The Portland Fire’s second season starts with the WNBA Draft Lottery 2027 presented by State Street Investment Management SPY.
Tune in Sunday, November 15 at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN to find out where Portland will select in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
What's at stake for the Fire?
Portland has a 5.2% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick, the fifth-best chance among the seven picks represented in the lottery.
The lottery determines the draft position. Players will be selected later at the 2027 WNBA Draft presented by State Street Investment Management SPY, scheduled to take place on Monday, April 12, 2027.
How are Portland's odds determined?
As a 2026 expansion team, the Fire’s lottery odds are based on their 17–27 record from their debut season. Toronto’s odds are also based on its 2026 record of 11-33.
For the other qualifying teams, odds are based on combined records from the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
How does the lottery work?
- Fourteen numbered balls enter the lottery machine. Four balls are drawn to create a combination.
- The assigned combination determines the No. 1 pick. Each eligible pick has a set number of assigned combinations, or “chances.”
- The process repeats for the No. 2 pick. The balls return to the machine for another drawing.
- The remaining five picks are ordered by the applicable winning percentages, from worst to best.
Only the first two picks are determined by the drawing.
Why are there six teams but seven lottery picks?
Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Toronto and Washington hold the seven picks represented in the lottery.
Trades explain the difference: Washington owns Chicago’s first-round pick, and Los Angeles owns both its own pick and Phoenix’s pick. Those traded picks retain odds based on the original teams’ records.
Tune In
Find out where the Fire will pick as we look ahead to the next chapter of basketball in Portland.
Tune in on Sunday, November 15 at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.