The 2020 WNBA Draft is tonight — Here's everything you need to know before the league welcomes its newest crop of stars

Meredith CashApr 18, 2020, 01:15 IST

All 12 WNBA teams will divvy up one of the deepest, most star-studded draft classes in league history — which is headlined by college basketball superstar Sabrina Ionescu.AP Photo/John Locher

The 2020 WNBA Draft kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The league will conduct its draft virtually as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first high-profile professional American sports league to do so.
All 12 teams will divvy up one of the deepest, most star-studded draft classes in WNBA history.
In addition to announcing the picks, league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will honor the late Gigi Bryant, her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, and her father, Kobe, all of whom died in a tragic helicopter accident this January.
Here's everything else you need to know about the draft:
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Friday's draft was initially scheduled to air on ESPN2, but will now air on the network's main channel after fans criticized the initial decision.

The 2020 WNBA Draft will now air on ESPN's main channel after fans criticized plans to show it on ESPN2

Analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo and longtime WNBA star Sue Bird will join Ryan Ruocco for ESPN's studio coverage from Bristol, Connecticut. Reporter Holly Rowe will join the coverage remotely.

Kobe was a vocal supporter of the WNBA and women's sports generally, while Gigi was a rising star herself who aspired to one day play for UConn and, later, the league.

Cathy Engelbert and company will also use the opportunity to honor the late Gigi Bryant, her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, and her father, Kobe, all of whom died in a tragic helicopter accident this January.

Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant, Kobe Bryant's daughter, also died in the tragic helicopter crash that killed her father

Cathy Engelbert and company will also use the opportunity to honor the late Gigi Bryant, her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, and her father, Kobe, all of whom died in a tragic helicopter accident this January.

Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant, Kobe Bryant's daughter, also died in the tragic helicopter crash that killed her father

Here's the entire draft order:

The blockbuster trade could mean that at least one of Ionescu's two Oregon Ducks teammates who are projected first-round picks wind up playing alongside the superstar point guard at the next level.

A three-team trade that sent perennial All-Star Tina Charles to the reigning champion Washington Mystics only made matters more complicated, shaking up the draft order and giving the New York Liberty two extra first-round picks.

A three-team trade that sent perennial All-Star Tina Charles to the reigning champion Washington Mystics only made matters more complicated, shaking up the draft order and giving the New York Liberty two extra first-round picks.

The rest of the draft is far less certain, with WNBA experts struggling to come to a consensus on many of the later first-round picks.

WNBA MOCK DRAFT: What the experts are predicting for all the first-round picks

Oregon Ducks superstar Sabrina Ionescu — who is the all-time NCAA leader in career triple-doubles and the only Division I player, male or female, to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds over their career — will all but certainly go to the New York Liberty with the No. 1 pick.

The biggest star in college basketball, Sabrina Ionescu, is closing in on a shoe deal and her own signature sneaker and Stephen Curry is getting involved

Oregon Ducks superstar Sabrina Ionescu — who is the all-time NCAA leader in career triple-doubles and the only Division I player, male or female, to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds over their career — will all but certainly go to the New York Liberty with the No. 1 pick.

The biggest star in college basketball, Sabrina Ionescu, is closing in on a shoe deal and her own signature sneaker and Stephen Curry is getting involved

Where they'll go is anybody's guess, but the first overall pick is basically a lock.

Sabrina Ionescu and her twin brother hustled adults at basketball courts as kids to win money for Slurpees

Oregon's Satou Sabally, UConn's Megan Walker, and Texas A&M's Chennedy Carter headline the list of early declarers.

A number of college juniors who dominated the NCAA declared for the WNBA a year early.

Fans are looking forward to watching their teams divvy up the deepest, most star-studded draft the WNBA has seen in quite some time.

And players will enjoy their special moment via split-screen.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce each pick digitally from her home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

Source: Newsday

The league will conduct its draft virtually as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first high-profile professional American sports league to do so.

The 2020 WNBA Draft kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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The 2020 WNBA Draft is tonight — Here's everything you need to know before the league welcomes its newest crop of stars

Now check out everything we know about the star-studded cast of characters interviewed in the upcoming Michael Jordan documentary:

Friday's draft was initially scheduled to air on ESPN2, but will now air on the network's main channel after fans criticized the initial decision.

Analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo and longtime WNBA star Sue Bird will join Ryan Ruocco for ESPN's studio coverage from Bristol, Connecticut. Reporter Holly Rowe will join the coverage remotely.

Kobe was a vocal supporter of the WNBA and women's sports generally, while Gigi was a rising star herself who aspired to one day play for UConn and, later, the league.

Cathy Engelbert and company will also use the opportunity to honor the late Gigi Bryant, her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, and her father, Kobe, all of whom died in a tragic helicopter accident this January.

Here's the entire draft order:

The blockbuster trade could mean that at least one of Ionescu's two Oregon Ducks teammates who are projected first-round picks wind up playing alongside the superstar point guard at the next level.

A three-team trade that sent perennial All-Star Tina Charles to the reigning champion Washington Mystics only made matters more complicated, shaking up the draft order and giving the New York Liberty two extra first-round picks.

The rest of the draft is far less certain, with WNBA experts struggling to come to a consensus on many of the later first-round picks.

Oregon Ducks superstar Sabrina Ionescu — who is the all-time NCAA leader in career triple-doubles and the only Division I player, male or female, to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds over their career — will all but certainly go to the New York Liberty with the No. 1 pick.

Where they'll go is anybody's guess, but the first overall pick is basically a lock.

Oregon's Satou Sabally, UConn's Megan Walker, and Texas A&M's Chennedy Carter headline the list of early declarers.

A number of college juniors who dominated the NCAA declared for the WNBA a year early.

Fans are looking forward to watching their teams divvy up the deepest, most star-studded draft the WNBA has seen in quite some time.

And players will enjoy their special moment via split-screen.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce each pick digitally from her home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

The league will conduct its draft virtually as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first high-profile professional American sports league to do so.

The 2020 WNBA Draft kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.