With everything going on in the world due to COVID-19, it would be easy to forget that there’s a couple of drafts scheduled to happen soon, with one of them being the WNBA Draft. Usually, this happens in April with the WNBA season beginning one month later. It’s a hectic couple of weeks for the players who get drafted, as many of them have to immediately jump from the NCAA Tournament into WNBA action without much of a break.
Of course, with coronavirus canceling the NCAA Tournament this year and all professional sports on hold in the United States for the foreseeable future, questions existed about the feasibility of having a draft next month. It turns out the league agrees, as the WNBA announced that they would proceed with their draft as scheduled on April 17. But instead of being an in-person event, it will be held virtually.
https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1243191410058289152
“The WNBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm will be held on April 17 as scheduled,” the league said in a statement. “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WNBA will conduct a virtual draft without players, guests, and media. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET, and top prospects will take part remotely. The draft will also be available on the ESPN App.”
This seems like the best way to handle the draft without delaying it and putting future players into a state of flux. Many of the league’s future big names will be selected that night and they deserve a moment to be honored for all they’ve accomplished. When their WNBA careers will actually begin, however, is unknown — the beginning of the WNBA season is set for May and there are legitimate questions about whether teams will be able to get in the necessary training camps, workouts, and practices that are necessary before playing professional basketball.
