WNBA prepares for virtual draft in light of coronavirus crisis

Top women’s college basketball teams missed out on an opportunity to play for the national championship this season. Come Friday, top players will miss out on an opportunity to shake WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s hand.

“Being the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA draft is special,” Aces general manger Dan Padover said. “Getting called up to the stage.”

There will be no stage this year. The coronavirus pandemic has indefinitely postponed the start of the WNBA season and forced the league to conduct its draft with a virtual format at 4 p.m. Friday on ESPN.

The virus, though, hasn’t dramatically altered preparations, as teams have had four-plus months to scout players and plan the trajectory of their future. The Aces have one pick, No. 33 overall, after holding the No. 1 overall pick for three consecutive years.

Padover said protocol is similar to that in previous years, even though the team does not have a first- or second-round pick.

“We’re not at the stage where we can fly players in for interviews,” Padover said. “Most of our interviews are conducted over the phone with coaches. From that perspective, I don’t think it affects the draft process that much.”

The WNBA season concluded in October and the collegiate season began in November, allowing ample time for executives to prepare for Friday’s draft. Dallas Wings general manager Greg Bibb said he has spent multiple seasons studying players in preparation for this particular draft, for which his team has four of the first nine picks — including the No. 9 pick it acquired from Las Vegas for All-Star center Liz Cambage.

“We sort of doubled down on our prep and our travel,” Bibb said. “I know personally I’ve watched more games in live this year than I have in any other year. … We’re well prepared and ready to make selections.”

The caveat, of course, is that the coronavirus forced the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, which provides draft-eligible juniors, fringe WNBA players and unknown prospects with one final proving ground.

Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve said the league is missing out on the momentum the NCAA Tournament often provides leading up to the draft, but noted that almost all evaluation is done before the tournament and that conference tournaments are also a valuable scouting tool. She also said improvements in video allow for better player evaluation.

“We’ve been mock-drafting for a while now,” Reeve said.

The WNBA will take center stage Friday, with no other live professional sports events taking place in the United States. The draft was originally scheduled to air on ESPN2, but was moved to ESPN shortly after the announcement of its virtual format last month.

Reeve is among those who hope the league can garner more attention from the sporting public.

“We’re going to have a lot of eyes on it,” she said. “People are going to have a thirst for something sports-related, and who doesn’t love watching a draft? Ultimately, I think it’s capitalizing on a great opportunity.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.