{"id":301505,"date":"2025-11-23T10:27:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T10:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/301505\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T10:27:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T10:27:16","slug":"wnba-odds-reps-prospect-and-more-on-the-2026-draft-lottery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/301505\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA: Odds, reps, prospect and more on the 2026 draft lottery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Which team will pick first in the 2026 WNBA Draft?<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The women\u2019s basketball world will find out on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET during WNBA Draft Lottery 2026. Head of league operations Bethany Donaphin will reveal whether the top pick will go to the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics or Chicago Sky during the 30-minute WNBA Draft Lottery Special on ESPN.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Here\u2019s more on the odds and representatives for all five lottery teams, in addition to a look at the prospects the teams should consider if they win the No. 1 pick:<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.swishappeal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/154\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2184764637.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,8.31298828125,100,83.3740234375\" data-pswp-height=\"6830\" data-pswp-width=\"5464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Wings lottery representative Maddy Siegrist.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2184764637.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Wings lottery representative Maddy Siegrist. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Odds: 42 percentRepresentative: Maddy Siegrist<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The Wings have a chance of winning back-to-back No. 1 picks, with Maddy Siegrist, last year\u2019s winning representative, returning to the dais in hopes of bringing more good luck\u2014and much needed talent\u2014to Dallas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">In analyzing what the Wings should do if they are again blessed by the basketball gods, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67722\/draft-lottery-2026-dallas-wings-no-1-pick-paige-bueckers-curt-miller-azzi-fudd-lauren-betts-awa-fam-jose-fernandez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Edwin Garcia argues<\/a> that the priority is clear: pick the prospect who pairs best with Paige Bueckers. Edwin also makes an encouraging analogy for Wings fans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67722\/draft-lottery-2026-dallas-wings-no-1-pick-paige-bueckers-curt-miller-azzi-fudd-lauren-betts-awa-fam-jose-fernandez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">suggesting<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">If they secure the top pick and make the right call, they can expedite this process, similar to what the Indiana Fever did after selecting Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark with back-to-back No. 1 picks in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.swishappeal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/154\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2247714326.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0.67917205692109,100,98.641655886158\" data-pswp-height=\"3050\" data-pswp-width=\"4575\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Lynx lottery representatives Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2247714326.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lynx lottery representatives Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman. NWSL via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Odds: 26.1 percentRepresentatives: Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman (the Stud Budz)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Is the WNBA allowing a livestream of lottery? If so, everyone has to be rooting for a Minnesota win. Everyone, that is, except Sky partisans, who would distressingly see their season of struggle benefit another team due trades Chicago made before the 2024 and 2025 drafts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">If Minnesota does get lucky, they\u2019ll have a great opportunity to extend their championship window. However, there\u2019s one player I don\u2019t think the Lynx should consider. Despite her prolific college production, UCLA center Lauren Betts doesn\u2019t make sense with Lynx. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67739\/draft-lottery-odds-no-1-pick-minnesota-lynx-cheryl-reeve-flaujae-olivia-miles-azzi-fudd-awa-fam-lauren-betts-napheesa-collier\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">As I previously wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">Minnesota has been at the forefront of the WNBA\u2019s move away from traditional bigs. The Lynx\u2019s schemes prioritize switchability, versatility and speed. During their run of recent success, they have willingly sacrificed size in favor of the advantages accrued by deploying smaller-yet-more-skilled players across all five positions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Luckily for Minnesota, there are plenty of other prospects who would be a fit.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.swishappeal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/154\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2242280473.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0.014983518130059,0,99.97003296374,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2224\" data-pswp-width=\"3336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Storm lottery representative Gabby Williams, with teammates Erica Wheeler and Dominique Malonga.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2242280473.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Storm lottery representative Gabby Williams, with teammates Erica Wheeler and Dominique Malonga. Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Odds: 16.7 percentRepresentative: Gabby Williams<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Like the Lynx, a trade allowed the Storm to claim a spot in the lottery, owning the odds that otherwise would have belonged to the Los Angeles Sparks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">If they win the No. 1 pick, there\u2019s a prospect that can complement any of the team-building directions the organization chooses to pursue under new head coach Sonia Raman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Of all the paths that Seattle could take, it would be smartest to choose the one that most looks to maximize Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67858\/draft-lottery-no-1-pick-odds-seattle-storm-malonga-direction-azzi-fudd-flaujae-johnson-olivia-miles-lauren-betts\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">My favorite potential option<\/a> involves building an uber-athletic team, which could make LSU guard Flau\u2019Jae Johnson the most appealing selection.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.swishappeal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/154\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2233596689.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3088\" data-pswp-width=\"4632\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Mystics lottery representative Kiki Iriafen.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2233596689.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mystics lottery representative Kiki Iriafen. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Odds: 9.7 percentRepresentative: Kiki Iriafen<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">After a grand slam of a 2025 draft, the Mystics might be able to top in 2026 if they win the No. 1 pick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Were that to happen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67814\/draft-lottery-no-1-pick-washington-mystics-odds-azzi-fudd-lauren-betts-olivia-miles-flaujae-johnson-fit-best-citron-iriafen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Beckett Harrison believes<\/a> the organization might have eyes for only one prospect: UConn super senior guard Azzi Fudd. Not only is she an almost-local gal, but Fudd\u2019s status as a certified sharpshooter would fill a glaring need for DC. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba\/67814\/draft-lottery-no-1-pick-washington-mystics-odds-azzi-fudd-lauren-betts-olivia-miles-flaujae-johnson-fit-best-citron-iriafen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">As Beckett wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">There is no better fit for [head coach] Johnson\u2019s system than Fudd. If the Mystics are picking first, and they are picking for fit, Fudd will be wearing a Mystics hat by the end of draft night. End of story.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.swishappeal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/154\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2228657066.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0.61728395061728,100,98.765432098765\" data-pswp-height=\"2000\" data-pswp-width=\"3000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"Sky lottery representative Nadia Rawlinson.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2228657066.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sky lottery representative Nadia Rawlinson.<\/p>\n<p>Odds: 5.5 percentRepresentative: Nadia Rawlinson (co-owner and operating chairman)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Thanks to a trade with the Connecticut Sun, the Sky are not totally shut out of the lottery, possessing a slight chance of coming away with the No. 1 pick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba-content\/67844\/draft-lottery-odds-no-1-pick-chicago-sky-angel-reese-lauren-betts-olivia-miles-flaujae-johnson-trade-free-agency\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">As Edwin emphasized<\/a>, even though winning the top pick would not cure all the ills plaguing the Sky, it certainly wouldn\u2019t hurt. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swishappeal.com\/wnba-content\/67844\/draft-lottery-odds-no-1-pick-chicago-sky-angel-reese-lauren-betts-olivia-miles-flaujae-johnson-trade-free-agency\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">He wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1\">But would the No. 1 pick be enough to solve Chicago\u2019s problems and keep [Angel] Reese happy? Probably not. But with all the losses the Sky have piled up, they need a win wherever they can get it\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">He sees Betts, Johnson or TCU guard Olivia Miles as three prospects who could help salvage this era of the Sky basketball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Which team will pick first in the 2026 WNBA Draft? The women\u2019s basketball world will find out on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301506,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[49,48,82,630,38381],"class_list":["post-301505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports","tag-wnba","tag-wnba-draft"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301505\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}