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Lucky Las Vegas wins WNBA lottery’s top pick

By Howard Megdal

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Bill Laimbeer and Herb Williams of the New York Liberty react during the game against the Chicago Sky in a WNBA game on August 27, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Bill Laimbeer and Herb Williams of the New York Liberty react during the game against the Chicago Sky in a WNBA game on August 27, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The WNBA lottery drawing held form Monday night, with Las Vegas—the team recently relocated from San Antonio—drawing the top pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, giving new coach/general manager Bill Laimbeer his choice of any draft-eligible player next season.

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The Las Vegas name-to-be-unveiled-soons had a 44.2 percent chance of winning the pick, thanks to the two-year futility run from the San Antonio Stars. Another elite talent alongside the trio of Kayla McBride, Moriah Jefferson and 2017’s top overall pick, Kelsey Plum should give Laimbeer plenty of ammunition for a turnaround.

The Indiana Fever have a team name, but alas, had just a 27.6 percent chance of landing the top pick, due to leftover wins from Tamika Catchings’ final season in 2016. They will pick second.

As for the Chicago Sky, they had two opportunities to win the pick, 28.2 percent in total—17.4 percent from the lottery pick they received in the midseason trade that sent Imani McGee-Stafford and Tamera Young to Atlanta, and 10.4 percent from their own pick.

“With these two prized draft picks, we can add potent impact players to our already talent-rich roster,” Amber Stocks, Sky general manager and head coach, said in a press release. “We will keep a keen eye on evaluating the upcoming draftees while also assessing the latent potential of these valuable assets.”

Still, picks three and four will be immensely valuable in a loaded 2018 draft that includes a variety of elite players at many different positions, whether a WNBA team is looking for a big like A’ja Wilson of South Carolina, versatile wings like Gabby Williams of Connecticut or Diamond DeShields, formerly of Tennessee, or guards like Asia Durr of Louisville or Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State.

The remaining order of the first round, from picks 5-12, is as follows: Seattle, Dallas, Washington, Phoenix, Connecticut, New York, Los Angeles and Minnesota.

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