The WNBA introduced 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 Particular will function Bethany Donaphin, the league’s head of operations, revealing the outcomes throughout ESPN’s protection. It marks the 14th consecutive 12 months that ESPN networks will current the occasion.
The twenty fifth annual WNBA Draft Lottery will decide the order for the highest picks within the 2026 WNBA Draft, which is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026. The lottery consists of 5 groups — the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky — whose odds are primarily based on their mixed information from the 2024 and 2025 seasons.Â
2026 WNBA Draft Lottery Odds
Dallas Wings — 19-65 mixed file | 420 possibilities out of 1,000
Minnesota Lynx (through Chicago Sky) — 23-61 mixed file | 261 possibilities
Seattle Storm (through Los Angeles Sparks) — 29-55 mixed file | 167 possibilities
Washington Mystics — 30-54 mixed file | 97 possibilities
Chicago Sky (through Connecticut Solar) — 39-45 mixed file | 55 possibilities
With a 19-65 cumulative file, the Wings maintain the very best odds of touchdown the No. 1 general choose and are assured a minimum of the third choice, holding 420 of 1,000 potential mixtures.
How Minnesota and Seattle Acquired Their Lottery Picks
The Minnesota Lynx, who holds the Chicago Sky’s first-round choose, have 261 possibilities to win the highest choice after a multi-stage commerce course of finalized throughout the 2024 and 2025 WNBA Drafts.
In 2024, the groups accomplished a draft-day commerce that allowed the Sky to maneuver up and choose Angel Reese at No. 7 general, whereas the Lynx drafted Alissa Pili at No. 8 and obtained future belongings, together with the correct to swap 2026 first-round picks. That proper was later extinguished when Minnesota obtained full possession of Chicago’s 2026 first-round choose in an April 2025 commerce, sending the No. 11 general choose within the 2025 Draft to the Sky.
The Seattle Storm maintain the Los Angeles Sparks’ 2026 first-round choose following a January 2024 commerce through which Seattle despatched Kia Nurse and the No. 4 general choose within the 2024 WNBA Draft to Los Angeles. The commerce supplied Seattle with long-term belongings and wage cap flexibility without spending a dime company pursuits. The Storm later added to their roster by way of a three-team commerce in January 2025 with the Sparks and Las Vegas Aces, buying the No. 2 general choose within the 2025 Draft and heart Li Yueru.
The Chicago Sky acquired the Connecticut Solar’s 2026 first-round choose as a part of a July 17, 2024 commerce. In that deal, Chicago despatched Marina Mabrey and their 2025 second-round choose to Connecticut in trade for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, the Solar’s 2025 first-round choose, and a 2026 first-round swap choice. The settlement offers Chicago the correct to trade its 2026 first-round choose with Connecticut’s if the latter’s choice finally ends up increased within the draft order.
INBOX: Information from the WNBA
The 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery will happen on Sunday, Nov. 23, on ESPN.
Beneath are the variety of possibilities for groups to land the highest choose within the WNBA Draft Lottery 2026.
Extra information will observe on https://t.co/EZRxCMoUKI pic.twitter.com/lU7WUnNhDF
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) November 7, 2025
Lottery Course of and 2026 Draft Outlook
Fourteen balls numbered 1–14 shall be positioned in a lottery machine and blended. 4 balls shall be drawn to find out a four-digit mixture, with the group assigned that mixture receiving the No. 1 choose. The method will then be repeated to find out the No. 2 choose.
Of the three remaining groups, the one with the worst cumulative file will choose third, adopted by the fourth and fifth choices primarily based on file. An Ernst & Younger consultant will oversee the method to make sure equity.
The Washington Mystics have 97 possibilities, whereas the Sky, who now maintain the Connecticut Solar’s first-round choose following a collection of trades, spherical out the lottery with 55 possibilities.
The 2026 WNBA Draft might form the subsequent period for a number of rebuilding franchises — together with the Dallas Wings, led by 2025 Rookie of the Yr Paige Bueckers.
