WNBA expansion draft history

## 1998: Detroit Shock, Washington Mystics

[edit]

### Initial player allocation

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | WNBA Team  | School/Club Team

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1  | Cindy Brown (F)  |  United States  | Detroit Shock | Long Beach State (from Seattle Reign, ABL)
2  | Razija Mujanović (C)  |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | Detroit Shock | Bosnia and Herzegovina
3  | Nikki McCray (G)  |  United States  | Washington Mystics | Tennessee (from Columbus Quest, ABL)
4  | Alessandra Santos de Oliveira (C)  |  Brazil  | Washington Mystics | Pool Comense (Italy)

### Expansion draft

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New Team  | Former Team

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1  | Rhonda Blades (G)  |  United States  | Detroit Shock | New York Liberty
2  | Heidi Burge (F)  |  United States  | Washington Mystics | Los Angeles Sparks
3  | Tajama Abraham (C)  |  United States  | Detroit Shock | Sacramento Monarchs
4  | Penny Moore (F)  |  United States  | Washington Mystics | Charlotte Sting
5  | Tara Williams (G)  |  United States  | Detroit Shock | Phoenix Mercury
6  | Deborah Carter (F)  |  United States  | Washington Mystics | Utah Starzz
7  | Lynette Woodard (G)  |  United States  | Detroit Shock | Cleveland Rockers
8  | Tammy Jackson (F/C)  |  United States  | Washington Mystics | Houston Comets

## 1999: Minnesota Lynx, Orlando Miracle

[edit]

### Initial Expansion Player Allocation

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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1  | Kristin Folkl (F)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | None | Stanford
2  | Nykesha Sales (G/F)  |  United States  | Orlando Miracle | None | Connecticut

### Expansion Draft Selections

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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1  | Brandy Reed (F)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | Phoenix Mercury | Southern Mississippi
2  | Andrea Congreaves (F)  |  United Kingdom  | Orlando Miracle | Charlotte Sting | Mercer
3  | Kim Williams (G)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | Utah Starzz | DePaul
4  | Kisha Ford (G)  |  United States  | Orlando Miracle | New York Liberty | Georgia Tech
5  | Octavia Blue (G)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | Los Angeles Sparks | Miami (FL)
6  | Yolanda Moore (F)  |  United States  | Orlando Miracle | Houston Comets | Mississippi
7  | Adia Barnes (F)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | Sacramento Monarchs | Arizona
8  | Adrienne Johnson (G)  |  United States  | Orlando Miracle | Cleveland Rockers | Ohio State

### Post Expansion Draft Player Allocation

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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1  | Katie Smith (F)  |  United States  | Minnesota Lynx | None | Ohio State
from Columbus Quest, ABL
2  | Shannon Johnson (G/F)  |  United States  | Orlando Miracle | None | South Carolina
from Columbus Quest, ABL

## 2000: Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, Seattle Storm

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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|
|
|
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1  | Gordana Grubin (G)  |  FR Yugoslavia | Indiana Fever | Los Angeles Sparks | MiZo Pecs (Hungary)
2  | Edna Campbell (G)  |  United States  | Seattle Storm | Phoenix Mercury | Texas
3  | Kate Starbird (G)  |  United States  | Miami Sol | Sacramento Monarchs | Stanford
4  | Alisa Burras (F)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | Cleveland Rockers | Louisiana Tech
5  | Sonja Henning (G)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | Houston Comets | Stanford
6  | Sandy Brondello (G)  |  Australia  | Miami Sol | Detroit Shock | BTV Wuppertal (Germany)
7  | Sophia Witherspoon (G)  |  United States  | Seattle Storm | New York Liberty | Florida
8  | Stephanie McCarthy (G)  |  United States  | Indiana Fever | Charlotte Sting | Purdue
9  | Nyree Roberts (C)  |  United States  | Indiana Fever | Washington Mystics | Old Dominion
10  | Angela Aycock (F)  |  United States  | Seattle Storm | Minnesota Lynx | Kansas
11  | Debbie Black (G)  |  United States  | Miami Sol | Utah Starzz | St. Joseph's
12  | Tari Phillips (C)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | Orlando Miracle | Florida
13  | Coquese Washington (G)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | New York Liberty | Notre Dame
14  | Sharon Manning (F)  |  United States  | Miami Sol | Charlotte Sting | North Carolina State
15  | Nina Bjedov (C)  |  FR Yugoslavia  | Seattle Storm | Los Angeles Sparks | Basket Bees Pavia (Italy)
16  | Rita Williams (G)  |  United States  | Indiana Fever | Washington Mystics | Connecticut
17  | Kara Wolters (C)  |  United States  | Indiana Fever | Houston Comets | Connecticut
18  | Toni Foster (F)  |  United States  | Seattle Storm | Phoenix Mercury | Iowa
19  | Lesley Brown (F)  |  United States  | Miami Sol | Detroit Shock | Virginia
20  | Molly Goodenbour (G)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | Sacramento Monarchs | Stanford
21  | Jamila Wideman (G)  |  United States  | Portland Fire | Cleveland Rockers | Stanford
22  | Yolando Moore (F)  |  United States  | Miami Sol | Orlando Miracle | Mississippi
23  | Charmin Smith (G)  |  United States  | Seattle Storm | Minnesota Lynx | Stanford
24  | Chantel Tremitiere (G)  |  United States  | Indiana Fever | Utah Starzz | Auburn

## 2006: Chicago Sky

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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|
|
|
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1  | Jia Perkins (G)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Charlotte Sting | Texas Tech
2  | Brooke Wyckoff (F)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Florida State
3  | Elaine Powell (G)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Detroit Shock | LSU
4  | Kiesha Brown (G)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Houston Comets | Georgia
5  | Deanna Jackson (F)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Indiana Fever | Alabama-Birmingham
6  | Laura Macchi (F)  |  Italy  | Chicago Sky | Los Angeles Sparks | Pool Comense (Italy)
7  | Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert (F)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Minnesota Lynx | Purdue
8  | DeTrina White (F)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | New York Liberty | LSU
9  | Ashley Robinson (C)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Phoenix Mercury | Tennessee
10  | Chelsea Newton (G)  |  United States  | Chicago Sky | Sacramento Monarchs | Rutgers
11  | Bernadette Ngoyisa (C)  |  Republic of the Congo | Chicago Sky | San Antonio Silver Stars | Congo
12  | Francesca Zara (G)  |  Italy  | Chicago Sky | Seattle Storm | Napoli Basket Vomero (Italy)
13  | Stacey Dales-Schuman (G)  |  Canada  | Chicago Sky | Washington Mystics | Oklahoma

## 2008: Atlanta Dream

[edit]

Pick  | Player  | Nationality  | New WNBA Team  | Former WNBA Team  | College/Country/Team

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|
|
|
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1  | Carla Thomas (F)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Chicago Sky | Vanderbilt
2  | Érika de Souza (F)  |  Brazil  | Atlanta Dream | Connecticut Sun | Spain
3  | Katie Feenstra (C)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Detroit Shock | Liberty
4  | Roneeka Hodges (F)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Houston Comets | Florida State
5  | Ann Strother (G)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Indiana Fever | Connecticut
6  | LaToya Thomas (G)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Los Angeles Sparks | Mississippi State
7  | Kristen Mann (F)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Minnesota Lynx | UC Santa Barbara
8  | Ann Wauters (C)  |  Belgium  | Atlanta Dream | New York Liberty | Valenciennes Olympic (France)
9  | Jennifer Lacy (F)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Phoenix Mercury | Pepperdine
10  | Kristin Haynie (G)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Sacramento Monarchs | Michigan State
11  | Chantelle Anderson (C)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | San Antonio Silver Stars | Vanderbilt
12  | Betty Lennox (G)  |  United States  | Atlanta Dream | Seattle Storm | Louisiana Tech
13  | Yelena Leuchanka (F)  |  Belarus | Atlanta Dream | Washington Mystics | West Virginia

Source:[1]

## 2024: Golden State Valkyries

[edit]

In December 2024 an expansion draft will occur to help fill the roster for the expansion Golden State Valkyries and the team will also participate in the 2025 WNBA draft prior to the team's first season in 2025.[2]

The WNBA announced on September 30, 2024 that the expansion draft would be held on December 6 and televised by ESPN, and also announced the draft rules. Each existing WNBA team must provide the league office with a list of all players to which it held contract rights as of the final day of the 2024 regular season; the submission deadline was not determined, but was expected to be about 10 days before the draft. Each team also must designate no more than six players who will not be eligible for selection. The Valkyries will be allowed to select one available player from each of the 12 previously existing teams. Only one player who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024 season can be chosen, and that player cannot have played under a "core player" contract for two or more seasons. The Valkyries will be allowed to make trades prior to the expansion draft, including agreements to (1) select a given player and trade that player to another team or (2) select or not select an available player from a given team.[3]

## 2025 or 2026: Toronto WNBA Team, Portland WNBA Team

[edit]

Some time following the 2025 season an expansion draft will occur that will help fill the roster for the currently unnamed expansion Toronto WNBA team and Portland WNBA team, both of which are scheduled to begin play in the 2026 season. The details and rules for this draft are currently unknown.

## Future Expansion

[edit]

During a press conference in October 2024 WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated that the league seeks to have a 16th team installed by the 2028 NBA season.[4] According to Sports Business Journal bids from Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Austin, Kansas City, Orlando, Nashville, Charlotte, Denver, Cleveland as well as multiple bids for Miami are expected for the next expansion team.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ WNBA.com: Atlanta Dream
2. ^ Ingemi, Marisa. "What's next for Golden State WNBA team? Timeline for name, GM, coach, roster". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
3. ^ "Expansion Draft for 13th WNBA Franchise, Golden State Valkyries Set for December 6 on ESPN" (Press release). WNBA. September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
4. ^ Salao, Colin (2024-10-15). "WNBA Eyes 16th Team by 2028: Engelbert Evaluates Candidates". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
5. ^ "Growing list of investors target WNBA expansion franchise". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-10-21.

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