This offseason’s collective bargaining agreement that saw a 400 percent increase in overall salaries for WNBA players was just the first step in a large expansion and explosion that the league is currently experiencing. While a sold-out 17,500-seat State Farm Arena for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals was a prime example of the marketing power and fanbase the WNBA now enjoys, there’s a constant evolution happening at every level of the W.
In other words, it’s full speed ahead as the WNBA finals concludes on Oct. 31 with the first Game 7 in league history.
Massive Expansion: Return Of The Houston Comets
The Houston Comets won the first four championships in WNBA history consecutively, led by iconic pioneers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Brazilian legend Janeth Arcain. Then it folded in 2008 due to economic issues.
The storied franchise returns in 2027 following the relocation and rebranding of the Connecticut Sun franchise and unveiled new logos on Thursday.
The Connecticut Sun were purchased by Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta’s group and are moving to Houston to revive the historic Houston Comets name. They will play their home games at the Toyota Center.
No brand-new expansion teams are joining the league in 2027; the next official rush after adding Toronto and Portland in 2026 will arrive with Cleveland in 2028, the return of Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.
The response to the Comets’ return is gaining momentum and will be at a fever peak come draft time.
“We finna run them rings up ain’t we?” one user commented.
“How many RTs for that Jacket,” inquired one excited netizen.
“Welcome home, Comets! Houston about to take over the WNBA,” an excited fan said.
“Basketball history coming full circle,” another agreed in the comments.
“The return of the Houston Comets brings back one of the most iconic legacies in women’s basketball — the league’s first dynasty is officially back in the spotlight. From original pioneers to a new Houston era,” another fan celebrated on X.
Complex 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery
The WNBA draft lottery 2027 will be broadcast in the U.S. on Sunday, Nov. 15, on ESPN, from 7:30-8 p.m. ET, following the broadcast of the UConn vs. Louisville women’s basketball game, the WNBA.
The 2027 WNBA draft, which could feature such future stars as JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo is scheduled for April 12.
ESPN will air the 30-minute “WNBA Draft Lottery Special,” which will feature WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin revealing the results of the lottery.
The Two-Year Cumulative Record
Instead of factoring in just the most recent season, the WNBA determines lottery seeding and odds based on a team’s cumulative record over the two most recent regular seasons.
Only the teams that miss the playoffs qualify for the lottery.
For expansion teams entering their second seasons (such as the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire), only their single, inaugural season record is used to establish their lottery standing.
The 1,000-Combination Ping-Pong Machine
The actual drawing utilizes a physical lottery machine containing 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14.
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. Of the five Lottery teams not selected in the drawings, the team with the worst cumulative winning percentage shall select third; the team with the next worst records will, in order, select fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh.
Odds Of Getting No. 1 Overall Pick
Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Toronto and Washington will take part in the 26th annual WNBA Draft Lottery. Phoenix previously traded its first-round pick to Los Angeles; Chicago traded its first-round selection to Washington.
Houston’s 2025 and 2026 cumulative winning percentage and Toronto’s 2026 winning percentage were identical (.250) and, accordingly, each will receive 329 combinations, the most of any of the teams. Houston was 1-2 against Toronto in the 2026 regular season (the first tiebreaker) and, therefore, cannot fall further than the third pick. Toronto is guaranteed at least the fourth pick.
As the result of a prior trade between Washington and Chicago (26-62), the Mystics possess the Sky’s first-round pick and will have the third-most chances (161) to win the top pick. Seattle (31-57) has the fourth-most chances (93) and Portland (17-27) has the fifth-most (52). Los Angeles (37-51) has 24 chances by virtue of its own two-year record and an additional 12 chances as the result of a previous trade with Phoenix (43-45).
