Dallas Wings Win WNBA Draft Lottery, Rights to Select Paige Bueckers
The Dallas Wings won the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery Sunday, giving them the opportunity to select first overall and this year's top prospect, UConn's Paige Bueckers. The Los Angeles Sparks were given the second pick, followed by the Chicago Sky at third and Washington Mystics fourth.
Los Angeles had the best odds to win the lottery at 44.2%, followed by both Dallas and Chicago at 22.7% and Washington with a 10.4% chance. To make things interesting, though, Dallas owned the right to swap first round picks with Chicago after a 2023 trade which sent Marina Mabrey from Dallas to Chicago. The pick swap gave the Wings implied odds of 45.4% to win the No. 1 pick, just above the high chance the Sparks had to win the lottery.
The Sky hoped that Dallas would win the lottery and their own ping pong balls landed them the second pick, removing Dallas' ability to exercise the swap. Although it didn't play out how Chicago exactly hoped, the Sky still got to keep their lottery pick as they landed third while Dallas' own pick was awarded the top selection.
Now, Bueckers likely lands in Dallas as the No. 1 overall pick in 2025. USC's Kiki Iriafen has a say to be the No. 1 pick as well depending how the college season plays out. Other top prospects could include Notre Dame's Olivia Miles, UConn's Azzi Fudd, UCLA's Janiah Barker, LSU's Aneesah Morrow and Dominique Malonga from France.