By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Some of the best and brightest in collegiate women’s basketball will look to have their names called this Thursday during the WNBA Draft.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN with exclusive coverage beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. The top prospects will take part virtually. The draft will also be available on the ESPN App.
The Dallas Wings own the top pick in the draft, as well as the No. 2, 5 and 7 picks in the first round. If the Wings keep and use the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, they will become the first WNBA team ever to make the top two picks in a single draft. Dallas also could become the first team to make four first-round selections in a single draft.
How does Wings GM Greg Bibb feel about having the first picks in the draft?
“I’ll be better able to answer that a year from now, but it’s always good to have options,” he said. “We are a couple of years into a multi-year strategy in terms of resetting or flipping our roster, so last year we worked to aggregate picks, and it’s an early sample size, but I feel good about that draft class; we’ll try to replicate that success this year.
“But it’s always good to have options, and like I said before, it’s not an exact science, so the more swings of the bat you get, the more base hits you probably hit.”
In line with their commitment to vaccine education during the off-season, the draft telecast will feature WNBA players discussing COVID vaccines with a focus on health equity. Viewers will also get a sneak peek into the league’s historic, upcoming 25th season with guest appearances from WNBA legends, including Tina Thompson, the first player selected in the inaugural WNBA Draft of April 28, 1997.
“The opportunity for these elite athletes to reach this pinnacle and share this special moment with their families, friends and WNBA fans, even in a virtual format, will make for a truly memorable night especially as we commemorate the league’s 25th season and continue building momentum for the future of the league,” said the Commissioner.
Pre-draft festivities will tip off the morning of April 15 on wnba.com, the WNBA App, and other WNBA social media platforms when the Virtual Orange Carpet will give fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of the top draft prospects as they showcase their personalities and their unique styles while preparing for this life-changing moment.
New Team Uniforms
Earlier this month the WNBA and Nike unveiled a series of new uniforms for the 12 teams to wear during this historic season.
The collection includes three new editions of game uniforms for each team: the WNBA Nike Explorer Edition reflects the “creative margins of team identity”, while the WNBA Nike Rebel Edition jerseys represent themes of female empowerment from that team’s cities and communities. And marking the return of the white uniform for the first time since 2015, the WNBA Nike Heroine Edition jerseys symbolize “strength and empowerment.”
The new WNBA uniform system from Nike feature three game uniform editions for each of the 12 teams in the league, bringing stories from their cities and communities to life through the muse of female archetypes in storytelling and film: the WNBA Nike Heroine Edition, the WNBA Nike Explorer Edition and the WNBA Nike Rebel Edition.
“The basketball uniform is an important representation of the brand of WNBA players and teams, and a point of pride for fans,” said Engelbert. “In partnership with Nike, unveiling new and exciting adaptations of the WNBA uniforms is a dynamic way to build on the foundation of the league’s first 25 years.”
Each WNBA game jersey is numbered 1/144, honoring the 144 elite athletes who earned their place in the world’s premier women’s basketball league. Athlete numbers are returning to the front of the game jersey.
Ongoing planning continues for the league’s 25th anniversary. Training camp is slated to begin at the end of this month with the regular season set for tip-off in mid-May.
