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The following teams are set to partake in the league’s 25th annual WNBA Draft Lottery, vying for the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which is scheduled to take place Monday, April 13, 2026:
Dallas Wings
Minnesota Lynx (via Chicago)
Seattle Storm (via Los Angeles)
Washington Mystics
Chicago Sky (via Connecticut)
The lottery order is based on the cumulative record across the 2024 and 2025 seasons among the five teams that did not make the playoffs in 2025. The Wings, with a 19-65 record over the last two seasons, have a 42% chance at snagging the first overall pick in the 2026 draft for the second year in a row. Last year, they selected UConn guard Paige Bueckers.
While the Lynx had a phenomenal 2025 season with a league-best 34-10 record, they possess the Sky’s first-round pick and are right behind Dallas with a 26% chance of clinching the No. 1 overall pick. Following Minnesota is Seattle, which has a 16.7% chance by way of the Sparks’ first-round pick from a trade made in January 2024. The Mystics (9.7%) and the Sky (5.5%) have less than a 10% chance to win the lottery this year.
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The WNBA shared the news on X with the caption, “The stage is set for the WNBA Draft Lottery 2026.”
The Draft Lottery consists of a drawing of 14 balls, numbered 1-14, from a lottery machine. Four balls will be drawn, which will determine a four-digit combination. Whichever team was assigned that four-ball combination will be awarded the No. 1 pick. Following this, the four balls will be placed back in the machine to repeat the process to determine the second pick.
After the top two picks are drawn, the remaining three lottery teams will be ordered by their two-year cumulative record. As a result, Dallas will be guaranteed a top-three pick. The full chart of probabilities is available below.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts is the projected No. 1 pick in ESPN’s recent mock draft. She returned to the Bruins for her senior year instead of declaring for the 2025 WNBA draft. However, the eventual first overall pick is up in the air due to other greats set to make their mark in their senior year, such as UConn guard Azzi Fudd and TCU guard Olivia Miles.
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