Minnesota Lynx locked in to top-four pick in 2026 WNBA Draft

The Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, which means the Minnesota Lynx are guaranteed a top-four pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

The Lynx gave up their No. 11 selection in the 2025 draft, which became Hailey Van Lith, in exchange for the Sky's 2026 first-round pick, which will now be in a four-way lottery.

The WNBA's draft lottery is different from other professional sports leagues. It's the four teams with the worst records over the past two seasons combined. The Sky have missed out on the postseason two straight years, so their 2026 pick will be in the lottery along with the Wings. The other two spots are still up for grabs.

The process of selecting the order of the top four is also a little bit different than other leagues, but Minnesota is guaranteed to at least be in the mix. 

The 2026 WNBA Draft will be highlighted by UCLA star Lauren Betts, UConn's Azzi Fudd, LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson and recent TCU transfer Olivia Miles, among other potential stars. 

A potential combination of Napheesa Collier (28 years old) and Betts (21 years old) in the frontcourt is a tantalizing outlook. Courtney Williams will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so Minnesota could also look to add in the backcourt.

The Lynx are 28-6 with a firm lead on the rest of the WNBA on top of the regular season standings, so the draft is probably one of the last things on their mind, but the future looks bright.