NEW YORK, March 30, 2017 – WNBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm will be held on Thursday, April 13 at Samsung 837 in New York. ESPN2 will provide coverage and analysis of the first round beginning at 7 p.m. ET, and ESPNU will air coverage of the second and third rounds starting at 8 p.m. ET. Coverage will also stream live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
The draft takes place one month before tip-off of the WNBA’s 21st season and coincides with leaguewide single-game ticket sales for 2017. Individual tickets for all 12 WNBA teams will be on sale April 13. For ticket information, fans can visit http://www.wnba.com/tickets/ or team websites. The regular season opens on Saturday, May 13.
“We are thrilled that the WNBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm will take place in the heart of New York City.” said WNBA President Lisa Borders. “The draft is a launching point for our 21st season and represents a cherished moment for these players as they begin their quest to make a mark on the WNBA. We are very pleased that our broadcast partner ESPN will once again be providing in-depth coverage and sharing the stories of these young women.”
A number of the top draft prospects will be on hand at Samsung 837, the brand’s experiential flagship and cultural hub. The digital playground boasts three levels of experience zones including a VR Theater and three-story multimedia screen, which will serve as the backdrop of the event. Samsung 837 will provide a setting unlike any the WNBA Draft has featured before.
WNBA.com will provide complete draft-day coverage and serve as the web destination for fans who want to track the top college seniors in advance of the draft.
The San Antonio Stars hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft after winning the WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm last Sept. 28. The Chicago Sky will select second, followed by two selections for the Dallas Wings, who have their own pick at No. 3 and acquired the No. 4 pick from the Los Angeles Sparks in a trade that sent guard Odyssey Sims to L.A on Feb. 17.
The Seattle Storm held the No. 1 overall pick in each of the past two years, selecting guard Jewell Loyd in 2015 and forward Breanna Stewart in 2016. Both players earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and headlined their respective WNBA All-Rookie Teams. Stewart was joined on the 2016 All-Rookie Team by four other first-round draft picks: center Imani Boyette of the Chicago Sky, guards Moriah Jefferson of San Antonio and Tiffany Mitchell of the Indiana Fever, and forward Aerial Powers of the Dallas Wings.
The event is not open to the public.
The current order for WNBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm is as follows:
2017 ORDER OF SELECTION
First Round
1) San Antonio (7-27)
2) Chicago from Washington (13-21) (Delle Donne, Dolson, Copper, 2/2/17)
3) Dallas (11-23)
4) Dallas from Connecticut (14-20) via Los Angeles (J.Jones, Gray, 4/14/16) (Sims, 2/17/17)
5) San Antonio from Phoenix (16-18) (D. Robinson, Harrison, 1/31/17)
6) Washington from Seattle (16-18) (Vaughn, Hartley, Swords, 1/30/17)
7) Atlanta (17-17)
8) Connecticut from Indiana (17-17) (Little, Dupree, Kizer, Alleyne, 2/21/17)
9) Chicago (18-16)
10) Dallas from New York (21-13) (Zahui B, 5/11/16)
11) Los Angeles from Los Angeles (26-8) via Dallas (R.Williams, Phillips, 3/1/16) (Sims, 2/17/17)
12) Minnesota (28-6)
Second Round
1) Connecticut from San Antonio (7-27) via Phoenix (Bone, C.Williams, Alleyne, 6/25/16) (Currie, 5/6/16)
2) New York from Dallas (11-23) (Zahui B, 5/11/16)
3) Seattle from Washington (13-21) (Vaughn, Hartley, Swords, 1/30/17)
4) Connecticut (14-20)
5) Indiana from Phoenix (16-18) (Little, Dupree, Kizer, Alleyne, 2/21/17)
6) Washington from Seattle (16-18) (Vaughn, Hartley, Swords, 1/30/17)
7) Atlanta (17-17)
8) Indiana (17-17)
9) Chicago (18-16)
10) Indiana from New York (21-13) via Atlanta (Clarendon, 5/10/16) (Shimmel, 5/2/16)
11) Dallas from Los Angeles (26-8) (Sims, 2/17/17)
12) Minnesota (28-6)
Third Round
1) San Antonio (7-27)
2) Dallas (11-23)
3) Washington (13-21)
4) Connecticut (14-20)
5) Phoenix (16-18)
6) Seattle (16-18)
7) Atlanta (17-17)
8) Indiana (17-17)
9) Chicago (18-16)
10) New York (21-13)
11) Los Angeles (26-8)
12) Minnesota (28-6)
About State Farm®:
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its nearly 19,000 agents and nearly 70,000 employees serve more than 84 million policies and accounts – more than 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies, and more than 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 35 on the 2016 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. The league, which counts Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, completed its 20th season on Oct. 20, 2016.