The WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm® will be held on Monday, April 11. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN with exclusive coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The draft will also be available live on the ESPN App.
Top prospects will take part live as the WNBA Draft presented by State Farm returns to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, with the acclaimed Spring Studios, located in the Tribeca section of New York and the home to such iconic events as Fashion Week and The Tribeca Film Festival, serving as the venue for the evening’s events.
“With the continued support of ESPN, our draft presenting partner State Farm and associate partners, Beats by Dre, SAP, and U.S. Bank, we look forward to what will be a truly memorable evening for WNBA teams and fans and, of course, for the elite athletes for whom this night will mark the realization of a dream come true and the launch of the next phase of their basketball journey,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Coming off of an incredibly successful 2021 season and in the wake of our recent announcement regarding the largest-ever capital raise for a women’s sports property, the WNBA continues to build momentum for the future of the league. And what better way to ramp up the momentum for the tip-off of our 26th season, than with WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm on April 11th.”
Launching later this month, “Draft Central” on wnba.com, will enable fans to access multiple offerings in the days leading up to the draft. Elements will include an interactive Draft Board; Prospect profiles with insights powered by SAP; In-depth features on the top draft prospects; Coverage of all draft events; And more. Fans will also be able to access an array of content across @WNBA channels that will include the unique stories and personalities of the prospects via Instagram and Tik Tok; a Twitter Spaces Mock Draft Debate; cross platform live coverage including the “Orange Carpet;” and more.
The formal tip off of the draft night festivities will take place when the invited draft prospects take their turn on the WNBA’s iconic “Orange Carpet” where they will showcase their personalities and their unique fashion styles while preparing for this life-changing moment.
The Washington Mystics own the top pick in the WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm. The last six No. 1 overall draft picks were:
2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
2017: Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (formerly San Antonio Stars)
2018: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings
Additional information regarding the broadcast of WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm will be announced in the near future. The league is conducting ongoing planning for its 26th season, including the start of training camp in April and the tip-off of the WNBA regular season on May 6.