Day, time, how to watch, odds for No. 1 pick

On By Littum

game

(This story has been updated to clarify lottery odds.)

Caitlin Clark was the surefire No. 1 pick in last year’s WNBA draft. This year belongs to Paige Bueckers.

The UConn guard is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft next April. But while Bueckers is expected to be the first player off the board, it’s not clear where she will land.

It will be decided on Sunday and each team will need a bit of luck on their side. The 2025 WNBA draft lottery will feature four teams – Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics – who are all fighting for the overall first choice.

The Sparks find themselves in the WNBA draft lottery again after using the No. 2 and No. 4 overall picks from the 2024 WNBA draft to select Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, respectively.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 WNBA draft order and more:

When is the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery?

The 2025 WNBA Lottery Lottery will be held on Sunday, November 17 at 5 p.m. ET.

How to watch the WNBA draft lottery

The draw will be televised on ESPN, marking the 13th consecutive year the network has televised the event.

How Does the WNBA Raffle Lottery Work?

According to WNBA“14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and shuffled. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned the four-ball combination will receive the number 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into machine, and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick. The team with the lowest cumulative two-year record, whose numerical combinations do not come up in the first two four-ball combinations, will pick third and the remaining team will pick fourth .”

2025 WNBA draft lottery odds

The four teams that missed the playoffs last season participate in the draft lottery, and odds are determined by each team’s cumulative record over the past two seasons. The Sparks were a combined 25-55 in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while the Wings and Sky are tied at 31-49. The Mystics finished the last two seasons 33-47.

While the Sparks have the most awarded lottery pick combinations due to their record, the Wings actually have the best chance to walk away with the No. 1 pick because Dallas has the right to trade its own first-round pick for Chicago’s own first pick . – round pick.

Here’s how the odds for No. 1 increase according to the WNBA:

  • Los Angeles Sparks: 442 out of 1,000
  • *Dallas Wings: 227 out of 1,000
  • Chicago Sky: 227 out of 1,000
  • Washington Mystics: 104 out of 1,000

*Dallas technically has 454 chances to land the top pick between its 227 combinations and Chicago’s 227 combinations.

When is the 2025 WNBA draft?

The 2025 WNBA Draft will be held on Monday, April 14, 2025.

2025 WNBA draft order

  1. TBD
  2. TBD
  3. TBD
  4. TBD
  5. Golden State Valkyries
  6. Washington Mystics from Atlanta Dream via Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, 1/21/23)
  7. Phoenix Mercury*
  8. Indiana fever
  9. Seattle Storm
  10. Chicago Sky from the Connecticut Sun
  11. Minnesota Lynx
  12. New York Liberty*

*New York has the right to trade its own first-round pick for Phoenix’s own first-round pick

Who is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft?

UConn guard Paige Bueckers was projected to be a top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, but she ultimately decided to return to UConn for the 2024-25 season. She is now projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Bueckers was named AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year in 2021 after a breakout freshmen campaign, but was limited the next two seasons due to injuries. She is averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 87 career games for the Huskies.

The USA TODAY app brings you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crossword puzzles, audio storytelling, the e-newspaper and more.