Atlanta receives a top-four pick in the Draft for the fifth time in franchise history
The Atlanta Dream received the No. 3 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, which aired live on ESPN2 Friday evening. The selection marks the Dream’s second No. 3 overall selection in history – both of which have come within in the last three years – and fourth consecutive top-four Draft pick.
The Dream will select in the lottery for only the fifth time in franchise history ahead of the 2023 season. Most recently, Atlanta traded up for the No. 1 overall pick in 2022* and selected Rhyne Howard out of Kentucky, who went on to one of the most successful rookie seasons in Atlanta Dream history as a first-year WNBA All-Star and WNBA and Associated Press Rookie of the Year.
“We are very excited to be adding another top draft pick to this great group we’ve put together the last twelve months,” said Dream head coach Tanisha Wright. “We look forward to bringing in another talented player and great teammate who will compete hard for this city every single night.”
Atlanta will select with the No. 3 overall pick for the second time in just three years after drafting guard Aari McDonald out of Arizona third overall in 2021. The Dream was originally given the No. 3 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft Lottery but traded up to draft Howard.
The Dream’s first lottery pick was Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry in 2009, who went on to set – and still hold – nearly every franchise scoring record in 10 seasons with the Dream.
* This trade gave Washington the right to swap its own 2023 first-round pick for Los Angeles’ 2023 first-round pick acquired by Atlanta in the Erica Wheeler/Chennedy Carter/Li Yueru trade prior to the 2022 season.
2023 WNBA Draft Lottery Order of Finish (combined 2021 and 2022 record/odds of winning)
1 – Indiana (11-57, 44.2%)
2 – Minnesota (36-32, 10.4%)
3 – Atlanta (22-46, 27.6%)
4 – Washington* (25-43, 17.8%)
Remaining Order for First Round (2022 record)
5 – Chicago from Phoenix (15-21)
6 – New York (16-20)
7 – Indiana from Dallas (18-18)
8 – Atlanta from Washington (22-14)
9 – Seattle (22-14)
10 – Connecticut (25-11)
11 – Dallas from Chicago (26-10) via Indiana
12 – Minnesota from Las Vegas (26-10)
Atlanta’s All-Time First Round Draft Picks (2009-22)
1 – Angel McCoughtry (2009), Rhyne Howard (2022)
2 – N/A
3 – Aari McDonald (2021)
4 – Chennedy Carter (2020)
5 – N/A
6 – N/A
7 – Brittney Sykes (2017)
8 – Tamera Young (2008), Ta’Shia Phillips (2011)1, Shoni Schimmel (2014)
9 – Chanel Mokango (2010)
10 – Samantha Logic (2015)
11 – Bria Holmes (2016), Brianna Turner (2019)2
12 – N/A
1 The Dream traded guard Kelly Miller, the team’s 2011 No. 8 overall draft pick Ta’Shia Phillips and a first round pick in 2012 to the Mystics in exchange for Lindsey Harding and a second round pick in 2012
2 Traded to Phoenix for the Mercury’s 2018 First Round Selection, Marie Gülich
The Dream drafted Sancho Lyttle at No. 1 overall in the 2009 Houston Comets Dispersal Draft
Current Dream players originally drafted in the first round:
- Nia Coffey (2017 – 5th overall by San Antonio)
- AD (2019 – 2nd overall by New York)
- Rhyne Howard (2022 – 1st overall by Atlanta)
- Aari McDonald (2021 – 3rd overall by Atlanta)
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