Sunday was a special day for the Dallas Wings who the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery for the second time in franchise history even though they were not predicted to win it.
The last time Dallas held the number one pick was in 2021 Draft when they selected Texas forward Charli Collier from a three-team trade between the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty who won the lottery. Collier did not develop in her two seasons with the Wings and was eventually waived by the team in 2023.
The Wings will get a second chance to draft a player that is going to fit with the franchise that plans to make the playoffs and develop to have a long career in this sport. Dallas has some work to do in free agency with protecting returning players for the expansion draft, finding a new head coach, and possibly adding new pieces to keep for the future.
“It was surprising that Dallas won the lottery even though they made the playoffs in 2023 but did not make it this year. I thought they were going to get the second pick since their last two seasons’ records were not bad. The Wings should go for a backup point guard that can take over the back handling and needed depth in the backcourt.”
The Los Angeles Sparks had the best odds of winning the no. 1 pick after finishing the past two seasons at 25-55 with their last playoff appearances in 2020. They could have used the pick to select the player they wanted to be a part of the franchise for many years and bring another championship. Now the Sparks have the number two pick in the draft for the second straight year in a row after only having the first pick once in 2012 when they selected Nneka Ogwumike.
Los Angeles has gone through roster changes over the years and is trying to build a core with the young veterans in Lexie Brown, Azura Stevens and Dearica Hamby along with last year’s top four picks Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink for the future. The Sparks would be fortunate to pick up a guard since they have a lot of wing and post players on the team.
“Los Angeles may be disappointed that they don’t have the first pick, but whatever player they select is going to be an impact and if they can’t get a player of their choice, they might have to use free agency to solve the problem.”
Chicago Sky who missed the playoffs this past season and fired coach Weatherspoon after one season to hiring Marsh were awarded the third pick in the lottery. The Sky could not get as high as the first pick which would be swapped with Dallas who has rights to the selection from the four-team trade in 2023.
The Sky are a very young team with less postseason experience which will give them the option of finding a player that will fit the system to build on a career. They could be planning for the future which will help develop them into a playoff team in the coming years in the league.
“Chicago is entering a new generation as they have a new head coach with something to prove. I don’t know how the sky will approach the draft if they plan to stay youthful or look to add some experienced vets next season.”
Washington ends up with the fourth pick in the lottery coming off a season that saw the Mystics replace veteran players who were part of the team’s recent years of success with some international talent and young veterans. Mystics are also still in search of a head coach and general manager after the Thibaults left the franchise for professional opportunities.
The Mystics identity could change next season depending on how the franchise plans to bring back players that will be part of the team for years and the coach’s designed playing style. This group in the past season had some growth at times when they were playing well and pulling upsets against top teams.
“Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington will have many great talents to select from in the upcoming draft which can help each franchise fill in the void that was missing a season ago.”
Recent mock drafts have predicted that UConn guard Paige Bueckers will be the number one pick in the 2025 draft for a player who can help any team and play several positions. Dallas would be lucky to add her to the roster now that they own the first pick in the draft. The official WNBA draft will take place on Apr 14 where we’ll witness players get to hear their names called and who will be the first pick in the draft.
