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WNBA draft going on as scheduled April 17

By Bela Kirpalani

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: A general view of the Round One Draft Board during the 2019 WNBA Draft on April 10, 2019 at the Nike Headquarters in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: A general view of the Round One Draft Board during the 2019 WNBA Draft on April 10, 2019 at the Nike Headquarters in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The 2020 WNBA draft will take place remotely on April 17

The WNBA draft will take place on April 17 as originally scheduled, the league announced Thursday. The draft will still be televised on ESPN2 starting at 8:00 pm EST.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft will be done remotely — WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the picks from her home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. The draftees will be included via video conference.

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The New York Liberty hold the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, and the Dallas Wings (with the second and fifth picks), Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream round out the rest of the top five.

Projected No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and the rest of the draft prospects saw their collegiate seasons prematurely end due to the spread of the coronavirus.

“This year has been the toughest year of my life, and I wasn’t expecting to have to end my senior year like this,” the Oregon guard wrote on Instagram. “Very saddened but wholeheartedly understand. To my teammates, coaches, fans, and the University of Oregon, thank you for providing me with the best 4 years of my life.”

With the cancellation of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, many players will miss out on the opportunity to make their name and improve their draft stock. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is still April 7.

At this time, the WNBA has not publicly announced any plans to push back the start of training camp which is currently scheduled to begin on April 26 nor the start of the season, scheduled to start on May 15.

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