MINNEAPOLIS — When the first envelope was opened at the WNBA's draft lottery Friday afternoon, the Lynx and their fans knew they already beat the odds.
By the time it was over the Lynx, represented on-site in Bristol, Conn., by Napheesa Collier, finished with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 WNBA draft.
Indiana, which had the best chance of the four teams in the lottery, finished with the top pick — and the likely addition of South Carolina post Aliyah Boston — for the first time in franchise history.
The Lynx had a 10.4% chance of finishing first, a 14.5% chance of finishing second and a 75.2% chance of finishing fourth. They could not have finished third.
So when the first envelope — indicating the No. 4 pick — was opened and it was the Washington Mystics, the Lynx knew they would finish in the top two. Atlanta finished with the third pick.
Then, Minnesota.
Lynx president of basketball operations and coach Cheryl Reeve, in a release, said "This selection will no doubt be an important part of our future as we shape the next era of Lynx basketball."
So, who will that pick turn out to be? Boston is the consensus No. 1 pick by most experts. Many have Stanford guard Haley Jones as the second pick. The Lynx could have a need there and the 6-1 Jones is a three-level scorer who has played at the highest level of college basketball. The Cardinal have been to consecutive Final Fours. Jones was that tournament's most outstanding player in 2021, when the Cardinal defeated South Carolina by a point in the title game.
Other highly-regarded players include UCLA guard Charisma Osborne, Maryland guard Diamond Miller and Tennessee forward Jordan Horston.
