2020 WNBA draft

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.

.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:inherit}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:-3px}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}

2020 WNBA Draft
Basketball
April 17, 2020
Virtually
USA: ESPNCanada: TSN2/SN1
WNBA
12
Sabrina IonescuNew York Liberty

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.

The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2020 draft took place during halftime of the Connecticut Sun's semifinal game against the Los Angeles Sparks on September 17, 2019 and was televised on ESPN2. Four non-playoff teams qualified for the lottery drawing: Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and Atlanta Dream.

The lottery odds were based on combined records from the 2018 and 2019 WNBA seasons. In the drawing, 14 balls numbered 1–14 are placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls are drawn to determine a four-digit combination (only 11–12–13–14 is ignored & redrawn). The team assigned that four-ball combination receives the No. 1 pick. The four balls are then placed back into the machine and the process is repeated to determine the second pick. The two teams whose numerical combinations do not come up in the lottery will select in the inverse order of their two-year cumulative record. Ernst & Young knows the discreet results before they're announced.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round as well as the second and third rounds was determined by inverse order of the teams' respective regular-season records from 2019.

The lottery was won by the New York Liberty, who had the best chance to win the lottery. The Dallas Wings were awarded the second pick, followed by the Indiana Fever and finally the Atlanta Dream.

Note: Team selected for the No. 1 pick noted in bold text.

TeamCombined 2018–19 RecordLottery ChancesResult
New York Liberty17–5144.2%1st pick
Indiana Fever19–4927.6%3rd pick
Dallas Wings25–4317.8%2nd pick
Atlanta Dream31–3710.4%4th pick

Under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the WNBA and its players union, draft eligibility for players not defined as "international" requires the following to be true:

  • The player's 22nd birthday falls during the calendar year of the draft. For this draft, the cutoff birth date is December 31, 1998.
  • She has either:
    • completed her college eligibility;
    • received a bachelor's degree, or is scheduled to receive such in the 3 months following the draft; or
    • is at least 4 years removed from high school graduation.

A player who is scheduled to receive her bachelor's degree within 3 months of the draft date, and is younger than the cutoff age, is only eligible if the calendar year of the draft is no earlier than the fourth after her high school graduation.

Players with remaining college eligibility who meet the cutoff age must notify the WNBA headquarters of their intent to enter the draft no later than 10 days before the draft date, and must renounce any remaining college eligibility to do so. A separate notification timetable is provided for players involved in postseason tournaments (most notably the NCAA Division I tournament); those players must declare for the draft within 24 hours of their final game. The latter timetable proved to be moot due to the coronavirus-induced cancellation of the 2020 NCAA tournament.

"International players" are defined as those for whom all of the following is true:

  • Born and currently residing outside the U.S.
  • Never "exercised intercollegiate basketball eligibility" in the U.S.

For "international players", the eligibility age is 20, also measured on December 31 of the year of the draft.

Three players with remaining college eligibility, all of whom were juniors in the 2019–20 college season, declared for the draft. All three were drafted in the first round:

  • Satou Sabally of Oregon announced on February 20 that she would enter the draft upon the end of Oregon's 2019–20 season. Although a German citizen, she falls under the rules for U.S. players not only because of playing at Oregon, but also via her birth in New York City.
  • Megan Walker of UConn declared on March 14, after the cancellation of the NCAA tournament.
  • Chennedy Carter of Texas A&M declared on March 29.

Sabrina Ionescu was selected 1st overall by the New York Liberty.

Satou Sabally was selected 2nd overall by the Dallas Wings.

Chennedy Carter was selected 4th overall by the Atlanta Dream.

Tyasha Harris was selected 7th overall by the Dallas Wings.

Crystal Dangerfield was selected 16th overall by the Minnesota Lynx. She became the first second-round pick to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.

Leonie Fiebich was selected 22nd overall by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Column 1Column 2
*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
#Denotes player who never played in the WNBA regular season or playoffs
BoldDenotes player who won Rookie of the Year

The WNBA honored Alyssa Altobelli, Payton Chester, and Gianna Bryant, daughter of Hall of Fame basketball player Kobe Bryant, who all died in the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash, with honorary draft picks.

PickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchool / club team
1Sabrina Ionescu *GUnited StatesNew York LibertyOregon
2Satou Sabally *FGermanyDallas WingsOregon
3Lauren CoxF/CUnited StatesIndiana FeverBaylor
4Chennedy CarterGUnited StatesAtlanta DreamTexas A&M
5Bella AlarieFUnited StatesDallas Wings (from Phoenix)Princeton
6Mikiah Herbert HarriganFUnited KingdomMinnesota LynxSouth Carolina
7Tyasha HarrisGUnited StatesDallas Wings (from Seattle via Connecticut and Phoenix)South Carolina
8Ruthy HebardFUnited StatesChicago SkyOregon
9Megan WalkerFUnited StatesNew York Liberty (from Las Vegas via Dallas)UConn
10Jocelyn WilloughbyF/GUnited StatesPhoenix Mercury (from Los Angeles via Connecticut)Virginia
11Kitija LaksaFLatviaSeattle Storm (from Connecticut)South Florida/TTT Riga (Latvia)
12Jazmine JonesGUnited StatesNew York Liberty (from Washington)Louisville
PickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchool / club team
13Kylee ShookFUnited StatesNew York Liberty (from Atlanta)Louisville
14Kathleen DoyleGUnited StatesIndiana Fever (from New York via Minnesota)Iowa
15Leaonna OdomFUnited StatesNew York Liberty (from Dallas)Duke
16Crystal DangerfieldGUnited StatesMinnesota Lynx (from Indiana)UConn
17Brittany BrewerFUnited StatesAtlanta Dream (from Phoenix)Texas Tech
18Te'a CooperGUnited StatesPhoenix Mercury (from Minnesota)Baylor
19Joyner HolmesFUnited StatesSeattle StormTexas
20Beatrice MompremierFUnited StatesLos Angeles Sparks (from Chicago)Miami (FL)
21Luisa GeiselsöderCGermanyDallas Wings (from Las Vegas)Donau-Ries (Germany)
22Leonie FiebichFGermanyLos Angeles SparksWasserburg (Germany)
23Kaila CharlesGUnited StatesConnecticut SunMaryland
24Jaylyn AgnewFUnited StatesWashington MysticsCreighton
PickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchool / club team
25Mikayla Pivec#GUnited StatesAtlanta DreamOregon State
26Erica Ogwumike#GUnited StatesNew York LibertyRice
27Kobi Thornton#FUnited StatesAtlanta Dream (from Dallas)Clemson
28Kamiah SmallsGUnited StatesIndiana FeverJames Madison
29Stella JohnsonGUnited StatesPhoenix MercuryRider
30Japreece Dean#GUnited StatesChicago Sky (from Minnesota)UCLA
31Haley GoreckiGUnited StatesSeattle StormDuke
32Kiah Gillespie#FUnited StatesChicago SkyFlorida State
33Lauren Manis#FUnited StatesLas Vegas AcesHoly Cross
34Tynice Martin#GUnited StatesLos Angeles SparksWest Virginia
35Juicy Landrum#GUnited StatesConnecticut SunBaylor
36Sug SuttonGUnited StatesWashington MysticsTexas

.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:27em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:22.5em}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-alpha]{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-roman]{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-alpha]{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-greek]{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-roman]{list-style-type:lower-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-alpha .references{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-roman .references{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-alpha .references{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-greek .references{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-roman .references{list-style-type:lower-roman}

  • List of first overall WNBA draft picks