The 2022 WNBA regular season will tip off on May 6, but first, the league’s future stars will find out which teams they’ll be playing for at the 2022 WNBA Draft. The three-round draft consists of 12 picks in each round featuring the best eligible college and international players in the world. This year’s event will be held at Spring Studios in New York City, which has been home to Fashion Week and The Tribeca Film Festival.
ESPN will be handling broadcast duties with Ryan Ruocco serving as the on-site host. Rebecca Lobo and LaChina Robinson will be joining the broadcast as analysts, and Holly Rowe will be reporting all the action.
Rowe will be interviewing draftees after they are selected. All-Americans Baylor senior NaLyssa Smith and Kentucky senior Rhyne Howard are believed to be the two best players in the draft and No. 1 overall pick. Mali star Sika Kone is another first-round prospect.
“Draft night is always exciting as these amazing, young women realize their basketball dreams of joining the WNBA,” said ESPN coordinating producer Sara Gaiero. “We’re thrilled to be in New York for the first in-person draft in three years, especially at a time when there’s so much positive momentum surrounding the league and the sport of women’s basketball.”
This will be the WNBA’s first in-person draft since 2019 and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the first-round picks. The Washington Mystics won the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history and were going to have the top overall pick before trading it to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the fourth pick. The full order for all 3 rounds is listed below.
Draft Order
| Pick # | First Round Order | Second Round Order | Third Round Order |
| 1 | Atlanta Dream (from Washington) | Las Vegas Aces (from Minnesota, via Indiana) | Indiana Fever |
| 2 | Indiana Fever | Washington Mystics (from Atlanta) | Phoenix Mercury (from Atlanta) |
| 3 | Washington Mystics (from Atlanta) | Atlanta Dream (from Los Angeles) | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 4 | Indiana Fever (from Los Angeles, via Dallas) | Los Angeles Sparks (from Washington) | Minnesota Lynx (from Washington) |
| 5 | New York Liberty | Seattle Storm (from New York) | New York Liberty |
| 6 | Indiana Fever (from Dallas) | Seattle Storm (from Dallas) | Dallas Wings |
| 7 | Dallas Wings (from Chicago, via Indiana) | Los Angeles Sparks (from Chicago, via Dallas) | Dallas Wings (from Chicago) |
| 8 | Las Vegas Aces (from Minnesota, via Phoenix, New York and Seattle) | Indiana Fever (from Phoenix) | Phoenix Mercury |
| 9 | Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle) | Seattle Storm | Seattle Storm |
| 10 | Indiana Fever (from Minnesota) | Minnesota Lynx | Indiana Fever (from Minnesota) |
| 11 | Las Vegas Aces | Las Vegas Aces | Las Vegas Aces |
| 12 | Connecticut Sun | Connecticut Sun | Connecticut Sun |
From the orange carpet to the final selection in the third round, cord cutters can find out how to watch the 2022 WNBA Draft below.
When to Watch
The 2022 WNBA Draft will air live from Spring Studios in New York City on Monday, April 11, at 7 PM ET on ESPN
How to Watch
ESPN will be the home of all the coverage and fallout from tonight’s draft. Cord cutters can check out the chart below to see which streaming services will be carrying the 2022 WNBA Draft.
| Channel | DIRECTV STREAM | fuboTV | Hulu with Live | Sling Orange | Vidgo | YouTube TV |
| $69.99/mo. | $69.99/ mo. | $69.99/mo. | $35/mo. | $55/mo. | $64.99/mo. | |
| ESPN | X | X | X | X | X | X |