2025 WNBA Draft Lottery: How to Watch, and Chances to Get Top Pick Paige Bueckers
Caitlin Clark secured the No. 1 pick in last year’s WNBA draft, but this year’s expected top selection is Paige Bueckers.
The UConn guard is widely anticipated to be the top pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, which is set for April. While Bueckers is likely to be the first player chosen, her exact destination remains uncertain.
The determination of her landing spot will take place on Sunday, where four teams—Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, and Washington Mystics—will seek the top overall pick.
The Sparks hold the greatest chance of securing the No. 1 selection, followed by the Wings and Sky (tied), with the Mystics having the least favorable odds. The Sparks are once again in the draft lottery after using the second and fourth picks in the 2024 draft to draft Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming 2025 WNBA draft:
When Is the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery?
The 2025 WNBA draft lottery will take place on Sunday, November 17 at 5 PM ET.
How to Watch the WNBA Draft Lottery
You can catch the draft lottery live on ESPN, which has aired the event for 13 consecutive years.
2025 WNBA Draft Lottery Odds
The four teams that did not qualify for the playoffs last season will participate in the lottery, with odds based on their overall performance over the last two seasons. The Sparks recorded a combined record of 25-55 in 2023 and 2024, while the Wings and Sky each finished at 31-49. The Mystics ended with a record of 33-47 over the past two years.
Here are the odds for the No. 1 pick, per the WNBA:
- Los Angeles Sparks: 44.2%
- *Dallas Wings: 22.7%
- *Chicago Sky: 22.7%
- Washington Mystics: 10.4%
*Dallas has the option to swap its first-round pick with Chicago’s.
How Does the WNBA Draft Lottery Work?
The WNBA explains that “14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to create a four-digit combination. The team assigned that combination receives the No. 1 pick. These balls are returned and the process is done again for the second pick. The team with the lowest cumulative record that doesn’t get selected in the first two draws will pick third, and the last team will get the fourth pick.”
When Is the 2025 WNBA Draft?
The 2025 WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025.
2025 WNBA Draft Order
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- Golden State Valkyries
- Washington Mystics from Atlanta Dream via Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, 1/21/23)
- Phoenix Mercury*
- Indiana Fever
- Seattle Storm
- Chicago Sky from Connecticut Sun
- Minnesota Lynx
- New York Liberty*
*New York has the right to exchange its first-round pick with Phoenix’s.
Who Is the Projected No. 1 Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft?
UConn’s Paige Bueckers was thought to be a top selection in the 2024 WNBA draft but opted to return to UConn for the 2024-25 season. Therefore, she is now viewed as the favorite for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Bueckers won AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year in 2021 after an impressive freshman season but faced injuries that limited her the following two years. Currently, she boasts averages of 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 87 games for the Huskies.
