Nicole Kristen Powell is an American basketball coach who was the head women's basketball coach at University of California, Riverside. As a player, she had a standout collegiate career at Stanford University, Powell had an 11-year WNBA career most notably with the Sacramento Monarchs where she was an All-Star and won a WNBA Championship. Powell also played professionally overseas for Fenerbahçe Istanbul. Powell had previously served on the coaching staffs at Gonzaga, Oregon, and Grand Canyon before being named the head coach of UC Riverside in March 2020.
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is an American former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She announced her retirement from the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11, 2007, though she eventually came out of retirement to play with the Atlanta Dream for the 2009 WNBA Season. Holdsclaw was inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team. A point guard, she played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers and spent eight seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), primarily with the Charlotte Sting. Staley also played on the United States women's national basketball team, winning three gold medals at the Olympic Games from 1996 to 2004, and was the head coach of the team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2021. She is the first person to win the Naismith Award as both a player and a coach.
Elena Delle Donne is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to 2013. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the second overall pick of the 2013 WNBA draft, and led the Sky to the 2014 WNBA Finals, where they were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury. Delle Donne was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017 and led them to their first WNBA championship in 2019.
Tanisha Lovely Wright is an American basketball coach and former player. From 2021 to 2024, she was the head coach of the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Charlotte. As a player, Wright played 14 WNBA seasons for the Seattle Storm, New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx and played college basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions. During her junior season, Tanisha helped led her team to the Elite Eight, where they fell to the eventual national champion, Connecticut. She ranks fourth in school history in points scored with 1,995 points in 134 career games for Penn State. She was drafted in the 2005 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm.
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. Three other athletes are honored as the Division II Athlete of the Year, Division III Athlete of the Year, and Inspiration Award winner.
Charde Lakishia Houston is a professional basketball player in the WNBA, last played for the New York Liberty.
Nkolika "Nicky" Nonyelum Anosike is an American former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The 2011 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 11, 2011 at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The first round was shown on ESPN (HD), while the second and third rounds were shown on NBA TV and ESPNU.
Alyssa Thomas is an American professional basketball forward for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. The New York Liberty drafted Thomas 4th overall in the 2014 WNBA draft, and immediately traded her to the Sun along with Kelsey Bone and a 2015 first-round draft pick in exchange for Tina Charles. Thomas is the University of Maryland's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles for both the women's and men's programs, and one of nine athletes in NCAAW history with six career triple-doubles. In the WNBA, Thomas recorded fifteen career triple-doubles. She is one of four players to record 15+, 15+, 10+ with 0 turnovers, the only WNBA player to do so ever.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Beijing Great Wall of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA).
Natasha "Tasha" Cloud is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
A'ja Riyadh Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Imani Trishawn McGee-Stafford is an American professional basketball player. She played college basketball for University of Texas at Austin.
Nia Coffey is an American professional basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). A small forward, she was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft, which is the highest of any Northwestern basketball player in school history.
The 2020 WNBA draft was the league's draft for the 2020 WNBA season. A draft lottery was held on September 17, 2019 and the New York Liberty were awarded the first overall pick in the draft. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the draft was held virtually without players, guests, and the media on-site. The draft was televised as planned; it was the most-watched WNBA draft in 16 years and the second most-watched in ESPN's history.
Kaila Charles is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. She played college basketball for the University of Maryland, College Park. After a successful college career there, Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.
Tyasha Pearl Desiree Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Liaoning Flying Eagles of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Harris was selected to third team All-American by the Associated Press (AP) and by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) in 2020. She is also the winner of the 2020 Dawn Staley Award, which is named after her coach at South Carolina.
Megan Huff is an American basketball player. Born in Federal Way, Washington, Huff went to Todd Beamer High School and played collegiately for the University of Hawaii and the University of Utah. She was drafted by the New York Liberty with the 26th overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. She played most recently for the Las Vegas Aces.
The 2021 WNBA draft was the WNBA's draft for the 2021 WNBA season. A draft lottery was held on December 4, 2020, and the New York Liberty were awarded the first overall pick once again in the draft. The draft was held on April 15, and televised on ESPN in the United States and on TSN2 in Canada at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
