Sparks get No. 2 pick, Wings first in draft lottery

SPARKS

USC All-Pac-12 forward Kiki Iriafen, center, is among the top prospects for the WNBA draft, which is set for April 14. Mark J. Terrill / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Aaron Heisen

Correspondent

The Sparks were awarded with the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draftl lottery, which was held on Sunday.

After a season in which the Sparks played to a franchise-worst 8-32 record, they had a 44.2% chance of earning the top selection, which is determined by which team has the worst cumulative record over the course of two seasons. The Sparks were 25-55 over that stretch.

The Dallas Wings and the Chicago Sky, each 31-49 over the last two seasons, entered Sunday with a 22.7% chance of getting the first pick, while the Washington Mystics (33-49) had a 10.4% chance.

The Wings won the lottery, earning the first picks while the Sparks, the Sky, and the Mystics will round out the top four.

The top prospects that could hear their names called during the 2025 WNBA draft set for April 14 include UConn guard Paige Bueckers, USC forward Kiki Iriafen, Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles and LSU forward Aneesah Morrow. One of those prospects is set to join a Sparks team that selected Cameron Brink (second overall) and Rickea Jackson (fourth overall) in the first round of the 2024 WNBA draft.

Before the Sparks try to find their next franchise cornerstone, they have another decision to make in hiring their next head coach. They mutually parted ways with Curt Miller on Sept. 24, after his second season at the helm.