The 2021 WNBA Draft Lottery Presented by State Farm will take place on Friday, December 4 during halftime of Louisville vs. DePaul on ESPN.
Tipoff is at 6:30 pm ET as Indiana, New York, Atlanta and Dallas will wait patiently to see who earns the coveted No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 WNBA Draft.
Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin will reveal the results of the Lottery during halftime and LaChina Robinson will host the ninth consecutive year in which ESPN has covered the event.
Lottery odds are based off of the cumulative records of the previous two regular seasons of 2019 and 2020. The Liberty hold the highest chance of securing the No. 1 pick with an overall record of 12-44 in those two seasons giving them 442 out of 1,000 chances. If New York would to earn this year’s No. 1 pick, it would be the second consecutive year after they selected Sabrina Ionescu as No. 1 in 2020.
The Atlanta Dream have the second highest chance earning 276 out of 1,000 after a combined record of 15-41. The Dallas Wings posted an 18-38 record the last two regular seasons to earn the third highest chance at 178 out of 1,000 and the Indiana Fever have 104 out of 1,000 with a record of 19-37.
After the first four picks of the 2021 WNBA Draft are determined, the remainder of the first and second rounds will be determined by regular-season records from the 2020 season: Worst to Best. The 2021 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April of next year following the completion of the NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament.
The Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty currently hold the longest active playoff droughts and pressure to turn it around. Following an exciting 2018 season and semifinal birth, the Atlanta Dream have struggled greatly the last two seasons with a complete roster overhaul prior to 2020. The Dream, one of the youngest teams in the WNBA, currently hold three 2021 first-round draft picks and show a ton of potential surrounding superstar Arike Ogunbowale and 2020 second round pick Satou Sabally.
