The Dallas Wings secured the top spot in the WNBA draft lottery for the second year in a row on Sunday evening. Last year’s No. 1 pick, Paige Bueckers, was selected by the Wings, who had a 42% chance of winning the lottery again. The Minnesota Lynx, with the best record in the league last season, will have the second pick, thanks to a trade that gave them the Chicago Sky’s first-round selection.
Seattle, Washington, and Chicago completed the lottery selections. The WNBA is expanding to 15 teams this season with the introduction of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. The details of the expansion draft for these new teams are yet to be revealed. The Tempo and Fire will have the sixth and seventh picks in the upcoming draft in April, with a coin flip determining who gets the sixth selection.
Negotiations are ongoing between the WNBA and the players’ union for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the deadline extended to November 30. The draft is typically held in April, and this year, there isn’t a clear standout No. 1 pick like Bueckers. Notable draft-eligible players include Lauren Betts from UCLA, Azzi Fudd from UConn, Flau’jae Johnson from LSU, Olivia Miles from TCU, and Awa Fam from Spain.