2026 WNBA Draft Lottery: Channel, time, odds, how to watch lottery
The WNBA draft lottery has the potential to alter the course of any franchise.
Just think about how the Indiana Fever ended their seven-year playoff drought in 2024 following the addition of No. 1 overall picks Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Or how Arike Ogunbowale ‘fell to my knees’ after the Dallas Wings landed the No. 1 pick in the Paige Bueckers’ sweepstakes last year.
It all comes down to 14 ping pong balls. The 2026 WNBA draft lottery will be held on Sunday, Nov. 23, as the league and the WNBPA continue collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Five teams — the Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky — are vying for the first pick.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 WNBA draft lottery:
When is the 2026 WNBA draft lottery?
The 2026 WNBA draft lottery will be held Sunday, Nov. 23, at 6:30 p.m. ET at ESPN’s Los Angeles studios.
How to watch WNBA draft lottery
The draft lottery will be broadcast on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET, marking the 14th consecutive year the network has televised the event. The event can also be streamed on the ESPN App.
Which teams are in the 2026 WNBA draft lottery?
The five teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 are entered in the draft lottery and their odds are based on their cumulative record the past two seasons. The Dallas Wings finished with a combined 19-65 record in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, followed by the Chicago Sky (23-61), Los Angeles Sparks (29-55), Washington Mystics (30-54) and Connecticut Sun (39-45).
However, things won’t be as straightforward this season because three teams — the Sky, Sparks and Sun — don’t own the rights to their first round pick. Minnesota acquired the Sky’s 2026 first round pick in a trade earlier this year and could walk away with the No. 1 overall pick despite finishing a league-best 34-10.
The Sparks traded their 2026 first-round pick to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Kia Nurse and the Sparks’ fourth overall 2024 WNBA draft pick (Rickea Jackson) in January 2024. The Sky acquired the right to swap first-round picks with the Sun in 2026 in a July 2024 trade that involved Marina Mabrey going to Connecticut.
2026 WNBA draft lottery odds
Here’s how the chances for the No. 1 pick stack up, according to the WNBA:
Dallas Wings: 420 chances out of 1,000
Minnesota Lynx: 261 chances out of 1,000
The Lynx possesses the Sky’s first round pick.
Seattle Storm: 167 chances out of 1,000
The Storm possesses the Spark’s first round pick.
Washington Mystics: 97 chances out of 1,000
Chicago Sky: 55 chances out of 1,000
The Sky possesses the Connecticut Sun’s first-round pick
Who is representing each team at WNBA draft lottery?
Each team involved in the WNBA draft lottery is sending a representative:
Dallas Wings: Forward Maddy Siegrist
Minnesota Lynx: Guards Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman (The Stud Budz)
Seattle Storm: Forward Gabby Williams
Washington Mystics: Forward Kiki Iriafen
Chicago Sky: Co-Owner and Operating Chairman Nadia Rawlinson
When is the 2026 WNBA draft?
The 2026 WNBA draft will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.