The night Dallas Wings fans have been pacing like coaches in overtime, and finally, the wait is over. The 2025 WNBA Draft is just hours away, and the excitement is off the charts. All eyes are on Paige Bueckers–the top prospect who’s expected to take the league by storm. With the number 1 pick in hand, Dallas has a golden opportunity to bring in a franchise-changing talent, and Paige might just be that.
But hold up, Bueckers isn’t the only star in this galaxy. Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen, Hailey Van Lith–these names have dominated college hoops and are ready for the pros. And don’t sleep on the international game-changers either. There’s serious talent coming in from overseas that could surprise a lot of people. Buckle up! The draft night is going to be a wild ride. With 16 prospects invited to the draft in person, joined by their families, the stage is set for tears, cheers, and life-changing moments when Commissioner Cathy Engelbert steps to the mic.
For all the newcomers tuning into the WNBA Draft for the first time—don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! This quick guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from who’s eligible to how the process works.
How the WNBA Draft Works?
To really get how the WNBA Draft works, we’ve got to start with the basics–eligibility. Who can even enter the draft?
Draft Eligibility
Not every hoop star can jump straight to the WNBA. The eligibility rules are strict, especially for U.S. players. They also set it apart from leagues like the NBA. While NBA fans are used to seeing one-and-done college players enter the draft at 19 or 20, the W is more selective when it comes to timing! For U.S.-based players, you can’t just leave college after one year. You have to either be turning 22 in the same year as the draft, be four years out of high school, or graduate early from a four-year program to even be considered. The age limit has long sparked debates, with many saying that it delays top talent.
Take Caitlin Clark, for example. Or even Paige Bueckers, the projected number 1 pick in this year’s draft. Both players were clearly WNBA-ready long before they were technically allowed to declare. If the talent is there, why hold them back? It’s definitely something the league might want to revisit down the line. Especially as women’s college hoops continues to grow and produce superstars who could make an impact in the W much earlier.
However, this system ensures that most WNBA rookies are a bit older and more seasoned when they enter the league. As for international prospects, the bar is slightly different–they just need to be at least 20 years old in the draft year. However, they should have never “exercised intercollegiate basketball eligibility” in the U.S. So whether you’re a college standout or a rising star from overseas, there’s a clear path–but no shortcuts to reaching the W.
Alright, moving on! Let’s break down how the WNBA draft order is actually decided.
Draft Lottery
The draft lottery is where dreams hinge on ping-pong balls. It decides the first four picks of the draft. It decides the top four picks for the four teams that missed the prior season’s playoffs. But there’s more! The lottery odds are based on these teams’ combined records from the past two seasons. The worse the record, the better the chance at that coveted No. 1 pick.
Last season, the Indiana Fever were the lucky ones to get the pick and draft arguably the best player to enter the draft in recent years, and this year, it’s the Dallas Wings who hit the jackpot and won the lottery pick in November 2024. They upped the Los Angeles Sparks, who had a 44.2% chance at No. 1 with a 25-55 record across the last two seasons.
Draft Format
The WNBA Draft is made up of three rounds, with twelve picks in each round. The top four picks are decided by the lottery, but after that, the rest of the draft order is based on the reverse standings. The team with the worst record picks next, and so on. If you were the champs, like the Las Vegas Aces in 2023, you’re picking last.
This reverse-order system continues into the second and third rounds, but just like the NBA, picks can be traded! Teams can swap picks, shaking up the draft order in a big way. The teams can swap picks until 5 p.m. ET the day before the draft. Take the Los Angeles Sparks, for example—they originally had the 2nd pick in the upcoming draft. But instead of keeping it, they traded it to get Kelsey Plum, and their pick ended up going to the Storm as they traded Jewell Loyd to secure that pick from the Aces.
Declaring for the Draft
Declaring isn’t just saying, “I’m in.” Players must notify the WNBA in writing, and timing’s tight. If you’re not in the NCAA tournament, have remaining college eligibility, you must renounce and declare in no less than 10 days before the draft- April 4 for 2025. While tournament players get 48 hours post-final game. International players like France’s Dominique Malonga skip this—they’re automatically in if age-qualified and start hearing from interested teams.
Now that we’ve got the rules out of the way, let’s talk about the big day itself. When and where can you catch the 2025 WNBA Draft on April 14?
Draft Timing
The WNBA Draft typically takes place in mid-to-late April, right after the end of March Madness. This year, the big night is set for April 14 at The Shed in Manhattan and is presented by State Farm. Fans can tune in to ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET to catch all the action live.
The post How Does the WNBA Draft Work? Rules, Format, and Process Explained appeared first on EssentiallySports.
