Aces Have Second Best Odds At Receiving Number One Pick In Tuesday’s Draft Lottery

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 23, 2018)—The WNBA announced this week that the WNBA Draft Lottery Presented By State Farm is being conducted on Tuesday, August 28 at halftime of Game 2 of the semifinal matchup between the Atlanta Dream and an as-yet-to-be-determined opponent. Tip off for that game is 5:00 pm PT, which should put the Draft Lottery at approximately 5:50 pm.

The Aces, Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky and New York Liberty qualified for the 18th annual Lottery drawing. The winner will secure the top pick in WNBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm, which will be held next April.

Lottery odds are based on the cumulative records of the two most recent regular seasons (2017 and 2018). With a cumulative record of 15-53, the Fever will have the most chances to land the top pick (442 out of 1,000) and is guaranteed at least the third pick.

Las Vegas posted a combined record of 22-46 and will have 276 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick. Chicago, which registered a two-year record of 25-43, has the third-most chances (178). New York has 104 chances by virtue of its 29-39 record over the past two regular seasons.

In the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick. The two teams whose numerical combinations do not come up in the Lottery will select in the inverse order of their two-year cumulative record.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third rounds is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective regular-season records solely from 2018.

A representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young will be in attendance to oversee the Lottery process.

This marks the seventh straight year that ESPN networks will televise the WNBA Draft Lottery.

Below are the number of chances for teams to land the top pick in WNBA Draft Lottery 2019 presented by State Farm.

Team 2017-18 Record Chances (out of 1,000)
1 Indiana 15-53 442
2 Las Vegas 22-46 276
3 Chicago 25-43 178
4 New York 29-39 104

 

The Aces have had the number one pick in the draft in each of the last two years, using them on 2017 All-Rookie Team member Kelsey Plum, who finished fourth in the league in three-point shooting this season, and presumptive 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year A’ja Wilson, who won all three WNBA Rookie of the Month awards this season, while averaging 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds on the year.

Recent Aces First Round Picks
Year Pick Player School/Country
2018 1 A’ja Wilson South Carolina
2017 1 Kelsey Plum Washington
2017 5 Nia Coffey Northwestern
2016 2 Moriah Jefferson UConn
2015 6 Dearica Hamby Wake Forest
2014 3 Kayla McBride Notre Dame