The 2026 WNBA playoffs began on Sunday, and while most of the women's basketball world is focused on that action, the seven teams not participating have already turned the page to the offseason. The first big item on the agenda is the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery, which has not yet been scheduled. In fact, we don't even know the lottery odds.
The addition of two expansion teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, means the lottery now includes seven teams, up from five last year. As a result, the odds will have to change, but for some reason, the league has not announced them yet. The Draft Lottery will likely take place in late November or early December, and while we're currently short on details, we do know the teams involved and the order for the best odds.
The Connecticut Sun (soon to be Houston Comets) and Tempo will split the best odds after the Sun beat the Tempo on the final day of the regular season. With the WNBA season over and the college season just around the corner, this is the perfect time for a mock draft. In the event that there is an odd number of lottery combinations, the Sun/Comets will get the extra one via a tiebreaker with the Tempo, so for the purposes of this exercise, they have been given the No. 1 pick.
Without further ado, here is CBS Sports' 2027 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0 Watkins is returning from a torn ACL that cost her all of last season, but despite the injury, she is the obvious choice at No. 1 no matter which team wins the lottery. A 6-foot-2, do-it-all wing, Watkins has a unique offensive skillset for her size and is a high-level defender. She has the ability to transform a franchise, both on and off the court, and would be an ideal choice to lead the Comets into their new era.
The Tempo's biggest need is in the frontcourt, but there are no bigs in this class worth selecting at No. 2. Even if there were, it would be hard to pass on Booker, another big, versatile, highly-skilled wing. Booker is an elite pull-up shooter in the mid-range, but can also play off the ball and excels in transition.
Her size and physicality on the defensive end would also help a Tempo team that had the worst defensive rating in WNBA history this season (116). Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Dream was yet another reminder that, for as well as the Mystics played down the stretch, they need more juice on the perimeter. Enter Nichols, an elite high-volume pick-and-roll threat.
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