WNBA expansion draft scheduled for April 6

Cindy Blodgett will have to wait until next month to find out if she will stay with the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers or if she could be headed to a WNBA expansion team.

Blodgett’s future with the Rockers depends on whether Cleveland places her on its protected list. Each of the 10 established WNBA teams had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to compile that list in preparation for the April 6 expansion draft.

WABI-TV reported Wednesday night that Blodgett, the former star guard for the University of Maine, had been protected, but it could not be confirmed by the NEWS.

Each team that played during the 1998 season can protect six players. Unprotected players could go to either the Orlando Miracle or the Minnesota Lynx, two new WNBA franchises, in the draft.

League rules do not permit the protected list to be released.

“We cannot publish who is protected and who is not protected,” said Lori Montgomery, the Rockers director of media relations. “The only people who know who’s on the list are the coach, the WNBA office, and obviously the expansion team.”

If a player is not chosen by either expansion franchise, the rights to the player revert back to her team.

The expansion draft will be conducted via conference call.

Results of the expansion draft will be released.

Blodgett, a Clinton native and former college All-American who is the third-leading scorer in NCAA history, averaged 2.9 points and 0.8 assists in 8.4 minutes per game during her WNBA rookie season last year.