The WNBA draft lottery is set for Dec. 10, with four teams in the running for the No. 1 overall pick — the Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm.

While the Mercury finished the 2023 season with the worst record, the WNBA combines the two seasons prior to the draft to determine the odds for the No. 1 overall pick. So the Fever, who won the lottery for the first time in franchise history in 2023, have the best shot at the No. 1 pick again in 2024.

Who will each team select when the draft rolls around in April? Just Women’s Sports projects the four lottery picks, based on the team odds for the draft lottery.

1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, Iowa

Clark is arguably the biggest star in college basketball.

Last year’s consensus player of the year, the Hawkeyes senior proved herself an elite shooter, leading the NCAA in 3-pointers with 140 and finishing second in scoring with 27.8 points per game. She also has the ability to make the players around her better — she led Division I with 8.6 assists per game. And she is putting on a show again this season, with a 44-point game on her stat sheet.

Clark has another year of NCAA eligibility remaining the 2023-24 season, and she has suggested that she may use it. But if she chooses to go to the WNBA, she’s a clear front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick.

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Paige Bueckers has two years of eligibility remaining for UConn, but she also is a top WNBA prospect. (Lance King/Getty Images)

2. Phoenix Mercury: Paige Bueckers, UConn

Bueckers is another elite shooter and playmaker. She secured national player of the year honors as a freshman in 2021, and her shooting ability is nearly unmatched.

The Huskies guard, though, has significantly fewer college appearances under her belt than many of the other players qualified for the 2024 draft due to injuries — including a torn ACL that caused her to miss all of last season.

A redshirt junior, Bueckers has played just 46 games for UConn, and she is eligible to stay with the program through 2026. But after putting together a lackluster season in 2022 and finishing with the worst record overall in 2023, the Mercury may be willing to take a risk for a shot like Bueckers’.

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Stanford's Cameron Brink averaged 3.47 blocks per game last year. (Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)

3. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, Stanford

Brink is a versatile big who brings good offense and great defense to the table.

While she is not as prolific a scorer as Clark or Bueckers — a tall order, indeed — her defense makes up for it. The 6-foot-4 senior averaged 3.47 blocks per game last year, placing her third in the league.

And she can score from the post and from the perimeter, making her a smart addition to any team. Brink posted 20 points and 17 rebounds as she showcased her scoring prowess against No. 9 Indiana on Nov. 12.

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Aaliyah Edwards is leading UConn in scoring so far this season. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

4. Seattle Storm: Aaliyah Edwards, UConn

The departure of Breanna Stewart has left the Storm in need of a strong post presence, and UConn’s leading scorer could provide just that.

Edwards led the Huskies on the scoresheet last season, dropping 16.6 points per game, and she leads the team again through four games this season, with 18.0 per game.

Her size is also an advantage — the 6-foot-3 power forward is a force on the court and a fearsome defender and rebounder. She collected an average of 9.0 rebounds per game last season and her one-on-one defense is top-notch.

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Kamilla Cardoso averaged 9.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for South Carolina last season. (Grant Halverson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Honorable mentions

These players also would be great choices in the first round, in no particular order:

  • Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
  • Angel Reese, LSU
  • Hailey Van Lith, LSU
  • Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
  • Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
  • Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State

After Midge Purce was left off the U.S. women’s national team roster at the end of 2022, former head coach Vlatko Andonovski said she would have the chance to “fight for her spot.”

Almost a year later, Purce has done just that — and now she’ll be attending USWNT events as an NWSL Champion and the Championship MVP after she was named to the December training camp roster.

“What a great game [the NWSL Championship] was to watch live, in so many ways, and Midge had an excellent game, obviously earning MVP,” USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said. “She did an excellent job making a case for herself and I would say that’s a message to everybody — that their performance and their day-to-day, what they’re doing matters, that we’re watching and that they’ll be rewarded appropriately for their work.”

Purce made the case for herself in the second half of the NWSL season after missing 10 weeks due to a torn quad through July. She rebounded well from her injury, scoring four goals in her 12 appearances for Gotham FC in the regular season. Leading up to the season, Purce made her ambitions clear. 

“Last year is not something that was enjoyable for me, it makes me sick,” Purce said. “This year I want to score goals on both the national team and for the club, I want to be a top player in both settings. That’s all I’m after.”

Purce lived up to her own expectations, including becoming the second player in league history to contribute two assists in a championship match. She assisted on both goals in Gotham’s 2-1 win over OL Reign to win the title. And she successfully fought for her USWNT roster spot. 

“I think Midge is a very special talent with very strong 1-v-1 ability, and she showcased that special quality,” Kilgore said. “But she also did a lot of defending in the game and was a big part of their overall team tactics, which I think is also important.”

Korbin Albert has been making waves with Paris Saint-Germain FC. Soon, the 20-year-old will look to make her mark on the U.S. women’s national team.

Albert was named to the USWNT’s December training camp roster on Monday afternoon, the first call-up of the midfielder’s career. U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Monday that she’s looked to expedite Albert’s path to the senior team roster since she stepped in for Vlatko Andonovski in August. Emma Hayes, currently the head coach at Chelsea, will assume USWNT head coaching duties in May.

“When I first took over as interim, one of the first things that we did with the provisional roster was add Korbin,” Kilgore said. “She’s somebody that we’ve been watching, in terms of the whole technical staff, for a good amount of time now. Her roles have been increasing with her club. Obviously she’s getting good Champions League games.”

Albert played Division I soccer at Notre Dame for two seasons before signing with PSG in January 2023. Albert collected many accolades during her two years with the Irish. She was named ACC Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-American in 2022. That same year, she was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, an award given out annually to the best female and male college soccer players in the country.

Albert has made four starts and seven total appearances for PSG this season, including in a Champions League group stage match last week against Ajax and fellow USWNT prospect Lily Yohannes.

Albert has also been a member of the U.S. youth national team pool from 2015-2019. She made six appearances for the U.S. U-20 team, two of which came during the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica in 2022.

“She has a little bit of versatility in the midfield, playing a little bit lower or higher at times depending on what the team’s needs are, and Emma and I were in agreement that this was the right next step for both Korbin and the team,” Kilgore said.

No. 6 Stanford staved off Duke last night in overtime, 82-79, courtesy of a career-high scoring night for Cameron Brink.

The star senior dropped 29 points for the Cardinal, nine of those points in overtime, to keep her team undefeated in nonconference play so far this season. Brink also collected 11 rebounds and 6 blocks and went 10-10 from the free-throw line to top off her high scoring night.

Kiki Iriafen also had a standout night for Stanford. She contributed 27 points and 9 rebounds in its gutsy overtime win.

“They gave us all we could ask for and more,” Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer said to the Associated Press. “This game was kind of a heavyweight fight and it was a grind-out game. These are the kind of games that will get us ready for the Pac-12 gauntlet.” 

After showing the Blue Devils everything she could do, Brink expected a warm welcome into the locker room from her teammates.

The 6-foot-4 forward leaped into the locker room and screamed. She closed her eyes and raised her arms to her chest. But the room was silent. 

So Brink bottled her excitement and began to walk to her seat.

Only then did her teammates relent, jumping up around Brink, shouting and showering her in water. The players laughed and celebrated their undefeated record. 

“We’re such a young team, getting a game like this under our belts shows us that we can fight through stuff,” Brink said.

Erin Matson has led the No. 1 UNC field hockey team to its 11th NCAA championship in program history.

She is 23 years old. And she’s the youngest head coach in Division I sports — and the youngest to win a national title.

Just last year, Matson was on the field with many of the players she’s coaching, winning the same championship. Matson also won four ACC championships as a player with the Tar Heels, and she’s already won one as a coach after defeating Duke in the ACC tournament final on Nov. 3.

Maybe her age is an advantage. Matson has been encouraging her teammates since she was on the pitch herself, and she has been able to carry that into her first season as head coach.

“We have that foundation of a relationship,” Matson told Sports Illustrated in August. “So, then it’s, ‘O.K., I’m not taking time to check in on how you’re doing because I don’t know. I’m taking time to check in on how you’re doing because I know who you are as a person, and I can read the situation and I’m here for you.’ It’s a different relationship.

“I know they have my back, and they know I have theirs. I think their attitude every day⁠—how much they want to succeed themselves but also do it together⁠—is really empowering.”

Another key to Matson’s success as a coach is her history as a player. Not only is she a four-time ACC champ, Matson also has been awarded player of the year honors three times and she is UNC’s all-time leading scorer. She also is one of the only coaches in the D-I sports who has navigated NIL regulations as a player, giving her precious insight into the minds of those she coaches off the field and on it.

In Sunday’s NCAA tournament final, the No. 1 Tar Heels beat the No. 2 Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 3-2 on penalty strokes to secure Matson’s first national title as a coach. And judging by her career so far, it probably won’t be her last.

Angel Reese has returned to the public eye for the first time since her absence from LSU’s game against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night.

Reese has remained quiet about the reason for her absence. Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey has also not disclosed the nature of Reese’s nonattendance of team events.

“Angel is a part of this basketball team and we hope to see her sooner than later. … That’s all y’all need to know,” Mulkey said in a press conference after Friday’s 73-50 win.

In LSU’s previous game, a 109-79 win against Kent State, Reese did not play in the second half due to what Mulkey called “a coach’s decision.” Despite rampant speculation surrounding Reese’s status, including questions of her academic eligibility, there is no evidence to support the social media furor.

After two days of relative silence on social media from Reese, she returned to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a message seemingly directed at the online chatter.

She said only this: “Please don’t believe everything you read.”

Reese remains a question mark in the Tigers’ lineup ahead their game against Texas Southern at 8 p.m. ET Monday.

UConn’s Paige Bueckers grew up watching basketball in her home state of Minnesota. She has memories of Lynx and Golden Gophers games at Williams Arena — she attended those games starting when she was 10 or 12 years old.

Now, Bueckers will return to The Barn, but not as a spectator.

“It’s super surreal because I grew up going to games at The Barn and watching the Gophers and watching the Lynx play there,” Bueckers said to the Hartford Courant. “So to be playing there, where I grew up, my childhood, at my dream school wearing a UConn jersey in that arena, it’s like a surreal feeling for me.”

The Huskies are set to take on the Gophers in Minnesota at 5 p.m. ET Sunday in a homecoming game for Bueckers. Bueckers will be taking the same court her childhood idols took over a decade ago.

“I envisioned it when I was younger,” Bueckers said. “Just wanting to be the people who were playing on the court. As a young kid, that was where I wanted to be. You never knew what the future was going to hold, but it was something I aspired to do.”

UConn’s head coach Geno Auriemma goes out of his way to schedule homecoming games for his seniors, including two international matchups this season — one for Nika Mühl in Croatia during the Huskies’ preseason tour and one for Aaliyah Edwards in Toronto, which will be played in December.

Williams Arena is likely to be packed when the local star makes her return — more than 10,000 seats are expected to be filled when Bueckers takes the court at the 14,625-seat arena.

Among those 10,000 people will be Bueckers’ family, friends and other Minnesotans in the basketball community. And Bueckers credits these people with her upbringing.

“You often hear the phrase ‘Minnesota nice,’” Bueckers told CT Insider. “I think everything around here, just everybody knows everybody. Everybody’s nice to each other. Everybody’s like family once you meet them. So, I think that just is sort of why I love relationships, why I love people so much and why I love getting to know people so much and I think that has a lot to do with where I’m from.”

But for Bueckers, a homecoming game isn’t just about seeing family and friends. It’s about being who Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsey Whalen were to her for other young girls.

“I want to be an inspiration to kids,” Bueckers said. “I want people to see that injuries happen, adversity happens, but what do you do to come back from it? How hard do you attack that process? I want people to see passion when they see me play, fire and energy and that I love the game.”

NJ/NY Gotham FC has found itself in hot water with fans after winning the NWSL Championship match on Nov. 11.

The first-time champions defeated OL Reign and gave Ali Krieger the fitting end to her career that she deserved. But Gotham fans didn’t receive a celebration for their squad. 

Gotham players and fans expressed their frustrations about the lack of a celebration for fans, and the club has finally answered. 

The club will hold a trophy homecoming celebration at its home stadium, Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Monday night. The event will feature Gotham players, general manager Yael Averbach West and head coach and 2023 coach of the year award winner Juan Carlos Amorós. 

Gotham’s event will be free to season ticket holders and Cloud 9 members to attend. 

The club also issued an apology to fans after the team received criticism due to the lack of a celebration targeted at fans. 

“We extend our sincere apology and recognize you deserved the chance to celebrate our champion athletes who brought the trophy home,” the club said in a social media post on Nov. 16. “We pledge to use the off-season to organize celebrations that befit a championship club and match the enthusiasm of the best fans in the world.”

NWSL teams have hosted events to celebrate championships in the past. The Portland Thorns had a rally for their fans at Providence Park and Washington Spirit held a delayed parade for their 2021 NWSL Championship win. Before Gotham announced its trophy homecoming event, some members of the team went on a trophy tour that included stops at the Empire State Building and ringing the morning bell at NASDAQ. Gotham has confirmed that the team will continue to bring the trophy around the New York and New Jersey area for more stops on the tour.

NJ/NY Gotham FC became first-time NWSL champions on Nov. 11. Unlike some of her teammates, Lynn Williams has experience celebrating championships.

With Gotham’s win over OL Reign in the NWSL final, Williams earned her fourth NWSL Championship title — while scoring a goal in the process.

On the latest episode of the “Snacks” podcast, Williams and fellow U.S. teammate Sam Mewis discussed Gotham’s championship celebrations or, as Williams called it, “the second game.”

“There were beer showers, obviously. There was a slip and slide. I don’t know who started the slip and slide, but I was like, I’m getting involved,” Williams said. “It was so cold after getting up. I was like, I have a regret. I cut my foot on a bottle cap. So I have made a crucial error in taking off my cleats because I need these. We made some TikToks. I wanted to apparently just catwalk the whole time.”

Mewis laughed through Williams’ descriptions of the locker room celebrations and asked if Williams smoked a cigar. 

“I saw Juan [Carlos Amorós] with a cigar, and I was like, ‘Where’d you get that? I’m gonna get one.’ And then there was just a box of cigars on the ground. And I was like, lit well, I’m gonna steal one of these. And then we were like, ‘Who has the lighter?’ And they were like, ‘You guys can’t smoke in here’. And I was like, ‘Yes, we can,’” Williams said. 

“So then somehow we got lighters. And then I was like, ‘Wait a second. Where’s the cutter? Like, you need to cut it.’ We couldn’t find that. So then I was ripping them apart with my teeth. I was just like, here, rip. Next one, spit it on the ground. Go to the next one. Rip it here. Next one. Like I did five different people. And they were like, ‘You’re disgusting. Like, are you tasting tobacco?’ And I was like, ‘Yes.’ I was like, ‘Who cares? We need the cigars.’”

Williams was not willing to share all of the details about Gotham’s celebration, though. A seasoned NWSL Championship winner knows that some parts of the celebration are best kept secret.

“So we had our big party. That’s all the information I’m gonna tell you guys because the other things, nobody needs to know,” Williams said.

Megan Rapinoe left her last professional soccer game under unfortunate circumstances — after less than three minutes on the pitch, she went down with a torn Achilles.

Rapinoe’s international playing career also ended unceremoniously after she missed a penalty kick in the USWNT’s Round of 16 loss to Sweden in the 2023 World Cup, eliminating them from the tournament.

On the latest episode of the “Snacks” podcast, Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams discuss how small those two moments look in the scope of Rapinoe’s legendary career. 

“I just feel like she’s had such an amazing career. And the last two things, both her national team and club, have been pretty devastating endings, so I just feel for her,” Williams said. “But none of this is … gonna put a damper on her career as a whole.”

Williams, Rapinoe’s opponent in the NWSL Championship, explained that she and Rapinoe were making jokes about the injury after the match, laughing to hold back tears over the way Rapinoe’s last game ended. Instead of “riding off into retirement,” as Williams described it, Rapinoe is headed to rehab again, no longer as a professional soccer player.

Mewis agrees that the injury in her final match doesn’t take anything away from Rapinoe’s accomplishments throughout her career.

“Like you said, I feel like nothing could tarnish her career,” Mewis said. “I just have so much respect for her. Even the three minutes that she played, she served in a really dangerous cross. I think, what an incredible player.

“She’s done so much for the game, like you and I both admire her so much.”