2015 WNBA Draft Lottery to Air at Halftime of Game 1 Eastern Conference Semifinal
ESPN2’s coverage of the WNBA Playoffs 2014 Presented by Boost Mobile will commence on Thursday, Aug. 21, with a doubleheader featuring an Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Washington Mystics at the Indiana Fever 7 p.m., followed by a Western Conference Semifinal pitting the San Antonio Stars at the Minnesota Lynx. Action culminates with ABC and ESPN2’s exclusive coverage of the best-of-five series for the WNBA Finals 2014 Presented by Boost Mobile that begins on Sunday, Sept. 7.
Conference semifinals announcer parings include Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo with Holly Rowe and Pam Ward and Carolyn Peck with LaChina Robinson. The trio of Ruocco, Lobo and Rowe will call the WNBA Finals 2014 Presented by Boost Mobile, while Peck will be providing studio analysis from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studio.
Additional production elements for the WNBA Finals will be announced closer to the series.
Top Storylines & Players
Many of the league’s best players will be on showcase during the postseason, and ESPN will follow many storylines, including the retirement of long-time Indiana Fever head coach Lin Dunn and San Antonio Silver Stars standout Becky Hammon, who will join the San Antonio Spurs as the first full-time woman to coach in the NBA. Coverage will also focus on Phoenix Mercury’s storybook season, as they set a new WNBA mark for victories (29).
Also highlighted in ESPN’s playoff coverage: Angel McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel (Atlanta); Elena Delle Donne (Chicago); Tamika Catchings (Indiana); Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles); Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus (Minnesota); Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix); Kayla McBride (San Antonio) and Ivory Latta (Washington).
2015 WNBA Draft Lottery
The 2015 WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm will air during halftime (approximately 8 p.m.) during ESPN2’s coverage of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Game 1 on Thursday, Aug. 21. The Draft Lottery will be hosted by ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi from Secaucus, N.J.
The four teams that do not qualify for the playoffs this season will be looking to secure the top pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm taking place next April.
WNBA officials and a representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young will conduct the draft lottery, which will establish the first four picks of the 2015 WNBA Draft. The order of selection for the remainder of the first round, as well as the second and third round, is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective regular-season records from 2014.
espnW.com will supplement ESPN’s schedule with comprehensive live coverage and analysis throughout the WNBA postseason:
- Michelle Smith and Mechelle Voepel will be onsite for the conference finals and WNBA Finals
- A breakdown of each series, including predictions, plus post-game analysis
- Additional video highlights and features throughout.
- espnW’s Top 10 WNBA Playoff Moments: Users will vote on some of the top moments in WNBA history on espnW.com to determine the top three, with the No. 3 moment unveiled during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. The No. 1 moment will be unveiled during Game 3. Voting runs from August 21 – September 3.
Later-round Coverage
ABC will broadcast the Western Conference Finals Game 2 on Sunday, Aug. 31, at 3:30 p.m. ABC and ESPN2’s exclusive coverage of the best-of-five series for the WNBA Finals 2014 Presented by Boost Mobile will start on Sunday, Sept. 7. Game 1 will air on ABC and can also be seen on the ABC SuperSign in Times Square in New York City. The remaining four games will be televised on ESPN2.
WatchESPN
All ESPN2 telecasts 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, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
ESPN2 & ABC WNBA Playoffs 2014 Presented by Boost Mobile Schedule (subject to change)
| Date | Time (ET) | Game / Commentators | Network |
| Thu, Aug 21 | 7 p.m. | Eastern Conference Semifinals: Game 1 Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck & LaChina Robinson |
ESPN2 |
| 9 p.m. | Western Conference Semifinals: Game 1 San Antonio Stars at Minnesota Lynx Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe |
ESPN2 | |
| Sat, Aug 23 | 5 p.m. | Eastern Conference Semifinals: Game 2 Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck & LaChina Robinson |
ESPN2 |
| 7 p.m. | Western Conference Semifinals: Game 2 Minnesota Lynx at San Antonio Stars Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe |
ESPN2 | |
| Sun, Aug 24 | 7 p.m. | Eastern Conference Semifinals: Game 2 Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck & LaChina Robinson |
ESPN2 |
| 9 p.m. | Western Conference Semifinals: Game 2 Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe |
ESPN2 | |
| Sun, Aug 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Western Conference Finals: Game 2 | ABC |
| Sun, Sept 7 | 3:30 p.m. | WNBA Finals 2014: Game 1 | ABC |
| Tue, Sept 9 | 8 p.m. | WNBA Finals 2014: Game 2 | ESPN2 |
| Fri, Sept 12 | 8 p.m. | WNBA Finals 2014: Game 3 | ESPN2 |
| Sun, Sept 14 | 5:30 p.m. | WNBA Finals 2014: Game 4* | ESPN2 |
| Wed, Sept 17 | 8 p.m. | WNBA Finals 2014: Game 5* | ESPN2 |
* – If necessary
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