SAN ANTONIO — Charli Collier, Michaela Onyenwere and Dana Evans have all opted-in to the WNBA draft that will be held on April 15.
The trio of college stars, who publicly announced they have entered the draft, are among three dozen names on a draft list acquired by The Associated Press.
Because the NCAA granted every college player an extra year of eligibility, individuals had to email the league by Thursday evening to renounce their remaining intercollegiate eligibility. If a player is still playing in the Final Four, they have up to 48 hours after their last game to inform the league if they plan to enter the draft.
Arizona senior star Aari McDonald, who has led the Wildcats to their first Final Four ever, has already said she’s entering the draft.
In the past, players who have exhausted their college eligibility were automatically entered into the draft.
The move doesn’t change the strict rules for underclassmen to enter the draft. There’s been discussions over the past week at the women’s Final Four whether players should have a similar rule to the men allowing one-and-done options. The WNBA has longstanding eligibility rules for the draft that haven’t really been a major part of WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
For the second year the draft will be held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Dallas Wings hold the first and second picks in the draft.
This is the league’s 25th season, which is expected to start next month although no schedule has been released. The WNBA announced a series of plans for the season, including a new marketing campaign “Count It,” as well as celebrations of the league’s milestones throughout its history.
