Could the Chicago Sky hand the No. 1 draft pick to the No. 1 team in the WNBA?
With a 7-19 record, the Sky are the second-worst team in the WNBA. Starting guard Ariel Atkins is sidelined indefinitely. Star Angel Reese is battling through minor injuries. With fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, the playoffs are a far-off dream.
This isn't what the Sky envisioned for their first season under head coach Tyler Marsh. But in any other year, all of this failure and frustration would come with a shiny silver lining: improved odds at another lottery pick in 2026, a draft class studded with top talent including Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles.
But that's not the case this year for the Sky, who don't own their natural first-round pick in 2026. Instead, Chicago will spend the latter half of the season fending off a worst-case scenario — handing the No. 1 pick to the best team in the league.
In 2024, the Sky struck a deal with the Minnesota Lynx to acquire the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft in exchange for the No. 8 pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and a first-round pick swap in 2026. The Sky then added a final bow to this trade in a 2025 trade to acquire the No. 11 pick in the draft, ceding the rights to the 2026 pick swap to give Minnesota outright ownership of Chicago's first-rounder.
Those two deals were monumental for the Sky, paving the way for the acquisition of Angel Reese (No. 7 in 2024) and Hailey Van Lith (No. 11 in 2025) as building blocks for a team developing around youth. But they also handed an unexpected boon to Minnesota, a 22-win team already dead set on steamrolling the rest of the league on their road back to the WNBA Finals.
At best, the Sky are currently set to hand the Lynx a lottery pick to bolster a roster already headlined by stars like Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams. And if they can't slow a slippery descent of losses amid a rash of injuries, the Sky could be on track to give the No. 1 pick to the league's heaviest hitter.
The lottery system in the WNBA draft is complicated by a two-season weighting, which differs from most other draft lotteries in leagues like the NBA. The five lottery slots are determined by the teams that finish outside of the playoffs. From there, however, lottery odds are based on a team's record over the past two seasons.
The non-playoff team with the worst two-season record will have a 40% chance of receiving the No. 1 pick. The remainder of the lottery is weighted by this two-season record, with exponentially decreasing odds — 25% for the team with the second-worst record, 17% for third-worst, 11% for fourth-worst and 7% for fifth-worst.
This approach to odds drastically changes the outcome of lottery seeding in the WNBA. For instance, despite a dismal four-win showing this season, Connecticut's lottery odds are artificially deflated by their 28-12 record in the 2024 season, when they finished third overall in the league. Their two-season win percentage is still 49.2%, which traps them in the lowest odds despite being the bottom-ranked team in the league this year.
Five teams are jockeying in the bottom rung of the league — the Sun, the Sky, the Golden State Valkyries (12-13, 48% two-year percentage), the Los Angeles Sparks (11-15, 28.8% two-year percentage) and the Dallas Wings (8-19, 25.4% two-year percentage). Three of these picks are owed to other teams — Connecticut to Chicago, Chicago to Minnesota and Los Angeles to Seattle.
While the Sky are only one loss behind the Sparks in two-year win percentage, they remain 14 losses behind the Wings, who are favorites to finish with the top odds at the No. 1 pick. Barring a truly disastrous end of the season — which would involve the Wings going on a breakneck winning streak — the Sky are unlikely to finish above second in the draft lottery odds.
This is still, however, somewhat disastrous. If the Sky hand the Lynx a top-three pick, they will be allowing the best team in the league a choice between Fudd, Miles or Lauren Betts. A top-five pick still isn't much better. And there's little the Sky can do to prevent either outcome from occurring.
The best-case scenario for the Sky? Make the playoffs.
That's been true all year. Conveying a first-rounder to Minnesota immediately negated the concept of tanking away this season. And the only way for the Sky to block the Lynx from potentially landing the No. 1 pick is to knock them out of the lottery altogether. If the Sky somehow make the playoffs, they would drop their draft pick down to No. 8 overall due to the presence of expansion teams in Toronto and Portland, which will receive the No. 6 and No. 7 picks.
The likelihood of that outcome, however, is slim at best. The Sky are six games back from the Washington Mystics, who are currently eighth overall with a 13-13 record. They've won only four of their last 10 games, the second-worst streak in the entire league.
If Atkins returns, a turnaround could still be on the table. But for now, the Sky are charting a course toward a disastrous result for the entire league — handing the Lynx even more ammunition to load up for yet another WNBA title conquest.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 Takeaways from Week 2 of Bears 2025 training camp
The Chicago Bears have put together two weeks of training camp, which have consisted of eight practice (including three with pads on). That includes the longest workout of the summer on Thursday, which spanned two and a half hours ahead of another pair of padded practices on deck. Head coach Ben Johnson has established a high standard with this team, which has featured some impressive performances from big names and others looking to make an impact en route to a roster spot. But there were some players who showed up through this second week of practice (Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8), including some top rookies and the most important player on the roster. Following the second week of training camp, here are our takeaways from what transpired during the four practices: 1. The offense is starting to come together The first week of Bears camp was all about the defense and how the offense was struggling to muster any sort of momentum. That started to change during the second week. Quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the unit started putting things together, operating more successfully, and creating bigger plays in both the pass and run game. That was evident on Thursday when Williams had his best day and the receivers were dialed in, catching nearly everything thrown their way. It feels like the coaching Williams is receiving is starting to stick, and both he and Ben Johnson agree. "He is so much more comfortable right now," Johnson said on Tuesday. "His process is really clean right now; I'm talking about how he's preparing. I'm really pleased with it. He's doing the work behind the scenes that no one else is seeing, and we're starting to see the dividends being paid from it." Stacking good practices together is what you want to see, even if they're not perfect. Williams and the entire group improved throughout the week, and the goal is to carry that into the next set of practices. 2. DJ Moore could be a realistic option at running back One of the first things we saw when the Bears took the field Monday was DJ Moore working with the running backs during warmups. Not the receivers. Moore took a number of handoffs and pitches during individual drills, then saw action during team drills later on. It's been something that has become more regular this week as Moore has been featured at the position quite a bit. We likely won't see him make a drastic position change, but we could see Moore handle a few carries each game this year. And not just the jet sweeps we saw in 2025. Moore can be elite when the ball is in his hands and plays the position much like Deebo Samuel, who averaged 45 carries a season during his last four years. We'll see if it comes to fruition, but don't be surprised to see No. 2 lined up behind No. 18 when the games begin. 3. Jaylon Johnson's injury may be more severe than initially thought Through eight practices, the Bears have been relatively lucky when it comes to injuries. They did lose rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner for nearly a month, but no starters have suffered any major injuries on the practice field. The lone exception has been cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who remains on the NFI list a week and a half after the Bears reported to camp. The initial prognosis of Johnson's injury did not seem too serious, and it seemed that he would be back at some point during camp. Johnson put that timeline into doubt, however, on Thursday when he discussed the star defensive back's injury. "I think there is a scenario where he will be ready for Week 1, and that is really the target day," Johnson said. "I know he is working hard and diligently to get there for that, and with those types of injuries that he's got, you just never know. You never know. It's still early in that process, but I know he's attacking that rehab really well." Initially, it didn't seem like Johnson would be in any danger of missing Week 1, and though Johnson talks about that still being a target, it feels more uncertain than it did a week ago. That's not exactly comforting. Johnson could just be tempering expectations, and the goal is to get Johnson back by Week 1 anyway. But his injury will be something to continue to monitor. 4. Outside cornerback is far from settled With Johnson sidelined, the Bears have been working in multiple players at outside cornerback, and it's a position that is still up for grabs. Just ask defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. "I think it's completely up for grabs," Allen said earlier in the week. That means Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith, Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud, Tre Flowers, and more are all competing for the spot opposite Johnson when he returns. The silver lining with Johnson sidelined is that the Bears can get more looks at these other players. Wright has impressed the coaching staff, as he has been the predominant starter in Johnson's absence. Stevenson and Smith have the experience with the rest of the secondary, and McCloud is turning heads at times, too. Even Kyler Gordon will see time at the outside spot, a change from the last two years. At this point, it's anyone's guess as to who will emerge as the starter. 5. Luther Burden can be a difference maker Last week, Luther Burden was turning into Kevin White in the eyes of Bears fans. This week, he may as well be the best wide receiver in team history. He has only practiced three times in team settings, but Burden is making the most of his opportunities as of late since he returned from a lower leg injury. Over the last two practices, the rookie out of Missouri has made multiple plays, both with underneath routes and deep patterns. Burden is quickly getting acclimated to the offense, and even though it hasn't been perfect, he's showing the skills needed to be a difference maker in this league. Of course, he still needs to prove it during games, especially ones that count in the standings. No one should be doing victory laps yet, just like there shouldn't have been concern about his injury a week ago. That being said, he's showing he has the capabilities of becoming a different maker and someone who can be dangerous with the ball in his hands. That's all you can ask for at this point. This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Takeaways from Week 2 of Bears 2025 training camp
USA Today
3 minutes ago
- USA Today
Lynx vs. Aces odds, tips and betting trends - 8/2/2025
The Las Vegas Aces (14-13) will look to A'ja Wilson (second in WNBA, 22.1 points per game) going up against Napheesa Collier (first in league, 23.8) and the Minnesota Lynx (23-5) on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The game tips at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+. In its previous game, Minnesota were winners at home over New York 100-93, with Collier (30 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK, 68.8 FG%, 2-4 from 3PT) and Kayla McBride (24 PTS, 5 AST, 57.1 FG%, 5-9 from 3PT) leading the way. In its most recent game, Las Vegas defeated Los Angeles 89-74 on the road, with Wilson (34 PTS, 10 REB, 3 STL, 3 BLK, 69.6 FG%) and Jackie Young (18 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST, 3 STL, 47.1 FG%, 2-7 from 3PT) the standout performers. Read on for everything you need to prepare before Saturday's game. Watch this game on ESPN+! Minnesota Lynx vs. Las Vegas Aces odds and betting lines WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 6:05 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Lynx moneyline insights Aces moneyline insights Lynx vs. Aces: Game time and info Watch this game on ESPN+!
Newsweek
4 minutes ago
- Newsweek
BetMGM Bonus Code NW150: Get $150 Betting Bonus For Tigers-Phils, MLB Games
The BetMGM bonus code NW150 will give new users a $150 bonus or $1,500 first bet offer for MLB games played this August. The BetMGM bonus code NW150 will give new users a $150 bonus or $1,500 first bet offer for MLB games played this August. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lock in one of two welcome offers with the BetMGM bonus code NW150 in time for a loaded Friday slate of MLB and WNBA games. Sign up for a new account to get a $150 bonus offer or a $1,500 first bet safety net depending on your location. Sign up in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or West Virginia to get the $150 bonus offer, which requires a winning $10 bet to start your account. Users who sign up in other states will receive the $1,500 first bet safety net to start. Friday brings tons of betting opportunities for new players. Let's start with the MLB slate. Every team is back in action, and we will see a number of players suiting up for their new teams after the trade deadline. Bet on games like Tigers-Phillies, Astros-Red Sox, Giants-Mets and Rangers-Mariners to use either of these promos. The WNBA delivers five betting options for Friday: Liberty-Sun, Mercury-Dream, Valkyries-Sky, Fever-Wings and Sparks-Storm. Any market will qualify for these offers. Just sign up before Friday's action starts to maximize the benefits of either of these rewards. BetMGM Bonus Code NW150 For MLB, WNBA Friday BetMGM Bonus Code NW150 New User Offer Bet $10, Get $150 Bonus (MI, NJ, PA, WV Only) or $1,500 First-Bet Offer In-App Promos Parlay Boost Token, MLB Daily Swing, etc. Terms and Conditions 21+ and Present in Participating States Bonus Last Verified On Aug. 1, 2025 Information Confirmed By Newsweek Let's start with the $150 bonus offer, which requires a winning $10 bet on any market. Make sure to look at a wide range of betting options and pick a wager that you feel is likely to settle as a win. Whether you plan to bet on an MLB game or a WNBA game, you might want to look into some prop bet options. These markets might be easier to predict than the winner of a single game. If you get the $1,500 first bet offer, you can wager up to that amount and get your stake back if your bet loses. If you put something like $1,200 on the outcome of one of Friday's games, you will secure a large payout if your bet wins. If your bet loses, you will then be given a $1,200 bonus refund. BetMGM In-App Offers When you are up and running with BetMGM Sportsbook, you will be able to score in-app promotions in addition to your welcome offer. These include profit boosts, early payouts and more. These offers are usually available for MLB games, WNBA games, soccer, golf, tennis and more throughout the sports calendar. In addition to these offers, play the MLB Daily Swing game to win prizes, or watch the free game of the day within the app. Sign up for a new account in time to score these offers for Friday. Create Account With BetMGM Bonus Code NW150 Start up a new account by clicking here and enter the bonus code NW150 to get the new user offer. Provide basic personal information to secure your account. This will include your name, date of birth, mailing address and more. Use a secure payment method, like a credit card, to make an initial deposit to cover your first bet. This will activate the welcome offer that you qualify for. Any bonus bets you get with either offer will be valid for one week before they expire. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through any links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
