NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 04: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver anounces the #1 overall pick in the first during NBA 2K League Draft at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2018 in New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK — Two female gamers have been invited to attend this year’s NBA 2K League draft, the first time women will be included in the draft pool.
Chiquita Evans from Kentucky and Brianna Novin from New Jersey qualified for the esports draft through the league’s online combine. They are both expected to be at Barclays Center for the event Tuesday night.
The 2K League is entering its second season and did not have any female players in its inaugural year. Before last season’s draft, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the lack of gender diversity “a disappointment for all of us so far.”
Women have had difficulty breaking into professional esports. Among the most popular circuits, League of Legends Championship Series and the Overwatch League have each had just one female player.