The Minnesota Lynx landed the third-overall pick in the seventh annual WNBA Draft Lottery today held in New York. The Los Angeles Sparks, which had a 34.1 percent chance to nab the top overall pick, won the Lottery and secured the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, which will be held in April.

“This is a very exciting day for the Minnesota Lynx organization,” said Chief Operating Officer Roger Griffith. “With the No. 3 pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, we really feel that we will have the ability to add an impact player to a young and very talented roster.”

The Lynx were bidding to become the first team in WNBA history to land the top overall draft choice in three consecutive seasons. The Lynx won the Lottery in 2006 and selected Seimone Augustus. In a trade with the Phoenix Mercury in 2007, the Lynx acquired top overall pick Lindsey Harding. The Seattle Storm are the only other team to have two consecutive No. 1 picks with Lauren Jackson (2001) and Sue Bird (2002).

“There are a lot of very talented players that will be available in the 2008 WNBA Draft,” said Lynx Head Coach Don Zierden. “Now that we know where we will be selecting in the three rounds of the Draft, I am excited to head out on the scouting trail to begin looking at the players that potentially will put on the Lynx uniform in 2008.”

Minnesota entered the Lottery with 340 chances out of 1,000 to win the first overall selection. The Los Angeles Sparks owned the most chances (341), while the Chicago Sky, the second pick, had 97 chances out of 1,000. Atlanta will choose fourth, followed by the Houston Comets and the Washington Mystics.

The Draft Lottery was conducted by WNBA officials and representatives from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young at the WNBA Headquarters in New York and included the five teams that did not qualify for the 2007 WNBA Playoffs. The lottery establishes the order of selection for the first round of the draft, with the order of selection for the second and third rounds based on each team’s finish during the 2007 regular season.

The Minnesota Lynx will celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2008. Season and group tickets are on sale now for this historic season. Be a part of the pageantry by calling 612-673-8400, e-mailing tickets@lynxbasketball.com or visiting the Lynx website at www.lynxbasketball.com.