The WNBA announced Wednesday that the 2027 Draft Lottery will be held on Sunday, Nov. 15, airing at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN following the UConn vs. Louisville women's basketball game. The league revealed the official odds for the new seven-team lottery, with the expansion Houston Comets (formerly the Connecticut Sun) and the Toronto Tempo sharing the best chance at the No. 1 overall pick at 32.9% each.
Lottery Odds
The Comets posted a 22-66 record over the past two seasons (.250 winning percentage), while the Tempo went 11-33 in their inaugural 2026 campaign (.250). Because both teams had identical winning percentages and an even number of lottery combinations, the league divided the combinations evenly. The Chicago Sky (26-62, .295) hold a 16.1% chance, though their pick is owed to the Washington Mystics via a swap. The Seattle Storm (31-57, .352) have a 9.3% chance, the Portland Fire (17-27, .386) 5.2%, the Los Angeles Sparks (37-51, .420) 2.4%, and the Phoenix Mercury (43-45, .489) 1.2%. The Mercury's pick was traded to the Sparks, giving Los Angeles two lottery selections. Lottery odds are based on the team that originally owned the pick.
Tiebreakers and Lottery Process
Houston went 1-2 against Toronto in the 2026 regular season, meaning the Comets cannot fall lower than the third pick, while the Tempo are guaranteed at least the fourth selection. The lottery drawing uses 14 balls numbered 1-14; four balls are drawn to determine a four-digit combination assigned to a team for the No. 1 pick. The process repeats for the second pick. The remaining five teams select in order of worst cumulative winning percentage. Ernst & Young will oversee the drawing.
Top Prospects for 2027
USC wing JuJu Watkins is the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick, assuming she declares after missing the 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. Watkins, a 6-foot-2 do-it-all player, used a medical redshirt and could return for a fifth year in 2027-28. Other notable prospects include Texas forward Madison Booker, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Kansas guard S'Mya Nichols, LSU guards Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Kentucky center Clara Strack. Internationally, French teenagers Sarah Cissé, the 2026 U20 EuroBasket Women MVP, and Aïnhoa Risacher, sister of former NBA No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, are potential first-round selections.
