Meghan L. Hall, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports Sun, November 15, 2026 at 11:03 AM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2027 WNBA Draft lottery is here, and we'll find out which team will own the No. 1 overall pick.
The lottery creates the order of the 2027 WNBA Draft , setting the stage for next year's class to enter the league. Pending results, the draft lottery can also impact the future of multiple franchises for the foreseeable future.
For example, the Las Vegas Aces turned three consecutive lottery picks from 2017 to 2019 into Kelsey Plum, A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young — part of the core that helped them win their first two franchise titles. The Indiana Fever also benefited from the draft lottery, selecting Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark with No. 1 picks in 2023 and 2024. The Dallas Wings also made two back-to-back No. 1 picks, selecting Paige Bueckers in 2025 and Azzi Fudd in 2026.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming WNBA draft lottery:
2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 2025: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images) 2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (Iowa) (Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports) 2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (South Carolina) (Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports) 2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (Kentucky) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings (Texas) (Meg Oliphant, Getty Images) 2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (Oregon) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (Notre Dame) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 2018: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (South Carolina) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 2017: Kelsey Plum, San Antonio Stars (Washington) (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 2015: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm (Notre Dame) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun (Stanford) (Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports) 2013: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (Baylor) (Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports) 2012: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (Stanford) (Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports) 2011: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx (Connecticut) (Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports) 2010: Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (Connecticut) (Rafael Suanes, US PRESSWIRE) 2009: Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (Louisville) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 2008: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (Tennessee) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 2007: Lindsey Harding, Phoenix Mercury (Duke) (Bob Donnan, US PRESSWIRE) 2006: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx (LSU) (H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY) 2005: Janel McCarville, Charlotte Sting (Minnesota) (Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports) 2004: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (Connecticut) (David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic) 2003: LaToya Thomas, Cleveland Rockers (Mississippi State) (Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports) 2002: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images) 2001: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (Canberra Capitals, Australia) (Jennifer Stewart, US PRESSWIRE) 2000: Ann Wauters, Cleveland Rockers (USV Olympic, France) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington Mystics (Tennessee) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 1998: Margo Dydek, Utah Starzz (Fota Porta Gdynia, Poland) (Todd Warshaw, Getty Images) 1997: Tina Thompson, Houston Comets (Southern California) (Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY) 1 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 1 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2026: Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Brad Penner, Imagn Images) 2 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2025: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (Connecticut) (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images) 3 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2024: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (Iowa) (Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports) 4 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2023: Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (South Carolina) (Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports) 5 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream (Kentucky) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 6 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings (Texas) (Meg Oliphant, Getty Images) 7 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (Oregon) (Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports) 8 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (Notre Dame) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 9 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2018: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (South Carolina) (Mary Holt, USA TODAY Sports) 10 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2017: Kelsey Plum, San Antonio Stars (Washington) (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 11 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 12 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2015: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm (Notre Dame) (Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports) 13 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun (Stanford) (Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports) 14 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2013: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (Baylor) (Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports) 15 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2012: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (Stanford) (Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports) 16 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2011: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx (Connecticut) (Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports) 17 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2010: Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (Connecticut) (Rafael Suanes, US PRESSWIRE) 18 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2009: Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (Louisville) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 19 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2008: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (Tennessee) (Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE) 20 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2007: Lindsey Harding, Phoenix Mercury (Duke) (Bob Donnan, US PRESSWIRE) 21 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2006: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx (LSU) (H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY) 22 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2005: Janel McCarville, Charlotte Sting (Minnesota) (Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports) 23 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2004: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (Connecticut) (David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic) 24 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2003: LaToya Thomas, Cleveland Rockers (Mississippi State) (Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports) 25 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2002: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (Connecticut) (Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images) 26 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2001: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (Canberra Capitals, Australia) (Jennifer Stewart, US PRESSWIRE) 27 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 2000: Ann Wauters, Cleveland Rockers (USV Olympic, France) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 28 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington Mystics (Tennessee) (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images) 29 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1998: Margo Dydek, Utah Starzz (Fota Porta Gdynia, Poland) (Todd Warshaw, Getty Images) 30 / 30 WNBA No. 1 overall draft picks by year 1997: Tina Thompson, Houston Comets (Southern California) (Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY) What time is the 2027 WNBA Draft lottery? The 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks , Portland Fire , Seattle Storm , Toronto Tempo and Washington Mystics will take part in the 26th annual WNBA draft lottery. Except for the Mystics, all of the mentioned teams missed the 2026 WNBA playoffs. Washington is in the running for the No. 1 pick thanks to savvy front office moves over the last several seasons.
The WNBA draft lottery determines the first two overall picks using a ping-pong ball machine.
In the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine, and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick.
The remaining lottery teams are slotted in order of their two-year cumulative records.
Since the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are expansion teams who will enter their second year in 2027, their records from the 2026 season will be used.
The Connecticut Sun, who will become the Houston Comets next season, have an identical winning percentage with the Tempo (.250), so each will receive 329 combinations — the most of any of the teams. Houston was 1-2 against Toronto in the 2026 regular season (the first tiebreaker) and, therefore, cannot fall further than the third pick. Toronto is guaranteed at least the fourth pick.
The Mystics (via the Chicago Sky) will have the third-most chances (161) to win the top pick. The Seattle Storm (31-57) has the fourth-most chances with 93, and Portland (17-27) has the fifth-most with 52.
The Los Angeles Sparks will have 24 chances due to their own 37-51 cumulative record paired with the extra opportunities from their trade with the Mercury.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who lands the No. 1 overall pick? Watch the 2027 WNBA Draft lottery
Source: Sports
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