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.

Six 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, and Nneka Ogwumike. Candace Parker is the only player to win the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award during her rookie year.

Eleven 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, and Breanna Stewart.

Three collegiate programs have multiple players that were selected first overall: Connecticut (five players), Tennessee (three players), and Stanford (two players).

Key

* 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
italics Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year
PPG Points per game[lower-alpha 1]
APG Assists per game[lower-alpha 1]
RPG Rebounds per game[lower-alpha 1]

List of first overall picks

The 2002 first overall draft, Sue Bird. She was also the first pick from Connecticut as the first overall.
Draft Selected by Player Country Position College/high school/former club WNBA rookie statistics Ref.
PPG RPG APG
1997 (Elite)[lower-alpha 2] Utah Starzz Head, DenaDena Head  USA Guard Tennessee 5.7 2.3 1.7 [1]
1997 Houston Comets Thompson, TinaTina Thompson*  USA Forward USC 13.2 6.6 1.1 [2]
1998 Utah Starzz Dydek, MargoMargo Dydek+  POL Center Fota Porta Gdynia 12.9 7.6 1.8 [3]
1999 Washington Mystics Holdsclaw, ChamiqueChamique Holdsclaw+  USA Forward Tennessee 16.9 7.9 2.4 [4]
2000 Cleveland Rockers Wauters, AnnAnn Wauters+  BEL Center USV Olympic 6.2 4.0 1.2 [5]
2001 Seattle Storm Jackson, LaurenLauren Jackson*  AUS Foward-Center Canberra Capitals 15.2 6.7 1.5 [6]
2002 Seattle Storm Bird, SueSue Bird*  USA Guard Connecticut 14.4 2.6 6.0 [7]
2003 Cleveland Rockers Thomas, LaToyaLaToya Thomas  USA Forward Mississippi State 10.8 5.1 1.2 [8]
2004 Phoenix Mercury Taurasi, DianaDiana Taurasi*  USA Forward Connecticut 17.0 4.4 3.9 [9]
2005 Charlotte Sting McCarville, JanelJanel McCarville  USA Center Minnesota 1.8 2.7 0.4 [10]
2006 Minnesota Lynx Augustus, SeimoneSeimone Augustus*  USA Forward LSU 21.9 3.8 1.5 [11]
2007 Phoenix Mercury Harding, LindseyLindsey Harding  USA Guard Duke 11.7 4.4 3.9 [12]
2008 Los Angeles Sparks Parker, CandaceCandace Parker*  USA Forward Tennessee 18.5 9.5 3.4 [13]
2009 Atlanta Dream McCoughtry, AngelAngel McCoughtry*  USA Forward Louisville 12.8 3.1 2.1 [14]
2010 Connecticut Sun Charles, TinaTina Charles*  USA Center Connecticut 15.5 11.7 1.5 [15]
2011 Minnesota Lynx Moore, MayaMaya Moore*  USA Forward Connecticut 13.2 4.6 2.6 [16]
2012 Los Angeles Sparks Ogwumike, NnekaNneka Ogwumike+  USA Forward Stanford 14.0 7.5 1.2 [17]
2013 Phoenix Mercury Griner, BrittneyBrittney Griner*  USA Center Baylor 12.6 6.3 1.0 [18]
2014 Connecticut Sun Ogwumike, ChineyChiney Ogwumike+  USA Forward Stanford 15.5 8.5 0.6 [19]
2015 Seattle Storm Loyd, JewellJewell Loyd  USA Guard Notre Dame 10.7 3.5 1.9 [20]
2016 Seattle Storm Stewart, BreannaBreanna Stewart  USA Forward Connecticut 18.3 9.3 3.4 [21]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 All statistics are taken from the players' respective rookie season unless otherwise noted.
  2. ↑ The elite draft portion comprised professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues.

References

  1. ↑ "Dena Head WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Tina Thompson WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Margo Dydek WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Chamique Holdsclaw WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Ann Wauters WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Lauren Jackson WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Sue Bird WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  8. ↑ "LaToya Thomas WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  9. ↑ "LaToya Thomas WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Janel McCarville WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Seimone Augustus WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Lindsey Harding WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Candace Parker WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Angel McCoughtry WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Tina Charles WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Maya Moore WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Nneka Ogwumike WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Brittney Griner WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Chiney Ogwumike WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Jewell Loyd WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Breanna Stewart WNBA Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
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