A 2024 WNBA Draft Lottery preview

The GIST: Ahead of April’s star-studded WNBA Draft and May’s season start comes Sunday’s WNBA Lottery that will determine which team will snag the No. 1 pick. May the odds be ever in their favor.

How it works: With picks five through 12 already claimed, the top four spots will be drawn lottery-style. The four squads that didn’t make last season’s playoffs — the Indiana Fever (who drafted reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in 2023), Phoenix Mercury, LA Sparks, and Seattle Storm — are all hoping for the coveted No. 1 pick.

• The Fever and Mercury are most likely to win the No. 1 selection come Sunday, with each team’s lottery chances being determined by their combined 2022 and 2023 season records. With an 18-58 record, Indiana has a 44.2% chance of snagging the top spot.

The players: For context, domestic WNBA hopefuls must be 22 years old during the draft year, have completed their college eligibility, or be set to graduate within three months. Unlike the NBA, there are no one-and-done rules here.

• This year’s draft class is one of the most talented groups to date, featuring record-breaking Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark, LSU’s Angel “Bayou Barbie” Reese, Stanford’s Cameron Brink, and UConn’s Paige Bueckers. But these stars are keeping mum on if they'll stay at school or go pro in 2024.
  

• Why? Many student-athletes are sticking around the NCAA to make bank with lucrative name, image and likeness deals. Notably, players have until 48 hours after their final collegiate game to declare for April’s draft. Watch this space.