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College hoops might’ve just ended, but there’s still more action to tune into, and by action, we’re talking about the WNBA draft. Basketball fans are waiting to see where top prospects like Caitlin Clark are headed in the pros. If you’re a hoops follower, you’re likely wondering how to watch the WNBA draft live for free. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to do so, which we’re about to break down for you.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft is an annual draft where WNBA teams select college players and profesional women’s basketball players to add to their rosters. This draft has been going on since 1997, making the 2024 WNBA draft the 29th in the league’s history. This year, it’ll take place on April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. This will mark the first time since the 2016 WNBA draft where fans will be in attendance.
To be eligible for the WNBA draft, a player must be at least 22 years old, have completed their college eligibility, and have graduated from a four-year college or to be four years removed from high school. The league considers anyone who is slated to graduate from college in the three months following the draft to be a “graduate,” since the draft typically takes place in April, which is before commencement. These requirements have been upheld since at least the 2014 draft. There are also no restrictions on where the players come from around the globe.
Itching to find out where Caitlin Clark and her fellow top prospects land in the pros? Keep reading to learn how to watch the WNBA draft live for free so that you don’t miss any of the big announcements.
When does the WNBA draft air?
The WNBA draft airs on Monday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
How to watch the WNBA draft live for free
The WNBA draft airs on ESPN, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Sling Orange, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, and ESPNU. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends, and includes ESPN.
Sling Orange and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Sling Orange costs $20 for your first month, starts at $40 per month after the first month ends, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $68.99 per month and includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews.
Best Overall Pick to Watch The WNBA Draft: Direct TV Stream
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch the WNBA draft for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $79.99 per month; Choice, which costs $108.99 per month with the first two months at $83.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $84.99 per month with the first two months at $94.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $159.99 per month.. ESPN and ESPN 2 are available on all four plans, while ESPN News and ESPN U are available on Choice, Ultimate, and Premiere only.
As for other difference between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the WNBA draft with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com
- Click “Shop Packages”
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the WNBA draft
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch The WNBA Draft: Fubo’s Free Trial
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch the WNBA draft live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers offers two plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month; and Elite, which costs $89.99 per month. ESPN is available on all four plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the WNBA draft with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the WNBA draft
Best Budget Pick to Watch The WNBA Draft: Sling
Sling TV is our best budget pick to watch the WNBA draft live for its price and channel selection. Sling TV offers three plans: Sling Orange for $40 per month; Sling Blue for $45 per month; and Sling Orange + Blue for $60 per month. Sling also has a current deal where subscribers can sign up for 50 percent off their first month, bringing Sling Orange’s price down to $20 for your first month; Sling Blue’s to $22.50 for your first month; and Sling Orange + Blue’s to $30 for your first month. Only Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue include ESPN. Both of those plans also include ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.
As for the difference between the plans, Sling Orange includes 32 channels and the ability to stream on one device at a time, while Sling Orange + Blue includes 46 channels and the ability to stream on three devices at the same time. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the WNBA draft with Sling.
- Visit Sling.com
- Click “Try Us Today”
- Create an account
- Choose your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the WNBA draft
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch The WNBA Draft: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch the WNBA draft based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN News are included on all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the WNBA draft with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the WNBA draft
What is the WNBA draft 2024 order?
Here is the WNBA draft 2024 order for the first round:
First Round
- Indiana Fever
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
- Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
- Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
- Washington Mystics
- Chicago Sky (from Minnesota via Los Angeles)
- Minnesota Lynx
- Dallas Wings
- Connecticut Sun
- New York Liberty
- Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)
How does the WNBA draft work?
So how does the WNBA draft work? There are three rounds in the WNBA draft and each one includes 12 picks. The top four picks of the first round are determined by the Draft Lottery, which took place in December 2023. The four teams that did not make the playoffs in the 2023-2024 season get to participate in the lottery. This year it’ll be the Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, and Seattle Storm. The Fever won the lottery for the second time in franchise history, so they get the top pick in this year’s draft. The Sparks, the Mercury, and the Storm follow the Fever in that order.
After the four lottery picks have their turn, teams pick in the inverse order of the standings from the regular season. That means teams at the bottom of the standings from the 2023-2024 season will get to select picks first and the top-ranking teams will go last. One catch is that teams can trade their draft picks with each other, which has the potential to alter the order and number of picks per team. For example, this explains how the Sparks have both the second and fourth draft picks this year.
Which team will draft Caitlin Clark?
Caitlin Clark is predicted to find her new home with the Indiana Fever, since the Fever get the first pick and Clark is the presumed first overall draft pick. Indiana got the first selection last season too and went with the No. 1 overall draft pick, Aliyah Boston.
Who are the top WNBA draft prospects?
Caitlin Clark
- School: Iowa
- Position: Point Guard
- Height: 6’0″
Clark plays college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes and is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. She was also a two-time national player of the year while playing for Iowa. The predicted No. 1 draft pick announced on February 29, 2024 that she would enter the 2024 WNBA draft instead of utilizing her fifth season of eligibility in college basketball.
Cameron Brink
- School: Stanford
- Position: Power Forward
- Height: 6’4″
Brink plays college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal of the Pac-12 Conference. She won the national championship in her freshman year at Stanford and followed that up with the Pac-12 Player of the Year honors in her sophomore year at Stanford. As a junior, she was awarded the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, and as a senior, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second time.
Kamilla Cardoso
- School: South Carolina
- Position: Center
- Height: 6’7″
Cardoso plays college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). She previously played for the Syracuse Orange in the 2020-2021 season and then transferred to South Carolina in 2021. She helped the Gamecocks win the national championship in her sophomore year, and the next season, she was named Southeastern Conference Sixth Woman of the Year and second-team All-SEC. On April 7, 2024, Cardoso received the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player in South Carolina’s 2024 national championship win.
Angel Reese
- School: LSU
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6’3″
Angel Reese plays college basketball for the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. She started with the Maryland Terrapins but fractured her right foot in the 2020-2021 season. As a sophomore, however, she was named a third-team All-American. Come junior year, Reese transferred to LSU and was a unanimous first-team All-American selection. She led the Tigers to its first national championship and was named Most Outstanding Player. In her senior year at LSU, she was named SEC Player of the Year and an All-American.
Rickea Jackson
- School: Tennessee
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6’2″
Rickea Jackson plays college basketball for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference. She started with the Mississippi State Bulldogs as a freshman and earned second-team All-SEC and All-Freshman honors. Jackson transferred to Tennessee for her senior year and was named first-team All-SEC. She played for the Lady Volunteers in her fifth season of eligibility.
