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The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery is fast approaching, marking one of the first major events of the WNBA offseason. After the Indiana Fever secured the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and selected Caitlin Clark, attention now turns to the lottery, where several teams will be hoping for a stroke of luck to claim the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
When Is the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery?
The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery will take place on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Which Teams Are in the WNBA Draft Lottery?
The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery will feature four teams, determined by their combined records from the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The teams involved are:
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Dallas Wings
- Chicago Sky
- Washington Mystics
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Who Gets the No. 1 Pick?
Unlike other leagues where the team with the worst record in a single season is awarded the top pick, the WNBA draft lottery uses a combined record from the 2023 and 2024 seasons to determine the odds for each team. This means the worst team’s chances are based on two years of performance, rather than just one season.
For the 2025 lottery, the Los Angeles Sparks finished with the worst combined record of 22-55 over the past two seasons, giving them the best odds at 44.2% to win the No. 1 pick. Both the Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky posted 31-49 records combined, so they share 22.7% chances each for the top pick. The Washington Mystics, with a 33-47 combined record, have the lowest chance at 10.4% for the No. 1 pick.
How Does the WNBA Draft Lottery Work?
The WNBA Draft Lottery works as follows: Fourteen balls, numbered 1 through 14, are placed into a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls are then drawn, generating a four-digit combination. The team assigned to that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process will be repeated for the No. 2 pick.
After that, the remaining two teams’ draft positions will be determined by their combined records from the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The team with the lower combined record will receive the No. 3 pick, while the other team will get the No. 4 pick.
Where Will the Golden State Valkyries Draft in 2025?
The Golden State Valkyries, the newest team in the WNBA, will select fifth overall in the 2025 draft. This will be their first draft after being awarded an expansion team, and they will be looking to build their roster for the inaugural season. Prior to the regular draft, the Valkyries will participate in an expansion draft on December 6, 2024. In this expansion draft, the other 12 WNBA teams can protect up to six players from their roster, meaning those protected players will be ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries.
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How Does the Rest of the WNBA Draft Work?
Once the top five picks are determined, the remaining teams will pick in reverse order of their regular-season records from the 2024 season. For example, the Washington Mystics (via Dream) will select sixth overall, while the New York Liberty (via Mercury) will choose seventh. The Indiana Fever will have the eighth pick, and the Seattle Storm will select ninth.
Other teams, such as the Chicago Sky (via Sun), Minnesota Lynx, and Phoenix Mercury (via Liberty), will follow in the order based on their respective regular-season records.
When Is the 2025 WNBA Draft?
The full 2025 WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025. This date is an important one for all 12 teams, as they will look to strengthen their rosters with top prospects, including potential stars of the future.
