WNBA Draft Lottery: Mystics likely miss Brittney Griner, draw No. 4 pick

The Washington Mystics finished the 2012 WNBA season with a 5-29 record, by far the worst in the league. Washington lost its last 13 games, won just one of its 17 road games, and closed the book on the season Monday by firing head coach and general manager Trudi Lacey.

On Wednesday, the Mystics were denied a chance to jump-start a rebuild when they drew the No. 4 pick in the WNBA Draft Lottery. The Phoenix Mercury received the No. 1 overall pick, while the Chicago Sky and Tulsa Shock received the second and third overall picks, respectively.

Here's how Nate Parham of SB Nation's women's basketball blog Swish Appeal described the effect of losing the lottery on the Mystics.

Falling to fourth means the Mystics will likely miss out on the three prospects that makes this the lottery "to be a part of": Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins, and Baylor's 6-foot-8 center Brittney Griner. The Mystics could have used the help that any one of them offer, but will now likely have to figure out who that fourth-best prospect is assuming things go the way everyone has assumed.

The 2013 WNBA Draft will take place next April.