WNBA draft will be televised in prime time for first time ever

Featuring players like Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins, the WNBA Draft will be televised in prime time.

Tony Gutierrez/AP/AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- With Brittney Griner the top prize, the WNBA draft will be televised live in prime time for the first time.

The league announced Monday the first round will air on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. EST on April 15.

ESPN Vice President Carol Stiff says: "With the caliber of players that is expected to enter the 2013 WNBA draft, it was a logical decision to move the event to a prime-time window."

Griner, the Baylor star, is among the big names in a draft class that also includes Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins. The Phoenix Mercury own the first pick.

WNBA President Laurel Richie says holding the draft in prime time represents a "significant commitment" by ESPN and is "indicative of the growing interest in the league and the women's game overall."