Atlanta Dream Win Top Pick in 2009 WNBA Draft

-- Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky Round Out Top Three Picks --

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2008 - The Atlanta Dream won the eighth annual WNBA Draft Lottery and earned the top pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, the league announced today.

The Atlanta Dream will get the ball rolling in the 2009 WNBA Draft after winning the lottery today in New York. Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images

The winning team had 420 chances out of 1,000 to receive the first overall selection. The lottery went exactly according to odds for the first time in WNBA history. The Washington Mystics will have the second pick in the draft followed by the Chicago Sky.

WNBA officials conducted the Draft Lottery in New York City, which included the five teams that did not qualify for the 2008 Playoffs and established the order of selection for the first five picks of the 2009 Draft. Additionally, the order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the entire second and third rounds is based on each team's finish during the 2008 regular season.

Following are results of the 2009 WNBA Draft Lottery:

PICK	TEAM	RECORD	CHANCE OF WINNING TOP PICK
	Lottery Teams
1	Atlanta Dream	4-30	42.0%
2	Washington Mystics	10-24	26.1%
3	Chicago Sky	12-22	16.7%
4	Minnesota Lynx	16-18	7.6%
5	Phoenix Mercury	16-18	7.6%

Following is the remaining order for the first round as determined by overall records from 2008:

	Non-Lottery Teams
6	Indiana Fever	17-17	--
7	Sacramento Monarchs	18-16	--
8	New York Liberty	19-15	--
9	Washington Mystics (from L.A.)	20-14	--
10	Connecticut Sun	21-13	--
11	Detroit Shock	22-12	--
12	Seattle Storm	22-12	--
13	Atlanta Dream (from S.A.)	24-10	--

The WNBA will feature 13 teams in 2009, with the Eastern Conference comprised of seven teams: the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Detroit Shock, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Washington Mystics. Six teams will compete in the Western Conference: the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, San Antonio Silver Stars and Seattle Storm.

Source from :NBA.com