The WNBA Draft Lottery has a Unique Twist

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While WNBA fans may already be missing league action on the court, it’s just about time to see the 2027 season begin taking shape. The draft lottery is just days away and will give fans some hints into how next season’s action could play out.

With several big names hoping to get a spot in the league, the excitement is only going to build from here.

How Does the Draft Lottery Work?

The WNBA draft lottery is a bit different than the NBA draft lottery. Instead of relying on the previous season’s standings, the WNBA factors in teams’ cumulative records over the past two regular seasons.

They use 14 numbered balls, from one to 14, to determine the first two overall picks. A machine is used to mix up the numbers and four balls are drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team that matches that combination will be awarded the No. 1 pick, with the process repeated for the No. 2 pick. The rest of the teams are assigned based on their cumulative winning percentages over the past two WNBA seasons, from worst to best, but there is one exception to this. Because the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are expansion teams, their lottery odds are only based on their 2026 records.

According to Women’s Fastbreak on SI, the odds of landing the No. 1 pick are split between the Comets (32.9%), Tempo (32.9%), Mystics (16.1%), Storm (9.3%), Fire (5.2%), and Sparks (3.6%).

Who are the top Prospects for the 2027 WNBA Draft?

With many big names waiting to begin their WNBA journey, who should fans expect to be at the top of the list in this year’s draft?

Of course, there’s one name on everyone’s mind – Juju Watkins. It’s expected that she will be the No. 1 overall pick if she declares for the draft.

Watkins just began another season with USC. Standing at 6’2”, she averaged 27 points per game as a freshman. According to Bleacher Report, the 21-year-old was the best player in the country in 2024-25. Sadly, she tore her ACL during the NCAA tournament that season and faced a long absence from the court. Officially back in action this season, fans are ready to hear whether or not she will be declaring for the 2027 WNBA draft.

Other names to watch for include Madison Booker, Hannah Hidalgo, Kymora Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, S’Mya Nichols, and Tessa Johnson, to name a few.

According to ESPNW, there is some uncertainty about college seniors who already played for three seasons. Under the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility model, which allows athletes five seasons of competition within five years, they could be eligible to return for the 2027-28 season.

While the draft lottery is this weekend, there’s still a bit of time before we get to see who will land on what team. The 2027 WNBA draft will take place on Monday, April 12, 2027.