In the absence of live WNBA games, there’s always the draft to be excited for.
When the WNBA’s season will actually start remains a giant question mark amid the continued restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. But the excitement surrounding Friday’s draft, at least according to some who’ve worked on the event in previous years, is considerably higher than years past.
“Even though it’s being done in a remote fashion, I think the buzz is higher than ever,” ESPN reporter Holly Rowe said Monday during a conference call about the draft. “I think the lead up to this has been good.
“I’m just really excited that people care, the buzz is there and it’s magnified … We all want something good and positive in sports right now.”
Like every other league experiencing coronavirus shutdowns, any news that brings us back to our old normal is good news. It also helps this year’s draft class contains one of the greatest prospects the league has seen in Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu.
“It’s tough to compare this year to last year,” Liberty legend Rebecca Lobo said when asked about the strength of this year’s class. “I think the biggest difference is Sabrina would have been No. 1 last year and she will most likely be No. 1 this year. She is a talent unlike most and so she adds something extra to this draft that last year didn’t necessarily have.”
This year’s prospect pool, however, faces some setbacks because of the league’s newly passed CBA and how free agency played out after last season.
“There are some teams that don’t necessarily have room on their roster,” Lobo said. “The opportunities might be a little tougher to come by.”
The WNBA draft kicks off on April 17 in a two-hour event starting at 7 p.m. Like every other event happening, it’ll be held remotely, but will still be broadcast live for the first time on ESPN (as opposed to ESPN2, where it previously was). And in what will also be a first, the Liberty will make the first overall selection in the draft, which will most likely be Ionescu.
The WNBA draft will also honor Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, who were killed in the same January helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of this year’s NCAA Tournament — many expected Oregon to win it all — and limited WNBA teams’ abilities to get last looks at some prospects in high-pressure situations. But some coaches said they still feel prepared, having done visits throughout the season.
Other projected lottery picks include Ionescu’s Oregon teammate Satou Sabally, Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter, Baylor’s Lauren Cox, South Carolina’s Tyasha Harris and UConn’s Crystal Dangerfield.
“Even though the circumstances are far from ideal,” Lobo said, “and even though none of the players — especially the seniors — got the chance to fulfill certain dreams for their collegiate careers, there’s still dreams coming true for some of them on Friday.”
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