WNBA draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft was held on April 9, 2009 in Secaucus, New Jersey.
This is a list of all personnel changes for the 2009 Women's National Basketball Association off-season and 2009 WNBA season.
The following players played their final season in 2008.
| Date | Team | Name | Position | Years pro | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2009 | Connecticut Sun | Jamie Carey | Guard | 4 | |
| Coaches signed in off-season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Outgoing coach | New head coach | Previous position | |
| November 6, 2008 | Washington Mystics | Jessie Kenlaw | Julie Plank | Assistant Coach of the Lynx | |
| June 3, 2009 | Minnesota Lynx | Don Zierden | Jennifer Gillom | Assistant Coach of the Lynx | |
| In-season coaching change | |||||
| Date | Team | Outgoing coach | Interim coach | Reason | |
| June 15, 2009 | Detroit Shock | Bill Laimbeer | Rick Mahorn | Resigned | |
| July 12, 2009 | Sacramento Monarchs | Jenny Boucek | John Whisenant | Started the season 3-10 | |
| July 31, 2009 | New York Liberty | Pat Coyle | Anne Donovan | Started the season 6-11 | |
| GM hired in off-season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Outgoing GM | New head GM | Previous position | |
| October 23, 2008 | Washington Mystics | Linda Hargrove | Angela Taylor | VP of Business Operations for the Lynx | |
| In-season GM change | |||||
| Date | Team | Outgoing GM | Interim GM | Reason | |
| June 15, 2009 | Detroit Shock | Bill Laimbeer | Cheryl Reeve | Resigned | |
The following is a list of player movement via free agency and trades.
| December 17, 2008 | To Los Angeles Sparks
| To Atlanta Dream
| |
| January 21, 2009 | To Phoenix Mercury | To Atlanta Dream
| |
| January 30, 2009 | To Phoenix Mercury | To Minnesota Lynx | |
| January 30, 2009 | To Minnesota Lynx
| To Washington Mystics
| |
| January 30, 2009 | To Minnesota Lynx | To Los Angeles Sparks | |
| March 20, 2009 | To Sacramento Monarchs | To Phoenix Mercury | |
| March 26, 2009 | To Phoenix Mercury | To Los Angeles Sparks
| |
| April 9, 2009 | To Atlanta Dream
| To Detroit Shock
| |
| May 5, 2009 | To Minnesota Lynx
| To Los Angeles Sparks | To New York Liberty |
| August 12, 2009 | To Atlanta Dream | To Chicago Sky | |
| August 17, 2009 | To Sacramento Monarchs | To Detroit Shock |
| Player | Signed | New team | Former team |
| June | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Britany Miller | June 8 | Detroit Shock | |
| Kelly Schumacher | June 10 | Detroit Shock | Washington Mystics |
| Sherill Baker | June 26 | Detroit Shock | Indiana Fever |
| July | |||
| Anna DeForge | July 27 | Detroit Shock | |
| August | |||
| Barbara Farris | August 4 | Detroit Shock | Sacramento Monarchs |
| Whitney Boddie | August 7, 14, 21 | Sacramento Monarchs | |
| Lisa Willis | August 28 | Sacramento Monarchs | New York Liberty |
| September | |||
| Lisa Willis | September 4 | Sacramento Monarchs | |
| Player | Waived | Team |
| June | ||
|---|---|---|
| Erica White | June 11 | Indiana Fever |
| Khadijah Whittington | Indiana Fever | |
| Yolanda Griffith | June 17 | Indiana Fever |
| Kristi Cirone | June 19 | Connecticut Sun |
| Barbara Turner | June 28 | Connecticut Sun |
| July | ||
| Nikki Teasley | July 3 | Atlanta Dream |
| Lauren Ervin | Connecticut Sun | |
| Tasha Humphrey | July 6 | Washington Mystics |
| Barbara Farris | Detroit Shock | |
| Allie Quigley | July 14 | Phoenix Mercury |
| Christi Thomas | July 17 | Minnesota Lynx |
| LaToya Pringle | July 26 | Minnesota Lynx |
| Katie Mattera | July 31 | San Antonio Silver Stars |
| August | ||
| Chelsea Newton | August 7 | Sacramento Monarchs |
| Chen Nan | August 21 | Chicago Sky |
| September | ||
| Brooke Wyckoff | September 1 | Chicago Sky |
All players here did not make the final roster
| Atlanta Dream | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Detroit Shock | Indiana Fever | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| New York Liberty | Phoenix Mercury | Sacramento Monarchs | San Antonio Silver Stars | Seattle Storm | Washington Mystics | |
|
|
|
|
The 2009 WNBA Draft was held on April 9, 2009 in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league composed of 12 teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA), and league play started in 1997. The regular season is played from May to September, with the All Star game being played midway through the season in July and the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October.
The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began. Like some other WNBA teams, the Sparks have the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart, even though the market is shared with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Diana Lorena Taurasi is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and is considered to be one of the greatest players in WNBA history. She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. Taurasi has won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2004), three WNBA championships, a historic five Olympic gold medals, one WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2009), two WNBA Finals MVP Awards, five scoring titles, and three FIBA World Cups. She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams and fourteen All-WNBA teams. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and was named by the league to its 20th and 25th anniversary teams, respectively the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021. Also in 2021, she was selected by fans as the league's greatest player of all time. On June 18, 2017, Taurasi became the WNBA all-time leading scorer and on June 27, 2021, became the first player to surpass 9,000 points. On August 3, 2023, Taurasi became the first player to score 10,000 career points. Her penchant for scoring in crucial situations has earned her the nickname "White Mamba", coined by Kobe Bryant. Taurasi is one of 11 women to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup, and a WNBA Championship.
Suzanne Brigit Bird is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire career with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Bird was drafted by the Storm first overall in the 2002 WNBA draft and is considered to be one of the greatest players in WNBA history. As of 2021, Bird is the only WNBA player to win titles in three different decades. She held a front office position for the NBA's Denver Nuggets as their Basketball Operations Associate. She has also played for three teams in Russia, and also has dual citizenship with both U.S. and Israel.
Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American retired professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Catchings has won a WNBA championship (2012), WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2011), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2012), five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards, four Olympic gold medals, and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2002). She is one of only 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a Fiba World cup gold and a WNBA Championship. She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams, 12 All-WNBA teams, 12 All-Defensive teams and led the league in steals eight times. In 2011, Catchings was voted in by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and would be named to two more all-time WNBA teams, the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021.
Candace Nicole Parker nicknamed "Ace", is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She spent 13 seasons on the Sparks, two seasons with the Chicago Sky, and as of 2023 has spent one season with the Las Vegas Aces, winning a championship with each team.
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the official sponsor.
Tina Marie Thompson is an American former WNBA professional basketball player and coach. Most recently, she served as the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team from 2018 to 2022. Thompson was inducted into both the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Kathryn Elizabeth Douglas is an American former professional basketball player. Her primary position was shooting guard, her secondary was small forward. She was known league-wide as one of the most prominent two-way players for her long-range shooting and high scoring abilities on offense as well as her defensive abilities.
Elena Delle Donne is an American professional basketball player 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.
Ann Hilde Willy Wauters is a Belgian former professional basketball player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for numerous American and European professional teams, including the Cleveland Rockers, US Valenciennes Olympic, and the San Antonio Silver Stars. She won four EuroLeague championships and one WNBA Finals during her career. Her primary position was center.
Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles is an American retired professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times. She led the Lynx to win the WNBA Championship in 2015 and 2017, and she was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals both times. In 2020, Fowles overtook Rebekkah Brunson to become the WNBA's career leader in rebounds.
Maya April Moore is a social justice advocate and an American former professional basketball player. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, Sports Illustrated called Moore the greatest winner in the history of women's basketball.
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She serves as the head coach of the Stockton Kings. Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and has played overseas in Turkey and Russia. She was previously a scout and a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas and also holds a Belarusian passport.
The 2009 WNBA Season was the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008. The season ended with the Phoenix Mercury winning their second championship in three years.
Renee Danielle Montgomery is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of the FCF Beasts Indoor Football Team; making her the first player in the WNBA to become an owner and executive of a team and first female owner in the FCF. During her 11-year playing career in the Women's National Basketball Association, she won two championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017. During her college playing career, she won a national championship with the UConn Huskies in 2009. In 2020, Montgomery opted-out of the WNBA season in protest of police brutality, bringing forth awareness throughout the league and leading to multiple campaigns dedicated to human rights.
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised (ESPN2) meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star Game which was broadcast live on ESPN on July 10. This year, it was a contest between Geno Auriemma's USA Basketball team and a single team of WNBA All-Stars. The Finals was a series between the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream which Seattle won 3–0.
