The WNBA announced Friday that the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery will air Sunday, Nov. 23, at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The 30-minute WNBA Draft Lottery Special will feature Bethany Donaphin, the league’s head of operations, revealing the results during ESPN’s coverage. It marks the 14th consecutive year that ESPN networks will present the event.
The 25th annual WNBA Draft Lottery will determine the order for the top picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026. The lottery includes five teams — the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky — whose odds are based on their combined records from the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
2026 WNBA Draft Lottery Odds
- Dallas Wings — 19-65 combined record | 420 chances out of 1,000
- Minnesota Lynx (via Chicago Sky) — 23-61 combined record | 261 chances
- Seattle Storm (via Los Angeles Sparks) — 29-55 combined record | 167 chances
- Washington Mystics — 30-54 combined record | 97 chances
- Chicago Sky (via Connecticut Sun) — 39-45 combined record | 55 chances
With a 19-65 cumulative record, the Wings hold the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick and are guaranteed at least the third selection, holding 420 of 1,000 possible combinations.
How Minnesota and Seattle Acquired Their Lottery Picks
The Minnesota Lynx, who holds the Chicago Sky’s first-round pick, have 261 chances to win the top selection after a multi-stage trade process finalized across the 2024 and 2025 WNBA Drafts.
In 2024, the teams completed a draft-day trade that allowed the Sky to move up and select Angel Reese at No. 7 overall, while the Lynx drafted Alissa Pili at No. 8 and received future assets, including the right to swap 2026 first-round picks. That right was later extinguished when Minnesota obtained full ownership of Chicago’s 2026 first-round pick in an April 2025 trade, sending the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 Draft to the Sky.
The Seattle Storm hold the Los Angeles Sparks’ 2026 first-round pick following a January 2024 trade in which Seattle sent Kia Nurse and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to Los Angeles. The trade provided Seattle with long-term assets and salary cap flexibility for free agency pursuits. The Storm later added to their roster through a three-team trade in January 2025 with the Sparks and Las Vegas Aces, acquiring the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 Draft and center Li Yueru.
The Chicago Sky acquired the Connecticut Sun’s 2026 first-round pick as part of a July 17, 2024 trade. In that deal, Chicago sent Marina Mabrey and their 2025 second-round pick to Connecticut in exchange for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, the Sun’s 2025 first-round pick, and a 2026 first-round swap option. The agreement gives Chicago the right to exchange its 2026 first-round pick with Connecticut’s if the latter’s selection ends up higher in the draft order.
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— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) November 7, 2025
The 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery will take place on Sunday, Nov. 23, on ESPN.
Below are the number of chances for teams to land the top pick in the WNBA Draft Lottery 2026.
More info will follow on https://t.co/EZRxCMoUKI pic.twitter.com/lU7WUnNhDF
Lottery Process and 2026 Draft Outlook
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, with the team assigned that combination receiving the No. 1 pick. The process will then be repeated to determine the No. 2 pick.
Of the three remaining teams, the one with the worst cumulative record will pick third, followed by the fourth and fifth selections based on record. An Ernst & Young representative will oversee the process to ensure fairness.
The Washington Mystics have 97 chances, while the Sky, who now hold the Connecticut Sun’s first-round pick following a series of trades, round out the lottery with 55 chances.
The 2026 WNBA Draft could shape the next era for several rebuilding franchises — including the Dallas Wings, led by 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
