In 2025, five WNBA teams are vying for the chance to pick the next potential face of their franchise. The Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky are in the running to pick the No. 1 overall pick in next year's WNBA draft. The ultimate winner will be decided with a lottery. UCLA's Lauren Betts is projected to be the No. 1 pick in ESPN's latest mock draft.
Check out more key facts about the 2026 WNBA draft lottery below:
When is the event? How can fans watch?
The draft lottery takes place on Sunday, Nov. 23. Fans can watch the lottery on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET. The WNBA streaming hub will capture all of the action.
What is the format?
According to the league, four balls numbered 1-14 will be drawn from a machine. These balls determine a four-digit combination, and the team assigned that combination wins the No. 1 pick. The same is done for the No. 2 pick, while picks 3-5 are based on which teams had the worst records of the past two seasons.
How are teams chosen?
Lottery odds are based on the cumulative records of the past two WNBA regular seasons for the five teams that did not make the playoffs in the most recent season.
What are each team's odds?
Dallas Wings (420 chances out of 1,000)
Minnesota Lynx, via Chicago Sky (261 chances out of 1,000)
Seattle Storm, via Los Angeles Sparks (167 chances out of 1,000)
Washington Mystics (97 chances out of 1,000)
Chicago Sky, via Connecticut Sun (55 chances out of 1,000)
When is the 2026 WNBA draft?
The 2026 WNBA draft is scheduled for April 13.
Check out the ESPN WNBA hub page for scores, standings, stats, schedules and more.
