Our guide will teach you all you need to know to understand the WNBA draft format – from the number of rounds and picks to the draft lottery process.
For players hoping to play in the world’s most prestigious women’s basketball league, the WNBA draft is their #1 chance to make a name for themselves. Each year, the entry draft is one of the biggest talking points of the WNBA season, with every team looking to raise a future star from the annual crop of talent on offer.
Whether you’re new to the sport, or simply need a refresh on the WNBA draft format, you’re likely to have a range of questions about the annual tradition: such as how does it work, and who is eligible? Our guide will aim to answer all these questions, so you can keep up with all the biggest signings on draft day.
What is the WNBA draft?
The WNBA draft is an annual event where all of the league’s teams can add new talent to their rosters. Teams take turns to select new players from a talent pool of eligible players – most of whom are either college women’s basketball players or free agents from other women’s basketball associations.
The draft consists of three rounds, with one pick per team each round; once every team has selected a player to join their roster, the next round of picking starts, until each team has signed three players from the pool of eligible entrants.
When is the WNBA draft?
The WNBA draft takes place in April each year – one month before the regular WNBA season begins. The 2025 edition of the event has already passed, but you can catch the 2026 WNBA draft in April 2026. Its date and time are yet to be confirmed, so watch this space!
How many teams are in the WNBA draft lottery?
All 13 WNBA teams[MB1] take part in the draft each year. The order of picks is decided by a draft lottery between the four teams that didn’t reach the WNBA playoffs that year, with the rest of the teams being ranked by their performance across the previous two seasons.
[MB1]Link to “How many teams are in the WNBA?”
How does the WNBA draft lottery work?
The four non-playoff teams in each postseason qualify for the draft lottery, to determine the top four picks in the draft. The combined record of their previous two seasons determines their likelihood of receiving the first pick – with the worst-performing team receiving the best chance.
Once each team’s odds are determined, they’re assigned a series of four-digit number combinations – with the number of combinations they receive relative to their chances of receiving the first pick (e.g. a team with 25% lottery chances would be assigned 25% of the possible combinations).
Numbered ping pong balls are then put into a lottery machine, and four are drawn. The team with the matching number combination is then assigned the first draft pick, with the process repeated to determine the second pick. The remaining two teams are then assigned third and fourth based on winning percentage over the last two seasons.
Who gets the number one pick in the WNBA draft?
The number one pick in the WNBA draft goes to the team that wins the draft lottery after missing a spot in the playoffs. The team with the worst record over the past two seasons has the highest odds of winning the first overall pick.
In the 2025 WNBA draft, the Dallas Wings were selected as the winners of the draft lottery, and added recent NCAA champion Paige Bueckers to their roster.
What is the WNBA draft format?
For the teams that weren’t entered into the draft lottery, their combined performance over the two previous WNBA seasons is taken into account to decide their drafting order. The team with the worst combined record to not be included in the draft lottery gets the fifth pick (four teams are entered into the lottery each year), and the best performing team takes the final pick of the round.
It’s common for teams to use their position in the draft order as a bargaining tool in trades, so the order usually ends up looking very different from the original rotation. For example, if a team is looking to trade for a player for whom they can’t match an offer from their own roster, they could offer a less valuable player and a draft pick. The other team would then take their spot in that year’s draft, improving their chances of securing a top new talent.
How many rounds are in the WNBA draft?
The WNBA draft consists of three rounds, and each of these rounds features 13 picks, leading to 39 picks overall. These numbers can change slightly depending on the circumstances of the draft. For example, in the 2025 draft, the Las Vegas Aces lost their first-round pick due to league rule violations, which put the total number of picks at 38 instead. In a typical draft, though, each team is assigned one pick per round across three rounds.
Looking to learn more about the WNBA? You can follow our blog for all the latest basketball betting picks and news. Or you can also read our other WNBA guides, such as our list of the highest-paid WNBA players, and the best WNBA players of all time.
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