NEW YORK -- The WNBA announced the date of their draft lottery. It will take place on Sunday, November 15 on 7:30 PM ET (4:30 PM PT) and be broadcast on ESPN. Six teams are hoping to have luck on their side as they all hope to get the first pick of what is looking to be a loaded 2027 Draft.
The lottery odds are based on the combined records of the last two years; the worse the record, the better the chances. For the two teams that started play in the 2026 season (Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo), their odds are based on their record for the 2026 season only.
Here's how the lottery drawings go according to the league's press release:
"In the drawing, 14 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 five Lottery teams not selected in the drawings, the team with the worst cumulative winning percentage shall select third; the team with the next worst records will, in order, select fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh."
Here are the odds for the teams vying for the first pick:
| TEAM |
TWO-YEAR RECORD (except Portland and Toronto) |
CHANCES (out of 1,000) |
| Houston Comets |
22-66 |
329 |
| Toronto Tempo |
11-33 |
329 |
| Washington Mystics (via Chicago Sky) |
26-62 (Chicago's two-year record) |
161 |
| Seattle Storm |
31-57 |
93 |
| Portland Fire |
17-27 |
52 |
| L.A. Sparks |
37-51 |
24 |
| L.A. Sparks (via Phoenix Mercury) |
43-45 (Phoenix's two-year record) |
12 |
Washington got Chicago's first round pick due to the Ariel Atkins trade back in Feb. 2025 while Los Angeles acquired Phoenix's first round pick and Monique Akoa Makani in exchange for Kelsey Plum last August.
The Sparks have two first round picks in the lottery (with a combined 36 out of 1,000 chances to get the first pick), which accelerates their rebuild a bit. Even if they stayed in the 6th and 7th slots, they are in good position to kickstart said rebuild should they stand pat. But of course, it's ideal if they somehow lucked themselves into the first pick, which would mean getting local sensation JuJu Watkins from USC.
It's also notable that the only first round picks the Sparks drafted this decade that remain on the team are Rae Burrell (2022) and Cameron Brink (2024).
The upcoming draft is deep with players like Madison Booker (Texas), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), Tessa Johnson (South Carolina), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Kymora Johnson (Virginia), and Clara Strack (Kentucky).
The WNBA Draft itself will take place on April 12, 2027 right after the college season is over.
