MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Lynx today won the ninth annual WNBA Draft Lottery, held in New York. Minnesota used its first-round pick acquired from the New York Liberty - originally slotted second overall - to secure the first overall selection in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Along with the first pick, the Lynx will select fourth overall, becoming the first WNBA team since 2002 to secure multiple top-4 picks in a Draft Lottery."This is a very exciting day for our franchise and our fans," said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. "Throughout the years, number one overall draft choices have gone on to become WNBA Finals MVP's, League MVP's and All-Stars. We anticipate getting a player of that caliber in this year's draft. Our last number one overall pick, Seimone Augustus, led the league in scoring her rookie year and we expect whomever we end up selecting to be an immediate difference-maker for us. We only missed the 2009 Playoffs by one game, and I expect with the return to health of Seimone and Nicky Anosike, coupled with our draft picks and returning players, that we'll be a championship caliber team in 2010."
Minnesota came into Thursday's Draft Lottery with its own selection - slotted third overall - as well as New York's first-round pick, which was acquired via a multi-team trade involving Los Angeles, New York and Minnesota. The combined odds of obtaining the first pick in the draft from each selection added up to give the Lynx the best chance at securing the number one overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft, with 428 chances out of 1,000, eight more than Sacramento's 420. Minnesota came into the Draft Lottery with a 15.26 percent chance of obtaining the first and fourth overall selections.
2010 marks the second time the Lynx have won the WNBA Draft Lottery. In 2006, the Lynx defied the odds, winning the Draft Lottery from the number three position. They eventually used the pick to select two-time WNBA All-Star Seimone Augustus. In winning the Draft Lottery from the No. 2 position, Minnesota becomes just the second team to accomplish that feat in the nine-year history of the WNBA Draft Lottery (2003, Cleveland, LaToya Thomas).
WNBA MVP's Diana Taurasi (2004, Phoenix) and Lauren Jackson (2001, Seattle) were former number one overall selections. Also, former No. 1 picks and WNBA All-Stars Augustus (2006, Minnesota), Sue Bird (2002, Seattle) and Chamique Holdsclaw (1999, Washington) have enjoyed prominent WNBA careers. U.S. Olympian and three-time All-Star DeLisha Milton-Jones was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft, while All-Stars Asjha Jones (2002) and Sophia Young (2006) were also No. 4 picks.
Sacramento, who held the No. 1 draft position coming into today's Draft Lottery, will pick second, followed by Connecticut, the Lynx and Chicago.
In addition to picks one and four overall, the Lynx will also select 29 overall (third round). The Lynx do not have a second round selection, as they traded their 2010 second-round pick to Washington as part of a trade involving Lindsey Harding.
Lynx season tickets for the 2010 season are now on sale. To purchase your season tickets, or to find out more information on how to become a Lynx season ticket holder, call 612-673-8400 or log on to www.lynxbasketball.com.
Following are results of the 2010 WNBA Draft Lottery:
2010 WNBA DRAFT LOTTERY ORDER
Pick Team 2009 Record Chances (out of 1,000)
1. Minnesota (from New York) 13-21 261
2. Sacramento 12-22 420
3. Connecticut 16-18 76
4. Minnesota 14-20 167
5. Chicago 16-18 76
Following is the remaining order for the first round as determined by overall records from 2009:
REMAINING ORDER FOR FIRST ROUND
Pick Team 2009 Record
6. San Antonio 15-19
7. Washington 16-18
8. Tulsa 18-16
9. Los Angeles 18-16
10. Atlanta 18-16
11. Seattle 20-14
12. Indiana 22-12
13. Los Angeles (from Phoenix) 23-11
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