Breanna Stewart will be a franchise-changing player wherever she lands

— -- We don't want to shortchange anybody, because the 2016 WNBA draft next spring will be far from a one-woman show. This is a good senior class. However, when the No. 1 pick is a lock to be franchise-changing player Breanna Stewart, the lottery becomes an even bigger deal.

Thursday, we'll find out the Stewie Sweepstakes winner, as ESPN2 will televise the draft lottery live during halftime of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The Minnesota-Phoenix contest will tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

Seattle has the most chances to win the lottery, as the Storm's combined record over the past two seasons is the worst at 22-46. They have a 44.2 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick, which would be the second year in a row for them.

San Antonio (24-44 record over two years) has a 27.6 percent chance, Connecticut (28-40) 17.8 percent, and Atlanta (34-34) 10.4 percent.

Every team would be thrilled to bring the UConn standout into the fold. In fact, we can imagine what each franchise's coach and/or general manager would say to her if the lottery went their way.

If Seattle wins

Welcome to the Emerald City, Breanna! We gotta say this is the coolest city of all cool cities. We have the best coffee, the best cherries, the best grunge rock ... wait, do you know what that is? You're really young.

Anyway, we don't like to brag -- that's not eco-friendly behavior -- but we pretty much have the best of everything. Except not the best WNBA team right now. That's where you come in.

It was bound to happen -- after two championships and 10 consecutive playoff appearances -- that we would have a down period. We've now missed the playoffs two years in a row, but there's a silver lining: We get to cash in again on the lottery.

In the 2015 draft, we had the Nos. 1 and 3 picks, and we got players you know really, really well: Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd and your former UConn teammate, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

We also have another former No. 1 pick with whom you have much in common. Sue Bird is a New Yorker like you -- although from Long Island, while you're from Syracuse -- a UConn grad, a pro-ready player from the start. You've played with Bird on the U.S. national team, though, so you know what a great point guard she is.

We have an enthusiastic fan base here in Seattle, and they understand why the last two seasons have been difficult, so they've been patient. But, you know, they're ready to start really rocking KeyArena again, and they will be thrilled to see you.

We don't want you to feel too much pressure, though; we know 2016 will be a very big year for you. Going for your fourth consecutive NCAA title, launching your WNBA career, playing in the Olympics, and then likely starting overseas, too. You won't have to come here and do everything.

But we do need you to score, like, a lot. We averaged just 70.4 points this season, second-to-last in the league. So come on in and fill up the bucket.

If San Antonio wins

Howdy, Breanna! You've heard everything is bigger in Texas? That Texas is a whole other country? Don't mess with Texas? All true! That's why this is most definitely the right place for you. Because at 6 feet, 4 inches, you are going to be a big Star ... and a big star.

Get it? See, our name is the Stars. (It used to be Silver Stars, but then we got all streamlined). The thing is, it's kind of ironic, because we haven't really had a star player, per se. We have had some good players, but Becky Hammon was the closest thing we had to a real "star." And even she was always more the plucky-underdog kind of star.

Becky is still around San Antonio, but busy coaching with the Spurs. You will appreciate, we think, that the Spurs tend to be very supportive of us. We love how they play, and having you is going to help us play more like they do.

Oh, and you might not know this, but the Alamo City is also a great place for UConn. Both times the Women's Final Four has been here, in 2002 and 2010, the Huskies have won. Admittedly, with UConn having 10 NCAA titles, there are lot of cities that have been good for them. But, still, you're going to dig the vibe here.

Because we are about winning, even though we've had some struggles in that department. You know that thing the Seattle folks just mentioned about needing you to score? We need that even more, because we were last in the league in that department this season (68.1).

We are particularly challenged with scoring inside. Our two leading scorers this season were guards Kayla McBride (you know her well from her college days at Notre Dame) and Jia Perkins, who averaged 13.8 and 13.3 points, respectively. Our top post scorer, Sophia Young-Malcolm, is retiring.

We've got a dynamic point guard, Danielle Robinson, who averaged 9.2 points and 5.0 assists this season. But she needs a big-time scorer to pass to, and it doesn't get better than you.

Don't know how else to say it -- we really need ya, and here in the Lone Star State, we know how to feed ya! Have we mentioned the Riverwalk?

If Connecticut wins

Well, this is kind of funny. We really don't have to introduce ourselves, right? We're just down the road from Storrs, where you've been piling up national championships the past three years. A lot of your fans there already come to our games, but you're going to bring even more. It's a perfect fit. OK, maybe the rest of the league doesn't think so, but who cares? We couldn't be happier to have you.

You've been here to the Mohegan Sun Arena, of course, including to watch the drafts involving past Huskies teammates. Certainly you've imagined what it will be like in the WNBA, and we're here to tell you that it will be championship-like with you in Connecticut.

Yes, we've missed the playoffs the past two years, but if we're healthy for 2016, we're going to be a contender. Forward Chiney Ogwumike was the No. 1 pick in 2014 and then was WNBA rookie of the year, but she had to sit out this season after knee surgery.

However, some of our other players took on bigger roles and expanded their games, such as center Kelsey Bone. Her stats -- 15.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 50.8 shooting percentage -- were the best of her three-year career. And guard Alex Bentley also had the best scoring average, 14.7 PPG, in her third season in the league.

So you are not going to have to come in here and carry the team. You'll have help, and several fellow young players with whom you can form a good nucleus. Our coach, Anne Donovan, was a great prototypical center in her day, and she will relish having the chance to work with such a multidimensional big woman such as you.

Bottom line: You already know they're going to name a sandwich or dish after you at Geno's Fast Break food court and pub here in the casino. So this is definitely where you belong!

If Atlanta wins

Forgive us, Breanna, it's been a while since we've been in the lottery business. But it worked out very well for us last time. That was 2009, and we got Angel McCoughtry with the No. 1 pick. She has led us to the WNBA Finals three times.

The difficult part of that is we were swept in all three. So we're still looking for our first WNBA Finals game victory. But we feel sure with you on board, we'll get that and then a championship. Even though we finished last in the Eastern Conference this year -- we were 15-9 like that other East team that wanted to get you, the Sun -- we know we're not that far away.

Angel Mac still got the job done for us offensively, leading the way at 20.1 PPG. But she really wants to become a stronger all-around player and leader who does even more to help her teammates. It's hard for her to do that, though, when she consistently has to carry so enormous a scoring load.

Former UConn player Tiffany Hayes has been a very solid player for us, and we have some young posts we got in a trade this past season -- Damiris Dantas and Reshanda Gray -- who could have bright futures. Your arrival would just elevate everyone's game.

Admittedly, this past season didn't turn out the way we thought it would -- heck, espnW picked us to finish first in the East -- but hopefully all our players have learned something from the disappointment. For some of them, that lesson is about being ready to go when the seasons starts. Which we know you will be, even though you have a jam-packed 2016.

You're a Yankee from the Empire State, but you will love our southern hospitality. Just don't get confused by how many different streets are named some variation of "Peachtree." Maybe best just to let someone else drive ... off the court, that is. On court, take it to the rim, all day long.