WNBA Draft Lottery 2021 presented by State Farm® will be conducted on Friday, Dec. 4, the WNBA announced recently.
ESPN will televise the WNBA Draft Lottery during halftime of its telecast of the DePaul vs. Louisville women’s college basketball game, which will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET. WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin will reveal the results of the Lottery during ESPN’s coverage, which will be hosted by LaChina Robinson. ESPN networks will present the Lottery for the ninth consecutive year.
The New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever have qualified for the 20th annual WNBA Draft Lottery. The winner will secure the top pick in WNBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm®, which will be held next April.
Lottery odds are based on the cumulative records of the two most recent regular seasons (2019 and 2020). With a cumulative record of 12-44, the Liberty will have the most chances to land the top pick (442 out of 1,000) and are guaranteed at least the third pick. New York won the Lottery in advance of the 2020 WNBA Draft and used the top pick to select Sabrina Ionescu in April 2020.
Atlanta, which posted a combined record of 15-41, will have 276 chances out of 1,000 to win the top pick. Dallas, which registered a two-year record of 18-38, has the third-most chances (178). Indiana has 104 chances by virtue of its 19-37 record over the past two regular seasons.
In the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls will be drawn to determine a four-digit combination. The team assigned that four-ball combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The four balls will then be placed back into the machine and the process will be repeated to determine the second pick. The team with the lowest cumulative two-year record whose numerical combinations do not come up in the first two four-ball combinations will select third and the remaining team would select fourth.
The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third rounds is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective regular-season records solely from 2020.
A representative from the accounting firm Ernst & Young will be in attendance to oversee the Lottery process.
About State Farm®
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its 19,200 agents and 59,000 employees serve approximately 84 million policies and accounts – over 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies and over 2 million financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
About the WNBA
Entering its 25th season in 2021, the WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women. Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion and social responsibility. Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.
In 2020, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women’s basketball – and women’s sports overall – with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete. Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league’s new partnership platform, WNBA Changemakers. Inaugural WNBA Changemakers include AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. In addition, during the 2020 season, the WNBA and WNBPA launched the WNBA Justice Movement forming the Social Justice Council with the mission of being a driving force of necessary change and continuing conversations about race and voting rights, among other important societal issues.
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