Five WNBA rookie success stories you didn't see coming

Several 2026 WNBA rookies have already made headlines after being selected in the first round of the draft, including Olivia Miles, Flau’jae Johnson, Azzi Fudd, Kiki Rice and Awa Fam. But the article spotlights five other first-year players who had even less expected paths. Four were undrafted, while the fifth was a late pick in 2019. The write-up focuses on how these players translated strong European careers to the league’s higher competition level, highlighting Sydney Taylor’s scoring surge after joining the Chicago Sky, plus New York Liberty guard Pauline Astier, Toronto Tempo forward Laura Juškaitė, and María Conde (with the piece continuing beyond that).