The 2024 WNBA draft is scheduled for Monday (Apr. 15) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. Players have already arrived for the show and the WNBA social media handle shared a video of the draftees receiving special gifts from State Farm.
From Angel Reese to Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink, Dyaisha Fair, Nika Muhl, Elizabeth Kitley, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards, Charisma Osborne and Jacy Sheldon were seen in the video.
The $1.8M NIL-valued (per ON3) Reese has been preparing for the draft, training with some of the popular NBA trainers in New York. Meanwhile, potential No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark will arrive later than others due to her prior schedule at the Wooden Awards in LA.
What are the expected pick positions in the 2024 WNBA draft?
Besides Clark being the consensus No. 1 pick, no other position is set in stone. This is due to the rise in performances from players like Kamilla Cardoso and Nika Muhl towards the end of March Madness.
Cardoso was initially predicted to either be a No. 3 or No. 4 pick. However, her incredible performance in the last two games of the NCAA Tournament has led some analysts to currently project her as a No. 2 pick. UConn's Nika Muhl increased her draft stock after just one excellent performance in the Final Four loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, Cameron Brink, is expected to be at No. 2 joining the Los Angeles Sparks. Rickea Jackson, and Aaliyah Edwards, wrap up the top 5.
One big surprise is Angel Reese's projected draft position outside the top 5. Despite leading LSU to a Championship in 2023 and being named the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, the forward finds herself shuttling between No. 7 and No. 8. One mock draft even predicts her at No. 10.
Reese's low draft position is largely due to her offensive woes as she made 5-of-32 shots from behind the arc. However, she has posted training videos of herself making these shots from the NBA 3-point line, which is at 23-feet-9. The WNBA is at 22-feet-1.75.
The other players in the top 10 are Charisma Osborne, Dyaisha Fair and Jacy Sheldon. International players in the mix include Isobel Borlase, a 5-foot-11 point guard, and Nyadiew Puoch, a 6-foot-3 forward/center, both from Australia. ESPN predicts Borlase to be a first-round pick while Puoch is an early second-round pick.
The 2024 WNBA draft will be broadcast live on ESPN and streaming services like DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.
What are your thoughts on the 2024 WNBA draft class, considered one of the strongest? Let us know in the comment section below.
Also Read: 2024 WNBA draft order: Complete list of teams with round-wise picks
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