The 2020 WNBA Draft is quickly approaching and with most of the eyes of the basketball community centered around some school named Oregon and their likely crew of first round picks, the Beavers will also be anxiously watching the selection process in the hopes of heading senior guard Mikayla Pivec’s name called on Friday night.
A quick journey through some of the more notable media outlets such as ESPN and CBS Sports found that most first-round only mock drafts failed to include Pivec in the top twelve selections. However, many experts see her being chosen somewhere in the second round, while noting her ability as a willing and athletic defender, in addition to flourishing as a selective play-maker. A handle of sources, including Draft Site, BBALL Index and Swish Appeal, the latter of which is SB Nation’s women’s basketball go-to outlet, all have Pivec projecting somewhere in picks #15 through #19.
Draft Site (#15 Dallas Wings - Mikayla Pivec | R2, P3)
The easy connection for Pivec would be to be selected by the Seattle Storm, as Pivec grew up just twenty-five or so minutes north up I-5 from the Emerald City in nearby Lynnwood. That type of homecoming, mixed with the Storm’s need to find younger depth at the guard spot to secure their roster as Sue Bird and Epiphanny Prince near the end stages of their career, would make sense for the Beavers stand-out. However, Seattle still has some likeable back-court options available, between former Notre Dame star Jewell Loyd and UCLA legend Jordin Canada, which was make it difficult for Pivec to immediately jump into the mix.
The 2020 WNBA Draft will take place on Friday, April 17th and begin at 4 PM PT. The draft will feature 36 picks over three rounds and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The New York Liberty currently hold the number one overall pick, which is widely expected to be used on Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu. If Ionescu is taken with the top selection, she will be the fourth Pac-12 player to hold that distinction in the last nine years (Kelsey Plum - 2017, Chiney Ogwumike - 2014, Nneka Ogwumike - 2012).