2018 WNBA draft
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The 2018 WNBA draft was the league's draft for the 2018 WNBA season. On March 12, the league announced the draft would be held on April 12 at Nike New York Headquarters, a recently opened secondary headquarters for the athletic apparel giant located in Midtown Manhattan.
Draft lottery
The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2018 Draft was set to take place on September 14, 2017, but was delayed by the league to November 13.
Lottery chances
The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2018 draft occurred on November 13, 2017. The lottery odds were based on combined records from the 2016 and 2017 WNBA seasons. The San Antonio Stars, with the worst two-year record, were guaranteed no worse than the third pick. With the Stars relocating to Las Vegas, Las Vegas retained these best odds. All odds out of 1,000 based on percentages (the 11–12–13–14 combination was ignored).
Note: Team selected for the No. 1 pick noted in bold text.
| Team | Combined 2016–17 record | Lottery chances | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Aces | 15–53 | 44.2% | 1st pick |
| Indiana Fever | 26–42 | 22.7% | 2nd pick |
| Chicago Sky (via Atlanta) | 29–39 | 17.8% | 3rd pick |
| Chicago Sky | 30–38 | 10.4% | 4th pick |
This is the fifth time that the lottery was won by the team that had the highest odds and second consecutive number 1 pick for Las Vegas.
Notable prospects
On November 7, 2017, the WNBA announced the following notable prospects for the 2018 draft:
- A'ja Wilson - South Carolina
- Kelsey Mitchell - Ohio State
- Gabby Williams - Connecticut
- Kia Nurse - Connecticut
- Jordin Canada - UCLA
- Victoria Vivians - Mississippi State
- Myisha Hines-Allen - Louisville
- Katelynn Flaherty - Michigan
Draft invitees
On April 6, 2018, the WNBA released the names of the players invited to be in attendance at the draft.
- Monique Billings, UCLA
- Lexie Brown, Duke
- Jordin Canada, UCLA
- Diamond DeShields, Çukurova (Turkey)
- Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
- Kia Nurse, UConn
- Azurá Stevens, UConn
- Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
- Gabby Williams, UConn
- A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Key
| * | 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 |
| x | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-WNBA Team |
| # | Denotes player who never played in the WNBA regular season or playoffs |
| Bold | Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year |
Draft
Round 1
| Pick | Player | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A'ja Wilson * | United States | Las Vegas Aces | South Carolina |
| 2 | Kelsey Mitchell * | Indiana Fever | Ohio State | |
| 3 | Diamond DeShields * | Chicago Sky (from Atlanta) | Tennessee / Çukurova (Turkish Super League) | |
| 4 | Gabby Williams + | France | Chicago Sky | UConn |
| 5 | Jordin Canada | United States | Seattle Storm | UCLA |
| 6 | Azurá Stevens | Dallas Wings | UConn | |
| 7 | Ariel Atkins + | Washington Mystics | Texas | |
| 8 | Victoria Vivians | Indiana Fever (from Phoenix) | Mississippi State | |
| 9 | Lexie Brown | Connecticut Sun | Duke | |
| 10 | Kia Nurse + | Canada | New York Liberty | UConn |
| 11 | Maria Vadeeva | Russia | Los Angeles Sparks | Dynamo Kursk (Russia) |
| 12 | Marie Gülich | Germany | Phoenix Mercury (from Minnesota) | Oregon State |
Round 2
| Pick | Player | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Jaime Nared | United States | Las Vegas Aces | Tennessee |
| 14 | Stephanie Mavunga | Indiana Fever | Ohio State | |
| 15 | Monique Billings | Atlanta Dream (from Atlanta via Connecticut) | UCLA | |
| 16 | Kristy Wallace | Australia | Atlanta Dream (from Chicago) | Baylor |
| 17 | Park Ji-su (traded to Las Vegas) | South Korea | Minnesota Lynx (from Seattle) | Cheongju KB Stars (South Korea) |
| 18 | Loryn Goodwin # | United States | Dallas Wings | Oklahoma State |
| 19 | Myisha Hines-Allen x | Washington Mystics | Louisville | |
| 20 | Tyler Scaife # | Phoenix Mercury | Rutgers | |
| 21 | Raisa Musina # | Russia | Phoenix Mercury (from Connecticut) | UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia) |
| 22 | Mercedes Russell | United States | New York Liberty | Tennessee |
| 23 | Shakayla Thomas # | Los Angeles Sparks | Florida State | |
| 24 | Kahlia Lawrence # (traded to Las Vegas) | Minnesota Lynx | Mercer |
Round 3
| Pick | Player | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Raigyne Louis | United States | Las Vegas Aces | LSU |
| 26 | Imani Wright | Phoenix Mercury (from Indiana via Las Vegas) | Florida State | |
| 27 | Mackenzie Engram # | Atlanta Dream | Georgia | |
| 28 | Amarah Coleman # | Chicago Sky | DePaul | |
| 29 | Teana Muldrow | Seattle Storm | West Virginia | |
| 30 | Natalie Butler# | Dallas Wings | George Mason | |
| 31 | Rebecca Greenwell # | Washington Mystics | Duke | |
| 32 | Jill Barta # (traded to Minnesota) | Las Vegas Aces (from Phoenix) | Gonzaga | |
| 33 | Mikayla Cowling[fr] # | Connecticut Sun | California | |
| 34 | Leslie Robinson # | New York Liberty | Princeton | |
| 35 | Julia Reisingerova[ca] # | Czech Republic | Los Angeles Sparks | Femeni Sant Adrià (Spain) |
| 36 | Carlie Wagner # | United States | Minnesota Lynx | Minnesota |
Viewership
The draft was telecast on ESPN2 (1st round) and ESPNU (2nd and 3rd rounds). The draft had an average audience of 212,000, which was an increase of 25% compared to the 2017 WNBA draft. The first round experienced an increase of 13% compared to 2017, with an average audience of 308,000. The 2nd and 3rd rounds saw a 49% increase in average viewers compared to 2017 (110,000 vs. 74,000). The 2018 draft was the most watched draft since 2014.