The WNBA Draft Lottery is an annual event. It features the teams that did not make the playoffs. These teams compete through a weighted random draw, and this gives them a chance to secure one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. This offers league’s struggling teams with an opportunity to rebuild and become more competitive.

The system is somewhat similar to the NBA Draft Lottery. Both leagues follow a process that includes a randomized draw using ping-pong balls or equivalent methods to determine the order of the top picks among non-playoff teams. However, in the NBA, only the top four picks are decided by the lottery. After those four, the remaining first-round order follows the inverse of each team’s win-loss record.

What Teams Are Eligible for the WNBA Draft Lottery?

The Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky have all made the cut for this year’s draft lottery.

The league looks at each team’s combined records from the last two regular seasons to calculate chances, and that applies to the five teams that failed to reach the playoffs this past year. Trades changed the makeup of the pool this season: Minnesota and Seattle ended up in the lottery because they acquired first-round picks via deals (Minnesota, for example, now holds Chicago’s pick after a swap with the Sky).

One small wrinkle: the WNBA hasn’t announced where the league’s two expansion clubs, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, will slot into the draft order. For context, in 2025, the Golden State Valkyries ended up with the No. 5 pick after that year’s four-team lottery.

How Is the WNBA Draft Lottery Conducted?

In the WNBA Draft Lottery, 14 balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed into a lottery machine. They are mixed, and four balls are drawn to create a four-digit combination. Then, the team assigned to that combination wins the No. 1 pick. The process is then repeated to determine the No. 2 pick.

Only the top two picks are decided by the lottery draws; of the three teams left out of those draws, the one with the worst two-year record will get the third pick, the next-worst gets fourth, and the remaining team takes fifth. Typically, the lottery is held in November and broadcast nationally. For the 2025 season, it’s scheduled for November 23, airing on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

Why Does the WNBA Use a Two-Year Record for Lottery Odds?

The WNBA adopted its current two-year format in 2015. Since then, lottery odds have been determined by the combined records of the four eligible teams from the two most recent seasons. Under this system, the team with the worst record receives 442 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick, followed by 276, 178, and 104 chances for the other three teams.

“The new format will also guarantee that the Lottery team with the worst two-year cumulative record will end up with at least the third pick. Under the previous format, the Lottery team with the worst single-season record was guaranteed to pick no worse than fourth,” read the official 2015 WNBA statement.

The requirement for change came after criticism of the 2012 lottery. It was when Phoenix-despite having only the second-best odds-won the No. 1 pick and selected Brittney Griner after finishing 7–27. As a result, observers accused the injury-plagued Mercury of tanking, while Washington, which had the league’s worst record at 5–29 and the best odds, fell to the No. 4 pick and selected Tayler Hill. And, considering the request legitimate, W got the rules amended. 

This year, with the five-team format, the Dallas Wings have the highest chances of receiving the top pick (420 out of 1,000) and are sure to bag at least a top-three pick. While the Lynx have 261 chances and the Storm have the third-most at 161. The Mystics have 97 chances, and the Chicago Sky have just 55.

When Is the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery Taking Place?

Date: Sunday, November 23
Time: 6:30 PM ET 
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App

Every WNBA Franchise’s No. 1 Overall Pick in History

Last season, the Dallas Wings landed the No. 1 pick, which turned out to be Paige Bueckers. Wings GM Curt Miller couldn’t hide his excitement, saying, “We’ve seen through WNBA history what No. 1 picks have done to franchises, and it just changes the outlook.”

And while it didn’t immediately turn things around for Dallas, which tied the Sky for the league’s worst record, the shortfall doesn’t make him wrong. That’s because the No. 1 pick has often transformed franchises. Just look at Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and A’ja Wilson-each reshaped their teams’ futures in remarkable ways. But before we move ahead, here’s a glimpse of every No. 1 pick in history. 

Most Successful No. 1 Overall Picks in WNBA History

Here are some of the most legendary No. 1 picks in WNBA history.

• Sue Bird – One of the most iconic players in W’s history. She retired as the league’s all-time leader in games played and assists. A member of the WNBA 25 Team, she‘s a four-time WNBA champion and a three-time assists leader. Over her remarkable career, she earned 13 All-Star selections, five All-WNBA First Team honors. Her consistency, leadership, and longevity made her the ultimate standard for excellence, and that’s why we’ve kept her at first! 
• Diana Taurasi – Next, we’ve Taurasi, one of the greatest competitors ever. She’s the second most decorated FIBA athlete in history, with six Olympic gold medals. She didn’t just dominate the court; she elevated the league’s visibility and inspired generations, too.
• Candace Parker – A two-time WNBA MVP, 2016 Finals MVP, and three-time champion, Parker’s career speaks for itself. She redefined versatility, balancing strength with skill in a way few could match. Over her 16 seasons, she became one of the greatest players of all time.

So yes, many of the W’s all-time greats once heard their names called first on draft night. And with the next generation of stars on the rise, the legacy of No. 1 picks is only growing stronger. Lauren Betts is currently projected to be the No.1 pick. Let’s see who wins the lottery!