After too many years of being largely ignored by mainstream sports fans, college women’s basketball is finally having its moment. This year’s women’s March Madness tournament is breaking record after record. According to Axios, tournament viewership is up a whopping 42% from last season, and fans have consumed 4.7 billion minutes of women’s March Madness, which is an ESPN record.
So, why are so many eyes turned on women’s college basketball as compared to prior years? One of the main factors is the current roster of absolute powerhouses in the league. Players like Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa, Angel Reese of Louisiana State University, and Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut — just to name a few — have been wowing the crowds and drawing in audiences from all over due to their talents on the court and captivating personalities off of it.
But many of these sports stars are about to leave the college athletics world, making their transition away from college basketball in order to enter the WNBA draft. That means that while fans should absolutely still support the NCAA women’s teams, it’s an opportune time to start giving the WNBA some much-overdue attention and respect as well.
For newcomers to the league — or those who have been here all along — here’s everything to know about the 2024 WNBA draft.
When is the 2024 WNBA draft?
The draft will take place on Monday, April 15, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. Prospects are invited to come to the draft for their selection announcement; there will be three rounds with 12 picks each. The order of which team picks its new players in each round is the inverse order of the standings from the last regular season (meaning the worst-performing teams pick first), except for the first four picks of the first round, which are determined by the Draft Lottery, as explained by the official WNBA draft rules.
How can I watch the 2024 WNBA draft?
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN, with exclusive coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The draft, preceded by the WNBA Countdown Presented by Google at 7 p.m. ET, will also be available to watch live on the ESPN app.
What can I expect from the 2024 WNBA draft?
On March 12, ESPN released its mock draft to predict what the draft might look like this year. As of now, Caitlin Clark is expected to be a lock for the No. 1 draft pick, and will likely end up with the Indiana Fever, as that team has the first pick for the 2024 draft. Clark has been making history in women’s basketball this year, making records such as achieving the most 30-point games by any man or woman in Division I in the past 25 seasons. Everyone is eagerly anticipating seeing what Clark will be able to do once she enters the WNBA.
Another standout player who is officially in the WNBA draft is Angel Reese. Reese and Clark were both honored as the Sporting News Athletes of the Year together in 2023, so naturally eyes are on Reese as well, as she announced her intentions to join the draft on April 4. She also did it in a pretty iconic way, with a Vogue photo shoot and interview explaining her reasons for leaving college to go pro. Reese has also been dominating the court, averaging over 18 points and 13 rebounds per game, according to The Washington Informer.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of talent leaving school to join the WNBA this year, so it’s time to gear up for what they’re going to do next — this time, as pros.