The 2019 WNBA draft was the league's draft for the 2019 WNBA season. On March 19, the league announced the draft would be held on April 10 at Nike New York headquarters. The first round was televised on ESPN2, and the second and third rounds were televised on ESPNU.[1]

2019 WNBA draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)April 10, 2019
LocationNike NYHQ, New York City
Network(s)ESPN2 (first round)
ESPNU (second and third rounds)
Overview
LeagueWNBA
Teams12
First selectionJackie Young
Las Vegas Aces
← 2018
2020 →

On August 28, 2018, the league held the draft lottery between the four non-playoff teams – Indiana, New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago. The Aces won the top pick for the third year in a row.[2] For just the second time, all five players of one school's starting lineup was drafted, when Notre Dame's starting five were selected in the first 20 picks.

Draft lottery edit

The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2019 draft took place on August 28, 2018 during halftime of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs game between the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics.[2][3]

Lottery chances edit

All odds out of 1,000 based on percentages. (The 11-12-13-14 combination is ignored.) [2]

The lottery odds were based on combined records from the 2017 and 2018 WNBA seasons. The Aces won the Draft Lottery for the third year in a row, previously selecting Kelsey Plum in 2017 and A'ja Wilson in 2018. Plum was selected when the team was still located in San Antonio.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third round was in inverse order of the teams’ respective regular-season records solely from 2018.[2][4]

Draft invitees edit

On April 9, 2019, one day before the Draft, the WNBA released the names of the players who would be invited to be in attendance at the draft.[5]

Three of these players were not chosen until the second round, with Cunningham, Han, and Gustafson respectively chosen 13th, 14th, and 17th overall.

Key edit

* Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-WNBA Team
+ Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game
Bold Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year

Draft selections edit

Round 1 edit

Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team
1 Jackie Young + G   United States Las Vegas Aces Notre Dame
2 Asia Durr G   United States New York Liberty Louisville
3 Teaira McCowan C   United States Indiana Fever Mississippi State
4 Katie Lou Samuelson G/F   United States Chicago Sky Connecticut
5 Arike Ogunbowale + G   United States Dallas Wings Notre Dame
6 Napheesa Collier + F   United States Minnesota Lynx Connecticut
7 Kalani Brown C   United States Los Angeles Sparks Baylor
8 Alanna Smith F   Australia Phoenix Mercury Stanford
9 Kristine Anigwe C/F   United States Connecticut Sun California
10 Kiara Leslie G   United States Washington Mystics NC State
11 Brianna Turner F   United States Atlanta Dream Notre Dame
12 Ezi Magbegor + F   Australia Seattle Storm Melbourne Boomers (Australia)

Round 2 edit

Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team
13 Sophie Cunningham G   United States Phoenix Mercury (from Indiana via Las Vegas)[a][b] Missouri
14 Han Xu C   China New York Liberty Xinjiang Magic Deer (China)
15 Chloe Jackson G   United States Chicago Sky Baylor
16 Jessica Shepard F   United States Minnesota Lynx (from Las Vegas)[c] Notre Dame
17 Megan Gustafson F/C   United States Dallas Wings Iowa
18 Natisha Hiedeman G   United States Minnesota Lynx Marquette
19 Marina Mabrey G   United States Los Angeles Sparks Notre Dame
20 Cierra Dillard G   United States Minnesota Lynx (from Phoenix)[d] Buffalo
21 Bridget Carleton G   Canada Connecticut Sun (from Connecticut via Atlanta)[e][f] Iowa State
22 Kennedy Burke G   United States Dallas Wings (from Washington)[g] UCLA
23 Maite Cazorla G   Spain Atlanta Dream Oregon
24 Anriel Howard F   United States Seattle Storm Mississippi State

Round 3 edit

Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team
25 Paris Kea G   United States Indiana Fever North Carolina
26 Megan Huff F   United States New York Liberty Utah
27 María Conde F   Spain Chicago Sky Wisła Can-Pack Kraków (Poland)
28 Caliya Robinson F   United States Indiana Fever (from Las Vegas)[b] Georgia
29 Morgan Bertsch F   United States Dallas Wings UC Davis
30 Kenisha Bell G   United States Minnesota Lynx Minnesota
31 Ángela Salvadores G   Spain Los Angeles Sparks Ensino (Spain)
32 Arica Carter G   United States Phoenix Mercury Louisville
33 Regan Magarity F   Sweden Connecticut Sun Virginia Tech
34 Sam Fuehring F   United States Washington Mystics Louisville
35 Li Yueru C   China Atlanta Dream Guangdong Vermilion Birds (China)
36 Macy Miller G   United States Seattle Storm South Dakota State

Source[13]

Draft-day trades edit

Draft-day trades occurred on April 10, 2019, the day of the draft.

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ February 2, 2018: Las Vegas to Phoenix[6]
    • Phoenix received the 13th pick and a 2018 third-round pick (26th overall)
    • Las Vegas received Kelsey Bone
  2. ^ a b February 1, 2018: Indiana to Las Vegas[7]
    • Indiana received the 28th pick and Kayla Alexander
    • Las Vegas received the 13th pick
  3. ^ April 12, 2018: Las Vegas to Minnesota[8]
    • Minnesota received the 16th pick and Jill Barta
    • Las Vegas received Park Ji-su and Kahlia Lawrence
  4. ^ March 6, 2018: Phoenix to Minnesota[9]
    • Minnesota received the 20th pick and Danielle Robinson
    • Phoenix received a 2018 first-round pick (12th overall)
  5. ^ April 12, 2018: Connecticut to Atlanta[10]
    • Atlanta received the 21st pick and a 2018 second-round pick (15th overall)
    • Connecticut received Bria Holmes
  6. ^ July 9, 2018: Atlanta to Connecticut[11]
  7. ^ July 23, 2018: Washington to Dallas[12]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "WNBA Draft 2019 Presented By State Farm To Be Held April 10". wnba.com. WNBA. March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "WNBA Draft Lottery 2019 Presented By State Farm Results". wnba.com. WNBA. August 28, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  3. ^ "Everything You Need to Know About The 2019 WNBA Draft Lottery". wnba.com. WNBA. August 28, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "WNBA Draft 2019 Order". wnba.com. WNBA. March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  5. ^ "Kalani Brown and Arike Ogunbowale Among Prospects to Attend the WNBA Draft 2019 Presented by State Farm". WNBA. April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mercury Acquires Two Draft Picks in Sign-And-Trade Deal". mercury.wnba.com. WNBA. February 2, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  7. ^ "Indiana Fever Acquire Kayla Alexander in Trade With Las Vegas". WNBA. February 1, 2018.
  8. ^ "Lynx Make Trade On Draft Night, Add Two Pieces Including Familiar Face". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. April 12, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  9. ^ "Minnesota Lynx Acquire Guard Danielle Robinson and a 2019 Second Round Pick in Exchange for a 2018 First Round Pick". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  10. ^ "Atlanta Dream Trade Bria Holmes to Connecticut Sun". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  11. ^ "Dream Trade Layshia Clarendon, Draft Pick to Sun For Alex Bentley". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  12. ^ "Mystics Trade Tayler Hill To Wings For Aerial Powers". wnba.com. WNBA. July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  13. ^ "WNBA Draft '19 Draft Board". wnba.com. WNBA. April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Spruill, Tamryn (April 10, 2019). "2019 WNBA Draft: Every pick, all three rounds, Nos. 1-36". Swish Appeal (Vox Media). Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "WNBA Draft: Lynx bring in Shepard, Dillard, Bell, trade for Brown". FOX Sports. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.