Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
We received’t know all of the avid gamers who shall be within the 2024 WNBA draft lottery till subsequent spring when they’ve declared. However quickly we’ll know the place the supremacy skill is headed.
The WNBA holds its draft lottery Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App), and we discover out which groups gets the Nos. 1-4 choices subsequent April 15. This generally is a franchise-changing draft, relying on which seniors choose to shed for the WNBA or keep for a 5th season in school because of the COVID-19 waiver.
The Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm are all vying for the supremacy pick out.
Will Indiana get a 2d consecutive Deny. 1 pick out to tie endmost season’s WNBA Rookie of the Day Aliyah Boston? The Fever have the league’s longest playoff drought, endmost making the postseason in 2016.
Brittney Griner was once the Mercury’s endmost supremacy pick out, in 2013. Unutilized schoolteacher Nate Tibbetts is attempting to rekindle a franchise that completed endmost within the WNBA in 2023.
The Sparks, longtime playoff regulars, have overlooked the postseason for 3 years in a row. Their most up-to-date Deny. 1 pick out, in 2012, was once Nneka Ogwumike, who residue the stalwart of the franchise.
The Typhoon benefitted from back-to-back Deny. 1 choices in 2015 (Jewell Loyd) and 2016 (Breanna Stewart) to win WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020. Stewart departed in sovereign company to tie the New York Liberty endmost season; Loyd is signed with Seattle thru 2025.
The Typhoon have 4 titles total, the Sparks and the Mercury have 3. Indiana’s lone identify was once in 2012. All 4 lottery groups — their Deny. 1 odds, to bring, are Indiana (44.2%), Phoenix (27.6), Los Angeles (17.8), Seattle (10.4) — may usefulness a spice up.
We usefulness the ones odds to venture this mock draft and can replace it Sunday with the original lottery layout.
Iowa | level safe | 6-foot-0 | senior
Clark is averaging 29.6 issues in keeping with contest and appearing the management the Hawkeyes want as they regulate to other publish avid gamers taking up larger roles this season. You received’t discover a higher natural taking pictures anticipation than Clark. Her length and playmaking skill (7.6 assists in keeping with contest) blended will form her an asset to any staff, and her protection has stepped forward each and every season. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
UConn | level safe | 6-foot-0 | yongster
Bueckers is wearing a profusion load for UConn, which has been strike hardened via accidents once more, with Azzi Fudd out for the season. The Huskies have 3 losses, however they got here in opposition to 3 of the rustic’s perfect groups. The drive isn’t moving to let up on Bueckers, however we all know she discovered a accumulation about herself and were given even more potent mentally all over her knee rehab then lacking endmost season. She additionally has next-level scoring and passing abilities. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
Stanford | energy ahead | 6-foot-4 | senior
Like Clark and Bueckers, Breaking point is the center-piece participant for her staff; not anything works as neatly for Stanford if she’s now not at the flooring. Breaking point is averaging 18.6 issues, 11.6 rebounds and three.3 blocks. Her talent eager is powerful, and her bodily energy will beef up much more as a certified. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
South Carolina | middle | 6-foot-7 | senior
Robust, agile and with instinctive rebounding skill, Cardoso doesn’t have an extended observe file of confirmed offensive manufacturing. However with Aliyah Boston long gone, we’re visible extra of it this season from Cardoso, too. She’s averaging 14.4 issues, 11.5 rebounds and three.3 blocks. She displays such pledge at her top it will increase her possibilities of being a lottery pick out. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
UConn | energy ahead | 6-foot-3 | senior
As is the case with Bueckers, Edwards shall be crucial to UConn. She was once the Huskies’ rock endmost season with Bueckers out. Edwards is averaging 15.8 issues and seven.3 rebounds hour taking pictures 58.1% from the garden. She additionally has UConn’s outstanding observe file of a hit avid gamers within the WNBA going for her. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
Tennessee | energy ahead | 6-foot-2 | senior
Jackson were given off to a robust get started however performed simply two video games ahead of being sidelined in early November with a decrease leg shock. She has overlooked seven video games since, so her condition is a priority. Jackson is in her 5th season of school and for now remains the place she is within the mock draft together with her aggregate of scoring and rebounding skill. However we’ll must store an optical on her shock proceed. The Woman Vols omit her presence on courtroom.
Australia | petite ahead | 6-foot-3
At 19, she has proven a accumulation of pledge and might be the actual Aussie to come back to the WNBA at a tender day and blossom. A comparability is Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor, who was once drafted at day 20 with the twelfth total pick out in 2020 and has develop into a starter with the Typhoon the endmost two seasons. Puoch is in her 2d WNBL season in Australia with the Southside Flyers and performed for Australia within the U19 International Cup this summer season.
LSU | energy ahead | 6-foot-3 | senior
Reese has made extra headlines for her four-game absence this season than anything. However now that that appears to be cleared up, the point of interest can journey again to her skill to get to the rim, struggle fearlessly for rebounds and be a robust presence defensively. The query residue whether or not Reese, who’s averaging 17.4 issues and 10.0 rebounds, can be enhanced her taking pictures length and publish strikes on offense and the way that is affecting the belief of what she will do within the WNBA. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
Virginia Tech | level safe | 5-foot-6 | senior
Amoore in reality constructed up her recognition with stellar play games within the NCAA event endmost season and has persisted that this yr. The Australian, who ranked 2d in Section I with 118 3-pointers endmost season, is averaging 17.1 issues and eight.4 assists. She has proven a capability to be efficient in opposition to all kinds of defenses. (May go back to university for 2024-25).
Ohio State | taking pictures safe | 5-foot-10 | senior
Later Sheldon was once restricted to only 13 video games because of a leg shock endmost season, we’re visible extra of the 2021-22 model of her once more. That’s superb information for the Buckeyes and her WNBA possibilities. In her 5th season, she is averaging 15.3 issues, 3.1 assists and a pair of.5 steals. Sheldon is a high-energy participant who can trade video games together with her protection.
UCLA | taking pictures safe | 5-foot-9 | senior
Osborne returned for a 5th season, and hour it’s early, it may well be the most productive the Bruins have had in a few years. They recently are Deny. 2 within the crowd, with Osborne offering veteran management for a celeb sophomore elegance. She is averaging 14.1 issues, 6.9 rebounds and four.7 assists. She by no means we could up on offense or protection.
12. Los Angeles Sparks: Isabel Borlase
Australia | taking pictures safe | 5-foot-11
Some other 19-year-old Aussie, Borlase performs for the Adelaide Lightning within the WNBL and has won praise from fellow Australian and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. Like Puoch, she was once on Australia’s U19 International Cup staff this summer season; each venture as day senior nationwide staff contributors for the Opals. Borlase displays pledge as a 3-point shooter with the energy to remove touch moving to the basket.
