NEW YORK – The New York Liberty today won the 20^th annual WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm^® and earned the top pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm in April.  The Lottery was conducted at the NBA office in Secaucus, New Jersey, and the results were televised on ESPN during halftime of its telecast of the DePaul vs. Louisville women’s college basketball game.

New York, which won the WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm for the second consecutive year and for the second time in franchise history, entered the Lottery with the most chances to land the top pick (442 out of 1,000).  After winning the Lottery for the 2020 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, the team used the No. 1 overall pick to select Sabrina Ionescu.

The Dallas Wings, who had the third-most chances to win the top pick (178 out of 1,000), will have the second selection.  The Atlanta Dream will select third after having the second-most chances to land the top pick (276).  The Indiana Fever, which had 104 chances to receive the first pick, will choose fourth.

By missing the 2020 WNBA Playoffs, New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Indiana qualified for the Lottery drawing.  Lottery odds were based on the cumulative records of the Liberty, Wings, Dream and Fever over the two most recent regular seasons (2019 and 2020).

A representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young was in attendance to oversee the Lottery process.

The following are results of the 2021 WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third round is in inverse order of the teams’ respective regular-season records solely from 2020.

The following is the remaining order of the first round, as determined by 2020.

REMAINING ORDER FOR FIRST ROUND

5. Dallas from Washington (9-13) via New York (Charles, Walker-Kimbrough, 4/15/20) (Hill, 4/15/20)
6. Phoenix from Connecticut (10-12) (Bonner, 2/11/20)
7. Dallas from Chicago (12-10) (Stevens, Samuelson, 2/14/20)
8. Chicago from Phoenix (13-9) via Dallas (Diggins-Smith, 2/12/20) (Ndour, 2/12/20)
9. Minnesota (14-8)
10. Los Angeles (15-7)
11. Seattle (18-4)
12. Las Vegas (18-4)

About State Farm^®
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its 19,200 agents and 59,000 employees serve approximately 84 million policies and accounts – over 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies and over 2 million financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

About the WNBA
Entering its 25th season in 2021, the WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women. Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion and social responsibility. Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.

In 2020, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women’s basketball – and women’s sports overall – with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete. Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league’s new partnership platform, WNBA Changemakers. Inaugural WNBA Changemakers include AT&T, Deloitte and Nike. In addition, during the 2020 season, the WNBA and WNBPA launched the WNBA Justice Movement forming the Social Justice Council with the mission of being a driving force of necessary change and continuing conversations about race and voting rights, among other important societal issues.

For more information, visit WNBA.com.