It was, sadly for the Connecticut Sun, a little anticlimactic Thursday night. The hopes and dreams of another No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft Lottery succumbed, to, well, the odds.

The math dictated the Sun would get the third and fourth picks overall next spring. And that's what happened. Hence, the Sun, despite what is perceived as a weak draft, should get two solid players.

Just not the first pick overall.

"I was hoping for the upset," Sun coach Anne Donovan said, alluding to Connecticut's odds that below Tulsa and Seattle. "You're always pulling for the underdog."

Seattle won the lottery, followed by Tulsa.

The Sun own a lottery pick, based on their 13-21 record from this season. They also have New York's pick, resulting from the trade that sent Tina Charles to the Liberty. The Sun also got Alyssa Thomas and Kelsey Bone.

"I wouldn't say I was disappointed," Sun CEO Mitchell Etess said, after representing the franchise at the draft in Secaucus, N.J. "We would have been surprised if we jumped all the way up to one. We didn't really have high expectations going in.. ... This draft is so balanced. I don't think there's a (Brittney) Griner or something out there."

Among the candidates as potential lottery picks: UConn seniors Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Kiah Stokes, South Carolina center Elem Ibiam, Duke center Elizabeth Williams, California guard Brittany Boyd, Central Michigan guard Crystal Bradford and Stanford guard Amber Orrange, among others.

Several other players could emerge during the 2014-15 women's college basketball season.

"We'll get a nice player or two," Donovan said. "It's not the strongest of drafts. All the more reason you want the early pick. ... It definitely gives us some flexibility. We'll be in conversations with other teams. It'll be interesting to see who needs what and how these (college) players compete this season."

The Sun could add what amounts to two lottery picks even without the lottery.

Guard Chelsea Gray, who missed this past season with a knee injury, is expected to play, contributing to depth at guard. European wing Alba Torrens, a very highly regarded player from Spain, is also a possibility.

"Last year, we had a hell of a draft," Sun vice president and general manager Chris Sienko said, "and (with Gray) that includes this year."

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @bcgenius