percentage is down slightly, it’s still elite at 61 percent.
What’s more impressive about that number is that Okot is being worked in offensively more and more. She’s averaging 10.3 field goal attempts per game, and that’s a 16.7 per 40 number, which puts her in the 91st percentile.
The 6-foot-6 Okot doesn’t have an outside shot, and if you know anything about me and how I evaluate bigs, that’s a big red flag for me. However, she has such great footwork and displays soft hands around the rim that she can be the exception, depending on the team that she lands with.
She’s averaging 1.7 blocks per game, displaying her ability as a rim protector.
Okot will turn 22 next year, making her eligible for the draft should she declare. I have her seventh on my big board right now.