WNBA Draft Lottery 2012: Should The Mercury Get Number 1?

This is the right year to be bad. That is a basic figure of speech, but also a reality for tonight's contestants in the WNBA Draft as the ping-pong balls will bounce with this year crop of potential superstars being offered up.

The 2013 WNBA Draft Lottery will take place in Bristol Connecticut during Sportscenter on ESPN at 6 p.m. Eastern (3 p.m. local) where the Phoenix Mercury will find out what kind of payoff this long season has for them.

Head Coach Corey Gaines will be on hand to try and bring his team good luck in landing the top pick.

Obviously the big name in this years draft is Brittney Griner. The dominant center has been a force for three years with the Baylor Bears and after winning a National Championship as a junior Griner is widely considered the best collegiate prospect since Candace Parker in 2008.

There is also the choice of Delaware's Elena Della Donne, a polar opposite of Griner as an elite scorer capable of playing three different positions. As a 6-5 wing she is similar in a lot of ways to Penny Taylor and DeWanna Bonner as a big, scoring guard. The former No. 1 rated prep prospect would be more of a household name if she stayed at Connecticut, but transferred to Delaware to be close to family.

Those two are joined by Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins, a dynamic point guard capable of being an All-Star in her own right.

Diggins would be an interesting choice after taking Prahalis last year with the No. 6 Overall pick as well as after developing her for a full season. Is Diggins better? Maybe, but Prahalis has a lot of game and untapped potential.

The paint dwellers are as appealing as ever, but with Candice Dupree and the emergence of Krystal Thomas do they really need Griner? Same can be said for Della Donne with Taylor and Bonner, or Diggins with Prahalis giving the Mercury tons of options and flexibility for next year.

There are some intriguing plotlines in tonight's Draft Lottery.

Like, can the Mercury really lose in the lottery if they do not win the Griner Sweepstakes?

Can Corey Gaines pass up on adding another dynamic offensive weapon in Della Donne if they do?

Or if they fall to three can they ignore the potential greatness of Skylar Diggins?

If anything the Mercury have options, a roster full of All-Stars already, and are going to be adding another one to the fold with a lottery pick -- if they choose to keep it.

This is what you do. In order to contend for Championships yearly teams have to build through the draft and indirectly as well as directly the Mercury have. Taurasi, Taylor (supplemental), Dupree, Bonner, Prahalis, and Alexis Hornbuckle were all Top 6 picks in previous drafts. Time to add the next piece.