TRENDING World Series updates NFL trade deadline proposals WNBA Finals schedule fiasco Anthony Edwards injury impact Week 8 fantasy trade tips Story by Story by 2027 WNBA Draft lottery details announced: Date, time, teams, odds and No. 1 pick favorite Callie Fin, USA TODAY Thu, October 29, 2026 at 12:03 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the battle to crown a new WNBA champion continues , fans can also look forward to a reveal of who will own the 2027 No. 1 pick.
The WNBA draft lottery will air Sunday, Nov. 15 on ESPN, the league announced Wednesday.
Since 2018, the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings have each had three No. 1 picks. The Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston with their No. 1 picks in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Wings also made two No. 1 selections back-to-back, selecting Azzi Fudd in 2026 after picking her former UConn teammate, Paige Bueckers, the year prior.
Here's everything to know about the upcoming WNBA draft lottery:
The 2027 WNBA Draft lottery will be broadcast on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 15, from 7:30-8 p.m. ET, directly after the UConn vs. Louisville women's basketball game. For viewers in Canada, TSN will also air coverage of the event.
2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 2025: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images) 2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (Iowa) (Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports) 2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (South Carolina) (Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports) 2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (Kentucky) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings (Texas) (Meg Oliphant, Getty Images) 2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (Oregon) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (Notre Dame) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 2018: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (South Carolina) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 2017: Kelsey Plum, San Antonio Stars (Washington) (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 2015: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm (Notre Dame) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun (Stanford) (Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports) 2013: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (Baylor) (Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports) 2012: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (Stanford) (Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports) 2011: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx (Connecticut) (Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports) 2010: Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (Connecticut) (Rafael Suanes, US PRESSWIRE) 2009: Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (Louisville) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 2008: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (Tennessee) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 2007: Lindsey Harding, Phoenix Mercury (Duke) (Bob Donnan, US PRESSWIRE) 2006: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx (LSU) (H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY) 2005: Janel McCarville, Charlotte Sting (Minnesota) (Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports) 2004: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (Connecticut) (David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic) 2003: LaToya Thomas, Cleveland Rockers (Mississippi State) (Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports) 2002: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images) 2001: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (Canberra Capitals, Australia) (Jennifer Stewart, US PRESSWIRE) 2000: Ann Wauters, Cleveland Rockers (USV Olympic, France) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington Mystics (Tennessee) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 1998: Margo Dydek, Utah Starzz (Fota Porta Gdynia, Poland) (Todd Warshaw, Getty Images) 1997: Tina Thompson, Houston Comets (Southern California) (Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY) 1 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 1 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 2 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2025: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images) 3 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (Iowa) (Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports) 4 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (South Carolina) (Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports) 5 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (Kentucky) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 6 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings (Texas) (Meg Oliphant, Getty Images) 7 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (Oregon) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 8 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (Notre Dame) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 9 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2018: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (South Carolina) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 10 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2017: Kelsey Plum, San Antonio Stars (Washington) (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 11 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 12 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2015: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm (Notre Dame) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 13 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun (Stanford) (Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports) 14 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2013: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (Baylor) (Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports) 15 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2012: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (Stanford) (Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports) 16 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2011: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx (Connecticut) (Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports) 17 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2010: Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (Connecticut) (Rafael Suanes, US PRESSWIRE) 18 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2009: Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (Louisville) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 19 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2008: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (Tennessee) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 20 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2007: Lindsey Harding, Phoenix Mercury (Duke) (Bob Donnan, US PRESSWIRE) 21 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2006: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx (LSU) (H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY) 22 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2005: Janel McCarville, Charlotte Sting (Minnesota) (Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports) 23 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2004: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (Connecticut) (David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic) 24 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2003: LaToya Thomas, Cleveland Rockers (Mississippi State) (Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports) 25 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2002: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images) 26 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2001: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (Canberra Capitals, Australia) (Jennifer Stewart, US PRESSWIRE) 27 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2000: Ann Wauters, Cleveland Rockers (USV Olympic, France) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 28 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington Mystics (Tennessee) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 29 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1998: Margo Dydek, Utah Starzz (Fota Porta Gdynia, Poland) (Todd Warshaw, Getty Images) 30 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1997: Tina Thompson, Houston Comets (Southern California) (Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY) Who will announce the results? During the 30-minute WNBA Draft Lottery Special, Bethany Donaphin, the WNBA's Head of League Operations, will reveal the results of the lottery as she has done since 2018. Before that year, the selections were announced in various ways, including by "SportsCenter" and ESPN2 anchors.
The Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks , Portland Fire, Seattle Storm, Toronto Tempo and Washington Mystics will take part in the 26th annual WNBA draft lottery.
All of those teams missed the 2026 WNBA playoffs except for the Mystics, who are in the running for the No. 1 pick thanks to savvy moves by their front office. Jamila Wideman was their general manager at the time, but left the team in April after reported strategic differences that arose in free agency. Coach Sydney Johnson assumed control of basketball operations with support from Mystics staff after Wideman's exit.
The Mystics possess the first-round pick of the Chicago Sky, who went 16-28 this season and 26-62 over the last two seasons. Washington secured the Sky's pick after a trade that sent two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins to the Sky for the 2025 No. 3 pick (Sonia Citron), the rights to swap 2027 first-round picks with Chicago as well as the Sky's 2027 second-round pick.
The Phoenix Mercury traded their first-round pick to Los Angeles in August as part of the deal that sent Kelsey Plum to the Mercury. Monique Akoa Makani and a 2028 second-round draft pick also went to Los Angeles.
The WNBA draft lottery determines the first two overall picks using a ping-pong ball machine.
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.
The remaining lottery teams are slotted in order of their two-year cumulative records.
Since the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are new expansion teams, their records from this past season will be used.
The Connecticut Sun, who will become the Houston Comets, have an identical winning percentage with the Tempo (.250), so each will receive 329 combinations — the most of any of the teams. Houston was 1-2 against Toronto in the 2026 regular season (the first tiebreaker) and, therefore, cannot fall further than the third pick. Toronto is guaranteed at least the fourth pick.
The Mystics (via the Sky) will have the third-most chances (161) to win the top pick. Seattle (31-57) has the fourth-most chances with 93 and Portland (17-27) has the fifth-most with 52.
The Sparks will have 24 chances due to their own 37-51 cumulative record paired with the extra opportunities from their trade with the Mercury.
USC star JuJu Watkins will be the favorite for the 2027 No. 1 pick if she leaves the Trojans after this season, but Texas forward Madison Booker and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo are also projected lottery picks.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2027 WNBA Draft lottery details announced: Date, time, teams, odds and No. 1 pick favorite
Source: Sports
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