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Discover everything you need to know before the event comes
The awaited race for the top picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft will officially take place on November 23, when the league conducts its annual draft lottery live on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET. Five non-playoff teams are set to compete for the No. 1 and No. 2 selections in a process designed to balance competitive fairness with transparency.
The event, supervised by Ernst & Young, will determine the future of several franchises as they fight for the chance to draft the next wave of WNBA talent.
The WNBA’s lottery format is currently built around combined team records from the 2024 and 2025 seasons, rather than a single-year stats. By averaging two seasons of performance, the league aims to prevent teams from intentionally losing late-season games in order to improve draft position.
The four worst of them all qualify for the lottery odds, with teams given a specific number of four-number combinations from a pool of 1,000 possible outcomes. The fifth non-playoff team participates too, but with a much smaller share of combinations.
The drawing follows a precise, controlled procedure:
A machine contains 14 numbered balls (1-14).
Officials then draw four balls consecutely, providing a unique four-number combination. That combination corresponds to one team’s assigned sequence, giving that franchise the No. 1 pick.
The process is repeated for the No. 2 pick, with all balls returned to the machine beforehand. Picks 3 through 5 are awarded based on the remaining teams’ two-year records, worst to best. This method mirrors procedures used in professional leagues for decades, with real-time oversight from independent auditors.
Five teams hold the rights to participate, including three that are using picks acquired via trade. Their cumulative records and pick origins are as follows:
Dallas, holding the worst two-year record among the group, is guaranteed a top-three selection.
Based on the WNBA’s official assignment of 1,000 combinations:
The high-stakes nature of the draw means even teams with low odds have a chance to make a franchise-shifting leap, something that has happened before in previous draft cycles.
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