NEWEST CLASS TO BE FRONT AND CENTER AT WNBA DRAFT 2015 PRESENTED BY STATE FARM® ON APRIL 16

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2015 – WNBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm will be held on Thursday, April 16, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.  ESPN2 will provide coverage and analysis of the first round beginning at 7 p.m. ET, and ESPN3 will air the second and third rounds beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 

“We are excited that the WNBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm will, once again, be televised on ESPN2 in front of a live crowd at the Mohegan Sun,” said WNBA President Laurel J. Richie.  “Our draft is a pivotal moment in the lives of these young women, and we look forward to welcoming the best collegiate players into the WNBA.”

“We are thrilled to once again present the WNBA in prime time on ESPN2,” said Doug White, ESPN senior director, programming & acquisitions. “Each year ESPN enjoys showcasing a new crop of talented athletes who will fuel the league for years to come.”

The Seattle Storm holds the top pick in the draft for the third time in franchise history after winning this year’s WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, which was conducted live on ESPN2 during halftime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Washington Mystics and the Indiana Fever in August 2014.  Rounding out this year’s top five picks are the Tulsa Shock (second), Seattle (third, from the Connecticut Sun), Connecticut (fourth, from the New York Liberty) and the Chicago Sky (fifth).  

“There is no doubt that our fanbase is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the women’s game, so we are really happy that we can once again bring the WNBA Draft to Mohegan Sun Arena,” said Connecticut Sun CEO Mitchell Etess. “Last year was an amazing event and this is another outstanding opportunity for our fans to witness history as some of the best collegiate players take the next step in their careers.”

Last year, the excitement generated by the WNBA’s newest additions made the 2014 Draft the second-most-viewed draft in league history, behind only the 2004 Draft that aired on ESPN.  Chiney Ogwumike, selected No. 1 overall by the Sun, went on to earn the WNBA Rookie of the Year presented by Samsung.  Ogwumike and her older sister, Nneka (2012), became just the second set of siblings ever selected with the top overall pick in an American professional sports draft.  Odyssey Sims, taken by the Shock with the second pick, and Kayla McBride, selected third by the San Antonio Stars, each went on to make the 2014 WNBA All-Rookie Team.

The draft will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. 

Mohegan Sun Arena has hosted the WNBA Draft once before (2014) and the WNBA All-Star Game three times (2005, 2009 and 2013).

WNBA.com, in addition to providing comprehensive draft-day coverage, will serve as the web destination for fans who want to track the top seniors in advance of the draft.

The current order for WNBA Draft 2015 presented by State Farm is as follows:

2015 ORDER OF SELECTION

First Round

1)    Seattle (12-22)

2)    Tulsa (12-22)

3)    Seattle from Connecticut (13-21) (Little, Stricklen, Montgomery, 1/28/15)

4)    Connecticut from New York (15-19) (Charles, Thomas, Bone, 4/14/14)

5)    Chicago (15-19)

6)    Indiana (16-18)

7)    Los Angeles (16-18)

8)    Washington (16-18)

9)    San Antonio (16-18)

10) Atlanta (19-15)

11) Minnesota (25-9)

12) Phoenix (29-5)
 

Second Round

1)    Tulsa (12-22)

2)    Los Angeles from Seattle (12-22) (O’Hea, 4/1/14)

3)    Washington from Connecticut (13-21) via Seattle (Little, Stricklen, Montgomery, 1/28/15) (Hollingsworth, 2/22/15)

4)    New York (15-19)

5)    Chicago (15-19)

6)    Phoenix from Indiana (16-18) (Lucas, 5/12/14)

7)    Connecticut from Los Angeles (16-18) (Gruda, 3/28/14)

8)    Seattle from Washington (16-18) (Hollingsworth, 2/22/15)

9)    San Antonio (16-18)

10) Chicago from Atlanta (19-15) (Cash, Clements, 5/7/14)

11) Minnesota (25-9)

12) Phoenix (29-5)
 

Third Round

1)    Tulsa (12-22)

2)    Seattle (12-22)

3)    New York from Connecticut (13-21) (Charles, Thomas, Bone, 4/14/14)

4)    Minnesota from New York (15-19) (Rodgers, 4/16/14)

5)    Atlanta from Chicago (15-19) (Cash, Clements 5/17/14)

6)    Indiana (16-18)

7)    Los Angeles (16-18)

8)    Washington (16-18)

9)    San Antonio  (16-18)

10) Atlanta (19-15)

11) New York from Minnesota (25-9) (Rodgers, 4/16/14)

12) Phoenix (29-5)
 

About State Farm®: 
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve over 82 million policies and accounts – nearly 80 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity.  The league, which counts Boost Mobile as its leaguewide marquee partner, will tip off its 19th season in June 2015.

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education.  For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.

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Contacts:            Ron Howard, (212) 407-8641, rhoward@nba.com

                             Sam Tager, (212) 407-8358, stager@nba.com

ESPN Contact:   Rachel Siegal (860) 766-2798, Rachel.M.Siegal@espn.com