New-look Atlanta Dream grabs first pick in next week’s WNBA Draft from Washington Mystics

The Atlanta Dream He earned the #1 pick on the WNBA draft in a business deal with Sophia Washington On Wednesday, the teams announced. The draft is on Monday in New York (7pm EST).

The Mystics will take the Dream’s #3 overall, as well as #14 in the second round and the right to trade in with Los Angeles Sparks2023 first round pick. Atlanta owns the rights to it, which Dream acquired in a guard trade Shenedy Carter in February.

This is the second year in a row that the #1 pick traded before the draft. last year , New York Liberty Choice trading to Seattle Stormwho then exchanged it with Dallas SuitesWho chose the center of Texas Charlie Collier.

Washington won the draft lottery in December. The only other time the Mystics got the top pick was in 1999, when they picked the former Tennessee striker Shamic Holdsclough. Washington, the 2019 WNBA champion, missed the playoffs last season at 12-20 as a star goalkeeper/forward Elena Delle Donne It was limited to three matches by background issues. She is expected to be able to play next season.

Baylor striker Nalissa Smith And the Kentucky guard Ryan Howard They are expected to be the two best choices, and it seems that Dream wanted one of them to be enough to make this deal.

Atlanta finished last season 8-24 and missed the playoffs four of the past five years. It acquired new ownership in February 2021, as well as a new head coach at Tanesha Wright and a new general manager at Dan Padover last October.

Atlanta took first place again: in 2009, when Louisville took over the guard/forward Angel McCogtry, who spent nine seasons with the dream and became an Olympian twice. She is now with Minnesota Linux.