Caitlin Clark was the sure-fire No. 1 pick in last year’s WNBA draft. This year belongs to Paige Bueckers.
The UConn guard is presumed to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft next April. But although Bueckers is expected to be the first player off the board, it’s not clear where she’ll land.
That will be determined Sunday, and each team will need a little luck on their side. The 2025 WNBA draft lottery will feature four teams — the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics — who are all vying for the overall first pick.
The Sparks have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, followed by the Wings and Sky (tie) and the Mystics. The Sparks find themselves in the WNBA draft lottery yet again after using the No. 2 and No. 4 overall picks of the 2024 WNBA draft to select Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, respectively.
Here is what you need to know about the 2025 WNBA draft order and more:
When is the 2025 WNBA draft lottery?
The 2025 WNBA draft lottery will be held Sunday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. ET.
How to watch WNBA draft lottery
The draft lottery will be broadcast on ESPN, marking the 13th consecutive year the network has televised the event.
2025 WNBA draft lottery odds
The four teams that missed the playoffs last season are entered into the draft lottery, and odds are determined by each team’s cumulative record the past two seasons. The Sparks were 25-55 combined in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while the Wings and Sky are tied at 31-49. The Mystics finished the past two seasons 33-47.
Here’s how the odds for the No. 1 pick stack up, according to the WNBA:
*Dallas has the right to swap its own first-round pick for Chicago’s own first-round pick
How does WNBA draft lottery work?
According to the WNBA, “14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the 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 select third and the remaining team will select fourth.”
When is the 2025 WNBA draft?
The 2025 WNBA Draft will be held on Monday, April 14, 2025.
2025 WNBA draft order
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TBD
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TBD
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TBD
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TBD
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Washington Mystics from Atlanta Dream via Dallas Wings (Allisha Gray, 1/21/23)
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Phoenix Mercury*
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Indiana Fever
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Seattle Storm
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Chicago Sky from Connecticut Sun
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Minnesota Lynx
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New York Liberty*
*New York has the right to swap its own first-round pick for Phoenix’s own first-round pick
Who is the projected No. 1 pick in 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’s now presumed to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft. Bueckers was named the AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year in 2021 following a breakout freshmen campaign but was limited the next two seasons due to injuries. She’s averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 87 career games for the Huskies.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA draft lottery 2025: Day, time, how to watch, odds for No. 1 pick
