WNBA Draft 2018: Start Time, Schedule, Round 1 Order and Mock Predictions

The 2018 WNBA draft takes place Thursday when some of college basketball's best women players will fulfill their lifelong dreams of going pro. 

The draft starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, which will show the first two rounds. Coverage of rounds two and three will then shift over to ESPNU.

At the top of the draft board, all eyes will be on the Las Vegas Aces to pick the best player available. And for those basketball fans who have been paying attention, there isn't much debate as to who should go No. 1 overall.

Before we get into any more draft talk, though, let's take a look at the order with an updated mock version. 

2018 WNBA Mock Draft

1. Las Vegas Aces: A'ja Wilson, C, South Carolina 
2. Indiana Fever: Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee/Turkey
3. Chicago Sky: Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
4. Chicago Sky: Azura Stevens, C, UConn
5. Seattle Storm: Kia Nurse, G, UConn
6. Dallas Wings: Gabby Williams, F, UConn
7. Washington Mystics: Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
8. Indiana Fever: Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi State
9. Connecticut Sun: Lexie Brown, G, Duke
10. New York Liberty: Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State
11. Los Angeles Sparks: Maria Vadeeva, C, Russia
12. Phoenix Mercury: Monique Billings, F, UCLA

Here's a quick look at the full draft order for each round:

First Round

1. Las Vegas Aces

2. Indiana Fever

3. Chicago Sky

4. Chicago Sky

5. Seattle Storm

6. Dallas Wings

7. Washington Mystics

8. Indiana Fever

9. Connecticut Sun

10. New York Liberty

11. Los Angeles Sparks

12. Phoenix Mercury

Second Round

13. Las Vegas Aces

14. Indiana Fever

15. Connecticut Sun

16. Atlanta Dream

17. Minnesota Lynx

18. Dallas Wings

19. Washington Mystics

20. Phoenix Mercury

21. Phoenix Mercury

22. New York Liberty

23. Los Angeles Sparks

24. Minnesota Lynx

Third Round

25. Las Vegas Aces

26. Phoenix Mercury

27. Atlanta Dream

28. Chicago Sky

29. Seattle Storm

30. Dallas Wings

31. Washington Mystics

32. Las Vegas Aces

33. Connecticut Sun

34. New York Liberty

35. Los Angeles Sparks

36. Minnesota Lynx

Players to Watch

A'ja Wilson, C, South Carolina 

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

Wilson led South Carolina to a national championship last season and followed up a successful 2017 campaign with a National Player of the Year award this season.

As a senior, she averaged 22.9 points and 12 rebounds per game, showcasing her ability to crash the boards and put the ball in the basket better than any player in the country.

Wilson's combination of athleticism, skill and basketball IQ makes her a perfect fit for the WNBA, where she will be the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year as a franchise cornerstone for the Las Vegas Aces. 

Gabby Williams, F, UConn

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Gabby Williams might be a bit under the radar in this year's draft, but she'll find a perfect landing spot in Dallas with the Wings.

The former UConn Husky led her team in assists this past season with 5.3 per game.

Williams has shown the ability to score when she's on the floor after averaging 10.8 points per game on 60.5 percent shooting from the floor.

While it might be difficult to project how her scoring will translate from college to the pro ranks, there's no doubt she'll be a playmaker at the next level, especially on a young Wings team that could use a facilitator to kick-start the development of the franchise's other young talent. 

Jordin Canada, G, UCLA

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

During her days for the Bruins, Jordin Canada stuffed the stat sheet in any way she could. The UCLA standout led her team with 16.1 points per game while racking up 6.9 assists a night.

Canada became the first woman in Pac-12 history to record 1,800 career points and 700 career assists, joining Gary Payton (2,172 pts, 938 assists) as the only two players in Pac-12 history—male or female—to accomplish that feat.

The two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of Year will be a steal for the Washington Mystics at No. 7, and she could be one of the top two players to come out of this year's draft class when all is said and done.