The Phoenix Mercury have had a disappointing start to the 2023 season, but that puts them in the lead in the race for the No. 1 pick for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The four teams with the worst record at the end of the season all will have a shot for the top overall pick via the WNBA draft lottery. And as the WNBA season continues, teams get a better idea of if they have got a shot at one of the NCAA’s best.
The draft should be stacked with talent, with possible selections including Iowa senior Caitlin Clark, UConn redshirt junior Paige Bueckers and LSU fourth-year junior Angel Reese.
While each of these star players has at least one more year of eligibility remaining, they are far from the only talent on offer. Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley and Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon all are in their final year of eligibility and could have been first-round picks in 2023.
The Mercury (2-9) sit alone at the bottom of the league just over a quarter of the way into the season. Next comes the Seattle Storm (3-9), then the Minnesota Lynx (4-9). Chicago (5-8) rounds out the lottery spots, with the Sky on a five-game losing streak after beginning the season 5-3.
But the Sky’s offseason moves could come back to bite them, as they don’t even have a draft pick in the first round in 2024. Instead, their pick will go to the Dallas Wings, who also reserve the right to swap first-round picks with Chicago in 2025.