The Dallas Wings emerged victorious in the WNBA draft lottery for the second year in a row on Sunday evening. The team, who selected Paige Bueckers as the No. 1 pick last year, had a 42% chance of securing the top spot once again. Minnesota, the team with the best record in the league last season, will have the second pick. The Lynx obtained the first-round pick of the Chicago Sky through a previous trade.
Seattle, Washington, and Chicago completed the lottery selections. This season, the league will expand to 15 teams with the inclusion of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. The specifics of the expansion draft for these new franchises have not been disclosed yet. These two teams will also have the sixth and seventh picks in the upcoming draft in April.
A coin toss will determine whether the Tempo or Fire gets the sixth pick, as announced during the WNBA lottery broadcast. Negotiations are ongoing between the league and the players’ union for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the deadline extended from October 31 to November 30. If a new CBA is reached, the draft is typically held in April.
While there is no standout No. 1 pick like Bueckers from last season, there are several promising college players eligible for the draft, including Lauren Betts from UCLA, Azzi Fudd from UConn, Flau’jae Johnson from LSU, Olivia Miles from TCU, and Spanish player Awa Fam.