Fansided

Everything you need to know about the 2019 WNBA Draft lottery

By Brendon Kleen

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: A'ja Wilson poses with a Las Vegas Aces hat during the 2018 WNBA Draft 2018 on April 12, 2018 at Nike New York Headquarters in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: A'ja Wilson poses with a Las Vegas Aces hat during the 2018 WNBA Draft 2018 on April 12, 2018 at Nike New York Headquarters in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The 2019 WNBA Draft Lottery airs Tuesday at halftime of the Mystics-Dream game on ESPN2 — here’s what you need to know.

Let’s start with the basics: The league is made up of 12 teams, eight of whom make the postseason. This means that unlike the NBA, in which 14 squads possess some number of lottery balls holding a code that could land them the No. 1 overall pick, the WNBA lottery is made up of only four teams.

In 2015, the league changed the lottery format to weigh lottery position according to the teams’ cumulative records over the last two seasons. The team with the worst two-year record has a 44.2 percent chance of landing the top pick, and can land no lower than No. 3 overall.

Looking at what’s at stake tonight, the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, New York Liberty and Indiana Fever will cross their fingers around 9 p.m. ET to hopefully land the No. 1 pick. The Fever, with a 15-43 record the last two years (teams in “The W” play just 34 games), have the best chances at securing the top selection.

dark. Next. The WNBA is evolving right before our eyes

Las Vegas won the first pick last summer, and used it to take eventual 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year A’ja Wilson in the franchise’s inaugural season in Sin City. According to the WNBA, 12 of 22 players selected first in league history went on to win Rookie of the Year.

As is often the case, a University of Connecticut prospect is in pole position to be the first player selected in next spring’s WNBA draft. Her name is Katie Lou Samuelson, and you should get to know her. Tuesday’s lottery may very well decide her WNBA destiny.

Home/WNBA