rewrite this content and keep HTML tags (remove this from content : rewrite this content and keep HTML tags)
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 and 2025 WNBA draft, respectively. Unlike the previous two drafts, 2026 is wide open.
The biggest names in women’s college basketball started the season this week and the next step for the collegiate superstars is the WNBA. Will UCLA senior Lauren Betts be the first player off the board in April? Or will UConn produce back-to-back No. 1 overall picks with the selection of senior guard Azzi Fudd?
The possibilities are endless, but who will get the first pick?
That will be determined in the 2026 WNBA draft lottery, which features five teams — the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky — vying for the overall first pick.
Here is what you need to know about the 2026 WNBA draft order and more:
WOMEN’S SPORTS: The latest news and insider insights from USA TODAY Studio IX.
When is the 2026 WNBA draft lottery?
The 2026 WNBA draft lottery will be held Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch WNBA draft lottery
The draft lottery will be broadcast on ESPN, marking the 14th consecutive year the network has televised the event.
2026 WNBA draft lottery odds
The five teams that missed the playoffs last season are entered into the draft lottery and each team’s odds are determined by their cumulative record the past two seasons. The Dallas Wings finished with a combined 19-65 record in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, followed by the Chicago Sky (23-61), Los Angeles Sparks (29-55), Washington Mystics (30-54) and Connecticut Sun (39-45).
However, things get a little tricky as several teams don’t own the rights to their first round pick in the upcoming draft. Minnesota, for example, could walk away with the No. 2 overall pick despite finishing with a league-leading 34-10 record. The Lynx acquired the Sky’s 2026 first round pick following a trade made in April.
The Sparks traded their 2026 first-round pick to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Kia Nurse and the Sparks’ fourth overall 2024 WNBA draft pick (Rickea Jackson) in January 2024. The Sky acquired the right to swap first-round picks with the Sun in 2026 in a July 2024 trade that involved Marina Mabrey going to Connecticut.
Here’s how the chances for the No. 1 pick stack up, according to the WNBA:
Dallas Wings: 420 chances out of 1,000Minnesota Lynx: 261 chances out of 1,000The Lynx possesses the Sky’s first round pick.Seattle Storm: 167 chances out of 1,000The Storm possesses the Spark’s first round pick.Washington Mystics: 97 chances out of 1,000 Chicago Sky: 55 chances out of 1,000 The Sky possesses the Connecticut Sun’s first-round pick
How does WNBA draft lottery work?
The WNBA released the guidelines for the 25th annual WNBA draft lottery on Friday:
Fourteen balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick. Of the three teams not selected in the drawings, the team with the worst cumulative two-year record shall select third; the team with the next worst record will select fourth; and the remaining team shall select fifth.
When is the 2026 WNBA draft?
The 2026 WNBA draft will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
