WNBA Draft Lottery Date Set but Connecticut Sun Left Out of Festivities

The Connecticut Sun concluded the 2025 WNBA season with a challenging 11-33 record, narrowly avoiding the worst record in the league due to a late-season resurgence. Despite this, they have built a promising young core through recent draft selections and hold two additional first-round picks for the 2026 draft.

However, the Sun's own highly valuable first-round pick was previously traded to the Chicago Sky as part of the Marina Mabrey deal. This trade is considered beneficial for now, as Mabrey delivered an outstanding performance in 2025, contributing to late-season momentum and potentially aiding the development of young players if re-signed in the offseason.

The WNBA Draft Lottery for 2026 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 23, at 6:30 P.M. on ESPN. The Sun currently possess two first-round picks from other teams: No. 12 from the Phoenix Mercury and No. 15 from the Minnesota Lynx, both of which fall outside the top five and are not involved in the lottery. These picks will also be positioned after selections No. 6 and No. 7, which are reserved for two new franchises joining the league.

A key point of interest is the Sun's own first-round pick, now held by the Chicago Sky, which is part of the lottery and ranks No. 5 based on record. It has a 5.5% chance (55 in 1,000) of becoming the No. 1 overall pick. The trade-off for acquiring Mabrey is viewed as complex, especially if she departs in free agency, raising questions about the long-term value of the deal.

Moving forward, the Sun must await the lottery outcome and consider their options, such as potentially using their two first-round picks to move up in the draft order if they identify a desirable prospect from the 2026 class.