A week before the first-ever draft of the Women’s National Basketball League takes place, the league held a virtual draft lottery to pick the order of selections, Sunday (evening).
The inaugural draft set on Saturday, February 13 through will have a unique format in the sense that the teams in the first-ever women’s professional basketball league in the country will not be picking in every round.
This as all the teams were given a chance to “protect” at most seven players. Guest team Go for Gold-Philippine Navy Lady Sailors were not part of the lottery since all of their players must be enlisted armed forces members.
For only protecting three players, Glutagence Glow Boosters had 12 picks — including being the only team allowed to draft in the first two rounds.
Stan Quezon Lady Spartan protected five players giving them 10 picks, Pacific Water Queens had six protect players giving them nine picks, while WNBL original Paranaque Lady Aces had seven players signed that resulted in getting just eight picks.
Two more teams are expected to give the league’s office their proper papers this week. The first team to accomplish the task will be awarded the remaining picks in each round, still subject to the number of protected players they submit.
Here is how the draft lottery that had SPIN.ph’s Reuben Terrado and Karlo Sacamos picking the ping pong balls and had Games and Amusements Board’s Assistant Chief of Pro Basketball and Pro Games division Rodil Manaog as supervisor went:
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x | x | x | x |
| 2 | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x | x | x | x |
| 3 | Glutagence Glow Boosters | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | x | x | x | x |
| 4 | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Pacific Water Queens | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x | x |
| 5 | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Pacific Water Queens | Paranaque Lady Aces | Boosters | x | x |
| 6 | Paranaque Lady Aces | Glutagence Glow Boosters | Pacific Water Queens | Stan | x | x |
| 7 | Paranaque Lady Aces | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Pacific Water Queens | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x |
| 8 | Queens | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Glutagence Glow Boosters | Paranaque Lady Aces | x | x |
| 9 | Glutagence Glow Boosters | Pacific Water Queens | Paranaque Lady Aces | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | x | x |
| 10 | Paranaque Lady Aces | Pacific Water Queens | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x |
| 11 | Paranaque Lady Aces | Glutagence Glow Boosters | Pacific Water Queens | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | x | x |
| 12 | Paranaque Lady Aces | Pacific Water Queens | Stan Quezon Lady Spartan | Glutagence Glow Boosters | x | x |
A total of 115 players will compose the league’s first draft class — all of whom took part in the Draft Combine last December 12-13, 2020.
“On behalf of Chairman Celso Mercado and NBL Commissioner Edward Aquino, we would like to extend our congratulations to all our WNBL teams and advance congratulations to the 115 dreamers as we are just one week away from making their dreams happen,” expressed WNBL Executive Vice President Rhose Montreal.
