WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

The road to the WNBA Draft is officially underway.

On November 23, the Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics, Seattle Storm, and Minnesota Lynx will vie to become the number one pick in the 2026 Draft. The Draft will take place at 6:30 PM EST and will be broadcast on ESPN.

With a lot of excellent college and international talent ready to join the W, here are the odds for the lottery heading into the big day:

The Draft Lottery is a perfect opportunity for struggling teams to get back on the right track. It also opens up a world of intriguing possibilities for each team.

The Dallas Wings have the best odds to capture the number one pick. 2025 was a struggle for the franchise and it ultimately ended with the firing of rookie head coach Chris Koclanes and hiring of another rookie head coach, Jose Fernandez from the University of South Florida.

The team has one foundational piece in store already with Paige Bueckers and found success with Aziaha James later in the first round as well. A lot of mock drafts have the Wings taking Spanish center Awa Fam with the first pick, so let’s get to know her courtesy of Hunter Cruse!

If the Wings strike gold in the Draft, they’ll be back in contention faster than many of us expect. At the very worst, they’ll be picking third in what’s shaping up to be a tremendous Draft class.

The last time the Minnesota Lynx won the lottery, they selected Maya Moore with the first pick… and how did that turn out? Pretty well, if I say so myself!

Minnesota made it to this point after a 2025 Draft day trade with the Chicago Sky that saw them swap the ‘26 unprotected pick, for the 11th pick in the ‘25 Draft. The Lynx were the best team in the regular season in 2025, while the Sky were one of the worst. This pick is essentially free money for the Lynx, and they have the bonus of allowing their draft pick time to get adjusted to the WNBA without the pressure that usually accompanies a top Draft pick.

The Seattle Storm’s offseason has gotten off to a good start with the hiring of Sonia Raman. Now that Raman is settled in, Seattle has to get down to the business of improving the roster. On the latest edition of Tempestade Talk, I discussed what the Storm could do with the pick, wherever it lands:

Seattle is in a fascinating place, and one or two big moves could vault them back into contention.

The Washington Mystics exceeded expectations in 2025. Led by first-year head coach Sydney Johnson and outstanding rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, the Mystics improved their winning percentage from 2024 and found some talented youngsters who can lead them into the future. With the pending debut of Georgia Amoore and the continued growth of Shakira Austin, another successful pick will help fortify this exciting Mystics core.

The Chicago Sky have the worst odds of securing the first pick, and are in the worst position among these lottery teams. Trading the third pick, what turned out to be Sonia Citron, for one season of Ariel Atkins did not work, and chances are she will leave the team as an unrestricted free agent once free agency begins.

The Draft-day swap of picks with Minnesota was based on the belief that the Sky would be playoff contenders and show major signs of growth after a topsy-turvy 2024. That also did not work, as the Sky gradually fell apart as the season progressed. And to make matters worse, their status with Angel Reese is currently unknown after that relationship rapidly fell apart in September. Everything that can go wrong HAS gone wrong, and watching the Lynx cash in on their failures will be another stinging blow to a franchise trying to find its way. There’s a lesson to be learned here, but I’m not sure if the Sky knows what it is.

With a lot of excellent talent coming up the college ranks, the winner of the Lottery will be in a great position to select a player that will help them contend now and in the future.

ONE WEEK DOWN, A LOT MORE TO GO

Here at the WBB Roundup, we’ll chronicle the Top 25 each week of the season.

Here are the previous rankings:

Week 1
Week 2

RICHIE ADUBATO PASSED AWAY

On November 6, former New York Liberty head coach Richie Adubato passed away at the age of 89.

Adubato was the coach of the Liberty from 1999-2004. In that time, he helped lead the team to three WNBA Finals appearances.

When he left the Liberty in 2004, he was the team’s all-time leader in wins, a record he held for 21 years until Sandy Brondello surpassed him in 2025.

Adubato’s professional coaching journey began as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons in 1978. Across his career, he coached various teams in the WNBA and NBA alike.

He was beloved by peers across his many decades of service and left a lasting impact on Liberty players and saw talent in them that set them on history making paths of their own. His impact is immeasurable and will never be forgotten.

Condolences to the Adubato family.

JUJU WATKINS IS STILL BIG BUSINESS

Although we won’t be seeing JuJu Watkins on a basketball court this season, things are still looking up for the USC prodigy.

On November 6, it was reported that Watkins will be one of the newest investors in the NWSL’s Boston Legacy. Similar to the WNBA, the NWSL is rapidly expanding as the league announced Atlanta will be awarded a franchise of its own. There’s no time better than the present to invest in women’s sports.

Watkins will join investors such as Aliyah Boston, Aly Raisman, Elizabeth Banks, Brad and Tracy Stevens, and Caleb Williams. What makes this especially unique is that Watkins is the first collegiate player to directly invest in a professional women’s sports team.

“Juju's investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women's sports and the power of NIL," Boston Legacy owner Jennifer Epstein said in a statement. "As the first college athlete to directly invest in a women's professional sports team, she's showing that today's student-athletes aren't just building their own brands -- they're shaping the future of the game.”

The point about JuJu investing in a team is a good one, as Watkins is currently an investor in Unrivaled. Through her excellence on the court and presence off of it, Watkins has become one of the most popular young athletes in the US and has built quite an impressive portfolio at such a young age.

As Watkins continues her ascent, opportunities like this allow her to reach an even wider audience. She’s shown A+ decision-making in what she chooses to endorse and invest in, and this latest one shows that she’s continuing to help women’s sports reach even higher heights.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

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