Sky facing long odds with WNBA Draft lottery

The Chicago Sky will take part in the lottery Thursday to determine the top five picks in the 2010 WNBA Draft.

The Sacramento Monarchs, who posted a record of 12-22 and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years, have the best opportunity to secure one of the top three picks in the draft.

The Minnesota Lynx have the next best odds of winning the lottery because it holds New York's combinations due to the trade involving Sidney Spencer, Noelle Quinn and Rafaella Masciadri on May 5, 2009.

New York finished the 2009 season with a 13-21 record.

In addition, the Lynx own the third-highest odds after ending the season with a record of 14-20.

The Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky each posted a record of 16-18 this past season and round out the lottery-eligible teams.

The lottery will establish the first five picks of the draft. The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third round is determined by inverse order of the teams' respective regular-season records.

Here's a look at the chances for teams in the WNBA Draft Lottery:

2010 WNBA lottery

Chances out of Team (W-L) 1,000

1. Sacramento (12-22) 420

2. Minnesota* (13-21) 261

3. Minnesota (14-20) 167

4. Connecticut (16-18) 76

5. SKY (16-18) 76

Draft order after lottery:

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** (23-11)

* pick from New York

** pick from Phoenix