WNBA sets draft lottery date; Storm have 4th-best odds at top pick

Houston and Toronto are the co-favorites for the No. 1 selection.

Oct 29, 2026, 9:54 AM

Flau'jae Johnson of the Seattle Storm goes up for a layup during a game on May 22, 2026, in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA will have its annual draft lottery on Nov. 15, with Houston and Toronto having the best chances to get the No. 1 pick and potentially JuJu Watkins.

The Comets, who were formerly the Connecticut Sun, have a 33% chance of getting the top choice. Toronto has the same chance. Houston finished 1-2 against Toronto in the 2026 season so the Comets can’t fall further than the No. 3 pick. Toronto is guaranteed at least the No. 4 choice at the WNBA draft that will take place on April 12.

Despite having the worst record in the league this past season at 8-36, the Seattle Storm have the fourth-highest odds (9.3%) at landing the No. 1 overall pick due to the WNBA’s draft lottery odds being determined by a team’s record over the previous two seasons combined. Seattle finished with a 23-21 record in 2025 before making a first-round exit in the playoffs.

Washington has the third-best chance at getting the No. 1 pick, as the Mystics possess the Chicago Sky’s first-round choice after a trade. The Mystics have a 16% chance at winning the lottery. Portland (5.2%) is fifth and Los Angeles (3.6% ) is sixth. The Sparks also own the rights to the Phoenix Mercury’s pick.

Toronto and Portland’s chances were based off their one year in the league. The other five teams’ draft odds were based off their records for the previous two seasons.

The draft will be conducted at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 following the UConn-Louisville women’s basketball game.

Watkins is coming back from an ACL injury that sidelined her for all of last season. She could come back for another season at USC next year. Other top players who could enter the draft include Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame and Madison Booker of Texas.

The NCAA is allowing players a fifth year of eligibility to play, so it’s not certain who will enter the draft yet.

The Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.

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