List of first overall WNBA draft picks

The Women's National Basketball Association's first overall pick is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins the WNBA draft lottery; in most cases, that team had a losing record in the previous season.

Eight first picks have won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lauren Jackson (three-time winner), Candace Parker (two-time winner), Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart (two-time winner), and A'ja Wilson (four-time winner). Parker is the only player to win the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award during her rookie year.

Sixteen first picks have won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus, Candace Parker, Angel McCoughtry, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers. Three of these made the All-WNBA first team as a rookie: Taurasi, Parker, and Clark. Six others were All-WNBA second team selections as rookies: Augustus, Charles, Moore, Stewart, Wilson, and Bueckers.

Four collegiate programs have multiple players that were selected first overall: UConn with six, Tennessee with three, and Notre Dame, South Carolina and Stanford with two each.

Key

! Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
^ Denotes player who has been inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
* 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
PPG Points per game
APG Assists per game
RPG Rebounds per game

List of first overall picks

Draft Selected by Player Country Position College / former club WNBA rookie statistics[a] Ref.
PPG RPG APG
1997
(Elite)[b] 		Utah Starzz Dena Head  USA Guard Tennessee 5.7 2.3 1.7 [2]
1997 Houston Comets Tina Thompson * ^ ! Forward USC 13.2 6.6 1.1 [3]
1998 Utah Starzz Margo Dydek +  POL Center Pool Getafe (Spain) 12.9 7.6 1.8 [4]
1999 Washington Mystics Chamique Holdsclaw * ^  USA Forward Tennessee 16.9 7.9 2.4 [5]
2000 Cleveland Rockers Ann Wauters +  BEL Center USV Olympic (France) 6.2 4.0 1.2 [6]
2001 Seattle Storm Lauren Jackson * ^ !  AUS Forward-Center Canberra Capitals (Australia) 15.2 6.7 1.5 [7]
2002 Seattle Storm Sue Bird * !  USA Guard Connecticut 14.4 2.6 6.0 [8]
2003 Cleveland Rockers LaToya Thomas Forward Mississippi State 10.8 5.1 1.2 [9]
2004 Phoenix Mercury Diana Taurasi * Connecticut 17.0 4.4 3.9 [10]
2005 Charlotte Sting Janel McCarville  USA Center Minnesota 1.8 2.7 0.4 [11]
2006 Minnesota Lynx Seimone Augustus * ^ !  USA Forward LSU 21.9 3.8 1.5 [12]
2007 Phoenix Mercury Lindsey Harding  USA Guard Duke 11.7 4.4 3.9 [13]
2008 Los Angeles Sparks Candace Parker *  USA Forward Tennessee 18.5 9.5 3.4 [14]
2009 Atlanta Dream Angel McCoughtry *  USA Louisville 12.8 3.1 2.1 [15]
2010 Connecticut Sun Tina Charles *  USA Center Connecticut 15.5 11.7 1.5 [16]
2011 Minnesota Lynx Maya Moore * ^ !  USA Forward 13.2 4.6 2.6 [17]
2012 Los Angeles Sparks Nneka Ogwumike *  USA Stanford 14.0 7.5 1.2 [18]
2013 Phoenix Mercury Brittney Griner *  USA Center Baylor 12.6 6.3 1.0 [19]
2014 Connecticut Sun Chiney Ogwumike +  USA Forward Stanford 15.5 8.5 0.6 [20]
2015 Seattle Storm Jewell Loyd *  USA Guard Notre Dame 10.7 3.5 1.9 [21]
2016 Seattle Storm Breanna Stewart *  USA Forward Connecticut 18.3 9.3 3.4 [22]
2017 San Antonio Stars Kelsey Plum *  USA Guard Washington 8.5 1.9 3.4 [23]
2018 Las Vegas Aces A'ja Wilson *  USA Forward South Carolina 20.7 8.0 2.2 [24]
2019 Las Vegas Aces Jackie Young *  USA Guard Notre Dame 6.6 3.3 4.5 [25]
2020 New York Liberty Sabrina Ionescu *  USA Oregon 18.3 4.7 4.0 [26]
2021 Dallas Wings[c] Charli Collier  USA Center Texas 3.4 3.6 0.2 [29]
2022 Atlanta Dream[d] Rhyne Howard +  USA Guard Kentucky 16.2 4.5 2.8 [31]
2023 Indiana Fever Aliyah Boston *  USA Center South Carolina 14.5 8.4 2.2 [32]
2024 Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark *  USA Guard Iowa 19.2 5.7 8.4 [33][34]
2025 Dallas Wings Paige Bueckers *  USA Connecticut 19.2 3.9 5.4 [35]

First overall picks by WNBA team

The Las Vegas Aces have held the first overall pick a total of five times, the most of any WNBA team. This includes the Aces time as the Utah Starzz and the San Antonio Stars. The Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, and Houston Comets are the only defunct franchises to have held a first overall pick. The Golden State Valkyries and Chicago Sky are the only active teams that have never had the first overall pick. The Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and Sacramento Monarchs are the only defunct franchises that have never had the first overall pick.

Team Picks Year(s) Notes
Las Vegas Aces 5 1997
(Elite)[e], 1998, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • 2 as the Las Vegas Aces
  • 2 as the Utah Starzz
  • 1 as the San Antonio Stars
Seattle Storm 4 2001, 2002, 2015, 2016
Phoenix Mercury 3 2004, 2007, 2013
Atlanta Dream 2 2009, 2022
Cleveland Rockers 2 2000, 2003
Connecticut Sun 2 2010, 2014
Dallas Wings 2 2021, 2025
Indiana Fever 2 2023, 2024
Los Angeles Sparks 2 2008, 2012
Minnesota Lynx 2 2006, 2011
Charlotte Sting 1 2005
Houston Comets 1 1997
New York Liberty 1 2020
Washington Mystics 1 1999

First overall picks by school

Connecticut has the most first overall picks with 6. Tennessee has the second-most first overall picks with 3. South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Stanford each have the third-most first overall picks with 2. Only one school have had first overall picks in consecutive years: Connecticut with Tina Charles (2010), and Maya Moore (2011).

School Total Year(s)
Connecticut 6 2002, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2025
Tennessee 3 1997
(Elite)[f], 1999, 2008
Notre Dame 2 2015, 2019
South Carolina 2 2018, 2023
Stanford 2 2012, 2014
Baylor 1 2013
Canberra Capitals (Australia) 1 2001
Duke 1 2007
Iowa 1 2024
Kentucky 1 2022
Louisville 1 2009
LSU 1 2006
Minnesota 1 2005
Mississippi State 1 2003
Oregon 1 2020
Pool Getafe (Spain) 1 1998
Texas 1 2021
USC 1 1997
USV Olympic (France) 1 2000
Washington 1 2017

First overall picks by position

Position Number of selections Last year selected
Center
8
2023
Forward
13
2018
Guard
11
2025


See also

Notes

  1. ^ All statistics are from player's rookie season, unless otherwise noted
  2. ^ The elite draft portion comprised professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues.[1]
  3. ^ Acquired from New York via Seattle[27][28]
  4. ^ Acquired from Washington[30]
  5. ^ The elite draft portion comprised professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues.[36]
  6. ^ The elite draft portion comprised professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues.[37]

References

  1. ^ "WNBA holds elite draft". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 28, 1997. pp. 3C.
  2. ^ "Dena Head WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Tina Thompson WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "Margo Dydek WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  5. ^ "Chamique Holdsclaw WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "Ann Wauters WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  7. ^ "Lauren Jackson WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  8. ^ "Sue Bird WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  9. ^ "LaToya Thomas WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  10. ^ "LaToya Thomas WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  11. ^ "Janel McCarville WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  12. ^ "Seimone Augustus WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  13. ^ "Lindsey Harding WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  14. ^ "Candace Parker WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  15. ^ "Angel McCoughtry WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  16. ^ "Tina Charles WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  17. ^ "Maya Moore WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  18. ^ "Nneka Ogwumike WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  19. ^ "Brittney Griner WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  20. ^ "Chiney Ogwumike WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  21. ^ "Jewell Loyd WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  22. ^ "Breanna Stewart WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  23. ^ "Record-setting guard Kelsey Plum goes to San Antonio Stars with top pick". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  24. ^ "A'ja Wilson WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  25. ^ "Jackie Young WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  26. ^ "Sabrina Ionescu WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  27. ^ "New York Liberty Acquire Natasha Howard And Sami Whitcomb". WNBA. February 11, 2021.
  28. ^ "Storm Acquires Katie Lou Samuelson, Mikiah "Kiki" Herbert Harrigan; Rights To Stephanie Talbot And Two 2022 Draft Picks". WNBA. February 11, 2021.
  29. ^ "Charli Collier WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  30. ^ "Dream Lands 2022 Number One Overall Draft Pick". WNBA. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  31. ^ "Rhyne Howard WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  32. ^ "Aliyah Boston WNBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  33. ^ Philippou, Alexa (April 15, 2024). "Indiana Fever select Iowa's Caitlin Clark No. 1 in 2024 WNBA draft". ESPN.
  34. ^ Reynolds, Tim (September 20, 2024). "A'ja Wilson set records. So did Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. WNBA stats in 2024 were eye-popping". Associated Press.
  35. ^ Axson, Scooby (April 14, 2025). "Dallas Wings select UConn star Paige Bueckers with No. 1 pick in 2025 WNBA Draft". USA Today. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  36. ^ "WNBA holds elite draft". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 28, 1997. pp. 3C.
  37. ^ "WNBA holds elite draft". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 28, 1997. pp. 3C.
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