The 2009 WNBA draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 (in HD for the first time ever) at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at 4:00pm.
| 2009 WNBA draft | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date(s) | December 8, 2008 – April 9, 2009 |
| Location | Secaucus, New Jersey |
| Network(s) | ESPN2, NBATV, ESPNU |
| Overview | |
| League | WNBA |
| Merging teams | Houston Comets (folded in 2008) |
| First selection | Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream |
A lottery was held on December 9, 2008. The Atlanta Dream received the first overall selection of upcoming 2009 draft. The Washington Mystics received the number two selection. The Chicago Sky came up with the third overall selection, followed by the Minnesota Lynx at four, the Phoenix Mercury at number five. For the first time in WNBA history, the lottery balls were chosen exactly according to odds. Some of the top draftees were Angel McCoughtry, Marissa Coleman, Kristi Toliver, and Renee Montgomery.
Transactions
- The Washington Mystics receive the first-round pick from the Los Angeles Sparks.
- The Atlanta Dream receive the first-round pick from the San Antonio Silver Stars.
- The San Antonio Silver Stars receive the second-round pick from the Atlanta Dream.
- The Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx have rights to swap second-round picks.
- The Washington Mystics receive the second-round pick from the Detroit Shock.
- The Atlanta Dream receive the second-round pick from the Seattle Storm.
- The Phoenix Mercury receive the third-round pick from the New York Liberty.
- The Minnesota Lynx receive the first-round and second-round pick from the Washington Mystics
- The Detroit Shock receive the second-round pick from the Atlanta Dream.
Key
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| Bold | Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year |
Dispersal draft
On December 1, 2008, the league announced that the Houston Comets would no longer operate. On December 8, a dispersal draft was held with teams being allowed to pick based on reverse order of 2008 records.
| Pick | Player | Nationality | New team | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sancho Lyttle |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Atlanta Dream | Houston Comets |
| 2 | Matee Ajavon |  United States | Washington Mystics | Houston Comets |
| 3 | Mistie Williams | United States | Chicago Sky | Houston Comets |
| 4 | Roneeka Hodges | United States | Minnesota Lynx | Houston Comets |
| 5 | Sequoia Holmes | United States | Phoenix Mercury | Houston Comets |
| 6 | Erica White | United States | Indiana Fever | Houston Comets |
| 7 | Renae Camino |  Australia | Sacramento Monarchs | Houston Comets |
| 8 | Passed | New York Liberty | Houston Comets | |
| 9 | Passed | Los Angeles Sparks | Houston Comets | |
| 10 | Passed | Connecticut Sun | Houston Comets | |
| 11 | Passed | Detroit Shock | Houston Comets | |
| 12 | Passed | Seattle Storm | Houston Comets | |
| 13 | Passed | San Antonio Silver Stars | Houston Comets | |
| Note: Two former Comets players, Tamecka Dixon and Shannon Johnson, were not selected in this draft and therefore became free agents. | ||||
| Note: Five former Comets players, Latasha Byears, Mwadi Mabika, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson were free agents and therefore not eligible for this draft. | ||||
College Draft
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-WNBA Team |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| Bold | Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year |
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
| Pick | Player | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Jessica Morrow | United States | Atlanta Dream | Baylor |
| 28 | Josephine Owino |  Kenya | Washington Mystics | Union (TN) |
| 29 | Jenifer Risper | United States | Chicago Sky | Vanderbilt |
| 30 | Emily Fox | United States | Minnesota Lynx | Minnesota |
| 31 | Sha Brooks | United States | Phoenix Mercury | Florida |
| 32 | Danielle Campbell | United States | Indiana Fever | Purdue |
| 33 | Morgan Warburton | United States | Sacramento Monarchs | Utah |
| 34 | Jessica Adair | United States | Phoenix Mercury (from N.Y.) | George Washington |
| 35 | Britney Jordan | United States | Los Angeles Sparks | Texas A&M–Commerce |
| 36 | Alba Torrens |  Spain | Connecticut Sun | Real Club Celta Indepo |
| 37 | Tanae Davis-Cain | United States | Detroit Shock | Florida State |
| 38 | Mara Freshour | United States | Seattle Storm | Florida State |
| 39 | Candyce Bingham | United States | San Antonio Silver Stars | Louisville |
External links
See also
References
- "All-Time WNBA draft history". WNBA. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.