- Expanded On-Site Coverage at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City
- WNBA Countdown Presented by Google to air from location for the second consecutive year
- Elle Duncan to co-host SportsCenter from site
ESPN will televise the highly anticipated 2025 WNBA Draft Presented by State Farm® live on Monday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Shed at Hudson Yards, N.Y. Ryan Ruocco will return as the host on site, joined by analysts Rebecca Lobo and Andraya Carter and reporter Holly Rowe. Lobo and Carter will break down the picks with reactions and in-depth analysis, while Rowe will interview the newest 2025 draftees following their selections.
WNBA Countdown Presented by Google to air from the Draft for the second consecutive time
WNBA Countdown Presented by Google will air from the WNBA Draft for the second consecutive year, and tip off the festivities at 7 p.m. on ESPN, hosted by Elle Duncan alongside analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Andraya Carter. Coverage will include a feature on Paige Bueckers, the projected No. 1 overall pick, interviews with key draft prospects in attendance, and ESPN analysts breaking down the top fashion moments of the night.
Expanded On-Site Coverage
ESPN will enhance its on-site coverage throughout the night, starting with draft prospects arriving on the signature WNBA Orange Carpet and continuing through the final selection. This year’s production will feature:
- A 360-degree camera to highlight player fashion on the Orange Carpet.
- Live cameras inside multiple draft rooms (featuring teams with first round picks).
- Live coverage from official Draft Watch Parties nationwide
- Ruocco, Lobo, Carter, and Rowe will guide fans through key draft storylines and look ahead to the 2025 WNBA season, including key matchups for the Indiana Fever, reigning champion New York Liberty, and more.
SportsCenter travels to New York City
The 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter will be co-hosted by Elle Duncan, live from The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City, providing ample coverage, with Carter and Ogwumike joining live, giving fans insight into the WNBA Draft.
All of the evening’s coverage will also be available on the ESPN App.
ESPN.com covers WNBA Draft from every angle
The night of the draft, ESPN.com’s coverage includes:
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- WNBA Draftcast: Live round-by-round coverage and analysis of picks, including team-by-team needs, prospect grades and rankings by position
- WNBA mock drafts:ESPN staff writer Michael Voepel will project all three rounds right up until the draft begins
- Live coverage by ESPN staff writer Alexa Philippou, who will track draft day trades, picks and on-site news
- Paige Bueckers forecast:ESPN Staff Writer Kevin Pelton examines whether the UConn senior is a generational prospect and projects how she’ll be an immediate success at the next level
- Sedona Prince profile:ESPN Staff Writer Katie Barnes explores the complicated story of an NCAA women’s basketball legend
- Harmoni Turner profile:At Harvard, she ranked among the national leaders in scoring and steals per game and is hoping to make it in the WNBA, ESPN Staff Writer Aishwarya Kumar reports
- WNBA Draft Grades: Which teams were the winners and losers of the draft? Voepel’sreport card grades each team’s draft classESPN Fantasy Women’s Basketball, the first-ever full-scale fantasy game dedicated to a major women’s sport, is now open for signups ahead of the start of the 2025 WNBA season on Friday, May 16. Like other industry-leading ESPN Fantasy games, ESPN Fantasy Women’s Basketball is supported with analytical tools and editorial insights to help fans with their drafts, manage rosters, make trades, and more. ESPN Fantasy Women’s Basketball will be available to play in the ESPN Fantasy App for iOS and Android.
The WNBA and ESPN announced that the league’s 29th regular season, set to tip off on Friday, May 16, will be highlighted by 26 national broadcasts during the regular season across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. In addition, the ESPN’s lineup also includes every game of the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google, which will feature up to 29 games, including the WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, which will follow a best-of-seven format for the first time in league history. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network, will air select games throughout the season.-30-
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