We knew that when last season’s WNBA Draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music that it was a sign of the world healing – the sports world at least. The world at large these days is another story.
It was the first time the draft was staged in front of fans since the 2016 rendition that saw a young(er) Breanna Stewart get selected out of UConn as the No. 1 overall pick to the Seattle Storm. The rest with Stewie, as they say, is history.
Names such as Caitlin Clark, Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese and Aaliyah Edwards were part of that draft class – one that is now being considered among the greatest in WNBA history.
Apparently the WNBA got the memo from last season’s successful draft that these events deserve to be held in front of an audience. It was recently announced that this year’s draft will also take place in front of fans – albeit at a different venue in New York City.
Serving in BAM’s stead as the site of the draft will be The Shed where the likes of Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron, Dominique Malonga, Shyanne Sellers, Aneesah Morrow, Hailey Van Lith, Georgia Amoore, Saniya Rivers and Te-Hina Paopao will hear their names called. What is this venue? Without further ado, here are five things to know about the host building for the 2025 draft.
West Side Story
Unlike BAM which is located a hop, skip and jump from Barclays Center, The Shed is nestled on Manhattan’s West Side – Hudson Yards to be exact. It is not that far away from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) West Side Yard.
Fun fact about this West Side location – it was once considered to be the site of a football stadium for the New York Jets – that was also the centerpiece of Gotham’s bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
Also conveniently located only a few blocks from The Shed is the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Subways
Of course, for any venue in New York City, a key question that is to be on everyone’s mind is how to get there via subway.
The 7 line is known by many outside of the City for one of its easternmost stops – that being CitiField – home field of the New York Mets. The line’s westernmost stop happens to be the 34th Street-Hudson Yards station.
An approximate two- or three-block walk from the westernmost terminus of the 7 is The Shed.
A New Venue
The WNBA decided to go from old school to new school for its draft site.
While Brooklyn Academy of Music is one of New York’s older venues, The Shed is a relatively new addition to Manhattan. It was completed in 2019.
According to The Shed’s website, the concept for the venue dates back to 2005 when a portion of city-owned real estate on the West Side was preserved by the administration of mayor Michael Bloomberg for future use.
Another instrumental figure behind the effort was Dan Doctoroff. He was the deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding at the time – and was also a driving force behind New York’s West Side-centric 2012 Olympic efforts.
Bloomberg and Doctoroff also worked in tandem with Kate Levin – NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner to decide what would go on that land. The building was named after Bloomberg in his honor.
Vessel
Those walking from the MTA station at 34th and Hudson may also notice another eye-catching venue on that walk to The Shed.
That venue is Vessel – another element of the Hudson Yards/West Side redevelopment. It was designed by Thomas Heatherwick – a British designer – and his Heatherwick Studio.
Heathwick’s portfolio also includes other iconic designs around the world – including at least two others in New York City – The Longchamp Store and Lantern House.
More Than Meets The Eye
With any building – especially one as contemporary as The Shed – it is easy to be oohed and awed by its exterior design. But while its outside is easy on the eyes, what is featured on the inside also matters.
The main building is named after Bloomberg and its main lobby is named after Doctoroff. There is also its main gathering space which occurs when its outer shell (which moves) is over its adjacent plaza. That space is called the McCourt (named after Frank McCourt who was a founding member of The Shed project).
Other elements of The Shed include two galleries at levels two and four, the Kenneth C. Griffin Theater and the Tisch Skylights and Lab – named after Jonathan Tisch (another founding member).
