The 2019 WNBA draft was the league's draft for the 2019 WNBA season. On March 19, the league announced the draft would be held on April 10 at Nike New York headquarters. The first round was televised on ESPN2, and the second and third rounds were televised on ESPNU.
On August 28, 2018, the league held the draft lottery between the four non-playoff teams – Indiana, New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago. The Aces won the top pick for the third year in a row. For just the second time, all five players of one school's starting lineup was drafted, when Notre Dame's starting five were selected in the first 20 picks.
Draft lottery The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2019 draft took place on August 28, 2018 during halftime of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs game between the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics.
Lottery chances All odds out of 1,000 based on percentages. (The 11-12-13-14 combination is ignored.) The lottery odds were based on combined records from the 2017 and 2018 WNBA seasons. The Aces won the Draft Lottery for the third year in a row, previously selecting Kelsey Plum in 2017 and A'ja Wilson in 2018.
Note: Team selected for the No. 1 pick noted in bold text. Team Combined 2017–18 record Lottery chances Result Indiana Fever 15–53 44.2% 3rd pick Las Vegas Aces 22–46 27.6% 1st pick Chicago Sky 25–43 17.8% 4th pick New York Liberty 29–39 10.4% 2nd pick
Draft invitees On April 9, 2019, the WNBA released the names of the players invited to be in attendance at the draft.
Kristine Anigwe, California Kalani Brown, Baylor Napheesa Collier, UConn Sophie Cunningham, Missouri Asia Durr, Louisville Megan Gustafson, Iowa Han Xu, Xinjiang Magic Deer, China Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn Alanna Smith, Stanford Jackie Young, Notre Dame
Draft selections
First round Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team1Jackie Young * G Las Vegas Aces Notre Dame2 Asia Durr G New York Liberty Louisville3 Teaira McCowan C Indiana Fever Mississippi State4 Katie Lou Samuelson G/F Chicago Sky Connecticut5Arike Ogunbowale * G Dallas Wings Notre Dame6Napheesa Collier * F Minnesota Lynx Connecticut7 Kalani Brown C Los Angeles Sparks Baylor8 Alanna Smith F Phoenix Mercury Stanford9 Kristine Anigwe C/F Connecticut Sun California10 Kiara Leslie G Washington Mystics NC State11 Brianna Turner F Atlanta Dream Notre Dame12 Ezi Magbegor + F Seattle Storm Melbourne Boomers
Second round Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team13 Sophie Cunningham G Phoenix Mercury Missouri14 Han Xu C New York Liberty Xinjiang Magic Deer 15 Chloe Jackson G Chicago Sky Baylor16 Jessica Shepard + F Minnesota Lynx Notre Dame17 Megan Gustafson F/C Dallas Wings Iowa18 Natisha Hiedeman G Minnesota Lynx Marquette19 Marina Mabrey + G Los Angeles Sparks Notre Dame20 Cierra Dillard # G Minnesota Lynx Buffalo21 Bridget Carleton G Connecticut Sun Iowa State22 Kennedy Burke G Dallas Wings UCLA23 Maite Cazorla G Atlanta Dream Oregon24 Anriel Howard F Seattle Storm Mississippi State
Third round Pick Player Position Nationality Team School / club team25 Paris Kea G Indiana Fever North Carolina26 Megan Huff F New York Liberty Utah27 María Conde F Chicago Sky Wisła Can-Pack Kraków 28 Caliya Robinson# F Indiana Fever Georgia29 Morgan Bertsch F Dallas Wings UC Davis30 Kenisha Bell G Minnesota Lynx Minnesota31 Ángela Salvadores# G Los Angeles Sparks Ensino 32 Arica Carter G Phoenix Mercury Louisville33 Regan Magarity# F Connecticut Sun Virginia Tech34 Sam Fuehring# F Washington Mystics Louisville35 Li Yueru C Atlanta Dream Guangdong Vermilion Birds 36 Macy Miller# G Seattle Storm South Dakota State
Draft-day trades Draft-day trades occurred on April 10, 2019, the day of the draft.
The Atlanta Dream traded Brianna Turner (Notre Dame) for Marie Gülich (from Phoenix Mercury). The Minnesota Lynx traded Natisha Hiedeman (Marquette) for Lexie Brown (from Connecticut Sun).
Footnotes
See also List of first overall WNBA draft picks
References