WNBA Draft Lottery odds: Will Paige Bueckers' Wings claim the #1 pick?

The WNBA on Friday revealed when the 2026 WNBA Draft Lottery will be held as the league's calendar becomes a little clearer amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.

The league and the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) continue to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement after reaching a deal to extend the current CBA by 30 days. That extension is important for all parties; the players are attempting to secure enormous financial gains in a league where the supermax salary tops out at $249,244, and they want those gains to include a larger percentage of basketball-related income (i.e. WNBA revenue).

However, the commissioner's office led by Cathy Engelbert still has a league to run and a calendar to maintain as they continue to negotiate with the players' union. Two new teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, will enter the league in 2026, and their rosters need to be filled via a special expansion draft. The reveal of the draft lottery date may be the first step toward finalizing the calendar -- which may offer an indication that negotiations are progressing toward a successful resolution in the weeks ahead,

Wings have the best odds to pick first

The WNBA announced that ESPN will carry its draft lottery beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 23.

Five teams -- the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, the Minnesota Lynx, the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics -- are vying for the number one pick. But the Wings will enter lottery night as the favorites to secure that precious #1 selection.

The Wings have a 42 percent shot to win the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, followed by the Lynx (26 percent) and the Storm (16.7). Both the Mystics (9.7) and the Sky (5.5) have less than a 10 percent chance to win the lottery.

WNBA Draft Lottery 2026 To Take Place Sunday, Nov. 23 On ESPN pic.twitter.com/3zww7kXMlH

Unlike 2023 (Aliyah Boston), 2024 (Caitlin Clark) or 2025 (Paige Bueckers), the 2026 draft class does not have a clear #1 prospect as yet.

UCLA center Lauren Betts is expected to be in the conversation to go first overall, along with TCU guard Olivia Miles, UConn guard Azzi Fudd and Valencia Basket phenom Awa Fam.

More WNBA news:

• Paige Bueckers' new coach reveals how he will make the Wings star even better

• Fever's Caitlin Clark is still keeping coaches up at night despite 2025 injuries

• Ranking each Unrivaled roster in 2026, from Paige Bueckers' Breeze to Kelsey Plum's Phantom

• Fever's Aliyah Boston makes bold decision as WNBA uncertainty looms

• Azzi Fudd had a surprise reaction when asked about playing for the Minnesota Lynx