With the WNBA Draft on Monday, the league has introduced the 16 gamers who’ve been invited to attend the draft in particular person. These gamers will get to take a seat within the venue with their households whereas they wait for his or her names to be known as by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Inadvertently, this checklist additionally provides followers an inside look of who could also be drafted within the early rounds of the draft.
Right here is the official checklist of gamers who might be in attendance Monday evening in New York:
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Sania Feagin, South Carolina
Kiki Iriafen, USC
Aziaha James, NC State
Dominique Malonga, France
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Saniya Rivers, NC State
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Ajša Sivka, Slovenia
Serena Sundell, Kansas State
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
That is additionally the second yr in a row that followers have been capable of purchase tickets to be in attendance for the draft. The venue has modified although, permitting for extra creativity than the Brooklyn Academy of Music allowed final yr. That was a conventional theater venue, the place as The Shed in Manhattan provides the organizers the chance to create their draft ambiance from scratch.
“It’s bought two flooring that may function guests and followers who might be in attendance. The orange carpet is on the identical ground, however all of the stretching all the best way throughout the shed,” mentioned Hilary Man, Vice President of Manufacturing, WNBA and NBA Studio in Thursday’s pre-draft media availability. “They’ll have the ability to exhibit all their matches, and stroll straight from the orange carpet onto the draft ground. It’s simply going to be a extremely superior multi story execution.”
Whereas there is no such thing as a telling who might be drafted and in what order as WNBA GMs proceed to research their prospects, the WNBA doesn’t randomly invite individuals to be there in particular person. The league has executed its due diligence in talking to groups to evaluate who will seemingly go within the first spherical and early second spherical with a view to decide who to ship invites to. That’s why this checklist is a reasonably good indicator of what we could possibly anticipate.
One other issue to the invitations is that there quite a lot of worldwide prospects this season. Dominique Malonga (France) and Ajsa Sivka (Slovenia) might be there in particular person, however Justé Jocyté (Lithuania) and Anastasiia Kosu (Russia) are potential first and second spherical draft picks as properly. In the event that they couldn’t make it over for the draft (probably that means they gained’t be coming over for the season), then extra invitations may have opened up for different gamers projected later.
There’s additionally the prospect {that a} staff takes an enormous swing and drafts somebody who’s projected to go later within the draft and isn’t invited to the dwell broadcast. That occurred to Lexie Hull (No. 6 total in 2022), Abby Meyers (No.11 total in 2023) and Mya Hollingshed (No. 8 total in 2022).
Normally although, these gamers who might be there in particular person for Monday’s Draft may be anticipated to be the primary names taken off the board. The mock draft orders have modified rather a lot in current weeks, with gamers deciding whether or not or not they may enter the draft or keep in school. Olivia Miles, projected No. 2 total a couple of weeks in the past, determined to each not declare and switch out of Notre Dame. She dedicated to TCU a few week later. Azzi Fudd, one other first-round prospect, determined to remain one other yr at UConn as a substitute of declaring for the draft. Juniors reminiscent of Lauren Betts and Raven Johnson, who meet draft eligibility since they flip 22 this yr, each determined to play their senior years in school as properly.
Aside from Paige Bueckers going first total, the remainder of the particular order is up within the air. Primarily based on these invitations, anticipate a couple of surprises up the sleeves of WNBA Normal Managers and Coaches with regards to who they may draft.
