The 2024 WNBA draft will be held April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the WNBA announced Wednesday, and will have fans in attendance for the first time since 2016.
The draft will be televised on ESPN from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET, and tickets for about 1,000 fans will be made available for purchase beginning March 7. A "WNBA Countdown" show on ESPN will precede the draft at 7 p.m. ET.
"We are focused on creating elevated events that WNBA fans won't want to miss, at a time when the energy for the WNBA has never been higher," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "As the official start to the WNBA season, we knew the WNBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm should be transformed into a larger, fan-focused event to celebrate the incredible talent set to enter the draft.
"With the continued support of ESPN, State Farm, and associate partner U.S. Bank, we anticipate hosting a truly memorable evening for WNBA teams and fans and, of course, for the immensely talented athletes for whom this night represents the realization of a dream come true and the commencement of the next phase of their basketball journey."
Aside from virtual events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the sixth consecutive year that the WNBA will hold the draft in New York City.
The Indiana Fever will pick first overall after winning the draft lottery in December and are expected to pick reigning national player of the year Caitlin Clark if she decides to go pro.