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.
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.
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 | ![]() |
Atlanta Dream | Houston Comets |
2 | Matee Ajavon | ![]() |
Washington Mystics | Houston Comets |
3 | Mistie Williams | ![]() |
Chicago Sky | Houston Comets |
4 | Roneeka Hodges | ![]() |
Minnesota Lynx | Houston Comets |
5 | Sequoia Holmes | ![]() |
Phoenix Mercury | Houston Comets |
6 | Erica White | ![]() |
Indiana Fever | Houston Comets |
7 | Renae Camino | Template:AUS | 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. |
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.
College draft[]
Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |

Angel McCoughtry was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream.
Round 1[]
Pick | Player | Nationality | WNBA Team | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Angel McCoughtry | ![]() |
Atlanta Dream | Louisville |
2 | Marissa Coleman | Washington Mystics | Maryland | |
3 | Kristi Toliver | Chicago Sky | Maryland | |
4 | Renee Montgomery | Minnesota Lynx | Connecticut | |
5 | DeWanna Bonner | Phoenix Mercury | Auburn | |
6 | Briann January | Indiana Fever | Arizona State | |
7 | Courtney Paris | Sacramento Monarchs | Oklahoma | |
8 | Kia Vaughn | New York Liberty | Rutgers | |
9 | Quanitra Hollingsworth | Minnesota Lynx (from L.A., via Wash.) | Virginia Commonwealth | |
10 | Chante Black | Connecticut Sun | Duke | |
11 | Shavonte Zellous | Detroit Shock | Pittsburgh | |
12 | Ashley Walker | Seattle Storm | California | |
13 | Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton | Los Angeles Sparks (from S.A., via Atl.) | Purdue |
Round 2[]
Pick | Player | Nationality | WNBA Team | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 | Megan Frazee | ![]() |
San Antonio Silver Stars (from Atl.) | Liberty |
15 | Rashanda McCants | ![]() |
Minnesota Lynx (from Wash.) | North Carolina |
16 | Danielle Gant | ![]() |
Chicago Sky | Texas A&M |
17 | Lyndra Littles | ![]() |
Connecticut Sun (from Minn.) | Virginia |
18 | Britany Miller | ![]() |
Detroit Shock (from Phx., via Atl.) | Florida State |
19 | Christina Wirth | ![]() |
Indiana Fever | Vanderbilt |
20 | Whitney Boddie | ![]() |
Sacramento Monarchs | Auburn |
21 | Abby Waner | ![]() |
New York Liberty | Duke |
22 | Ashley Paris | ![]() |
Los Angeles Sparks | Oklahoma |
23 | Camille LeNoir | ![]() |
Washington Mystics (from Conn., via Minn.) | Southern California |
24 | Jelena Milovanovic | ![]() |
Washington Mystics (from Det.) | MKB Euroleasing |
25 | Shalee Lehning | ![]() |
Atlanta Dream (from Sea.) | Kansas State |
26 | Sonja Petrovic | ![]() |
San Antonio Silver Stars | Serbia |
Round 3[]
Pick | Player | Nationality | WNBA Team | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
27 | Jessica Morrow | ![]() |
Atlanta Dream | Baylor |
28 | Josephine Owino | Template:KEN | Washington Mystics | Union |
29 | Jenifer Risper | ![]() |
Chicago Sky | Vanderbilt |
30 | Emily Fox | ![]() |
Minnesota Lynx | Minnesota |
31 | Sha Brooks | ![]() |
Phoenix Mercury | Florida |
32 | Danielle Campbell | ![]() |
Indiana Fever | Purdue |
33 | Morgan Warburton | ![]() |
Sacramento Monarchs | Utah |
34 | Jessica Adair | ![]() |
Phoenix Mercury (from N.Y.) | George Washington |
35 | Britney Jordan | ![]() |
Los Angeles Sparks | Texas A&M-Commerce |
36 | Alba Torrens | Template:ESP | Connecticut Sun | Real Club Celto Indepo |
37 | Tanae Davis-Cain | ![]() |
Detroit Shock | Florida State |
38 | Mara Freshour | ![]() |
Seattle Storm | Florida State |
39 | Candyce Bingham | ![]() |
San Antonio Silver Stars | Louisville |
References[]
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