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2021 WNBA draft

{{Short description|Women's basketball event}}

{{Infobox sports draft

| league = WNBA

| teams = 12

| name = 2021 WNBA draft

| image =2021 WNBA Draft Logo.png

| imagesize =

| caption =

| sport = Basketball

| date = April 15, 2021

| location = Virtually

| network = United States: ESPN
Canada: TSN2

| first = Charli Collier
Dallas Wings {{smaller|(via trade)}}

| prev = 2020

| next = 2022

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/new-york-liberty-wins-top-pick-in-2021-wnba-draft-presented-by-state-farm|title=New York Liberty Wins Top Pick In 2021 WNBA Draft Presented By State Farm|website=WNBA|date=December 4, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}} 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.{{cite web |date=March 18, 2021 |title=WNBA Draft on April 15th on ESPN |url=https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-draft-on-april-15th-on-espn |access-date=March 18, 2021 |publisher=WNBA}}

Draft lottery

The lottery selection to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2021 draft took place during halftime of the DePaul Blue Demons game against the Louisville Cardinals on December 4, 2020, and was televised on ESPN in the United States and across the TSN Network in Canada. The same four non-playoff teams in 2020 qualified for the lottery drawing: Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream.

The lottery was won by the New York Liberty, who had the best chance to win the lottery as they did in 2020. The Dallas Wings were awarded the second pick for the second consecutive year, followed by the Atlanta Dream and finally the Indiana Fever. The Liberty would later trade their first pick to the Seattle Storm, who in turn traded it to the Wings. This marks the first time that one team has held the top two picks in the draft in WNBA history.{{Cite web|date=February 10, 2021|title=Dallas Wings become first team in WNBA history to hold draft's top two picks after trade with Seattle|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/wings/2021/02/10/dallas-wings-become-first-team-in-wnba-history-to-hold-drafts-top-two-picks-after-trade-with-seattle|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Dallas News|language=en}}

=Lottery chances=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; width: 70%"

! Team

! Combined 2019–20 record

! Lottery chances

! Result

New York Liberty

| 12–44

| 44.2%

| 1st pick

Atlanta Dream

| 15–41

| 27.6%

| 3rd pick

Dallas Wings

| 18–38

| 17.8%

| 2nd pick

Indiana Fever

| 19–37

| 10.4%

| 4th pick

The lottery odds were based on combined records from the 2019 and 2020 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 and redrawn). The team to which that four-ball combination is assigned 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 are 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 solely from 2020.

Eligibility

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:{{cite web|url=https://wnbpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/WNBA-WNBPA-CBA-2020-2027.pdf |title=Article XIII, Section 1: Player Eligibility |work=2020 Women's National Basketball Association Collective Bargaining Agreement |pages=110–111 |publisher=Women's National Basketball Players Association |access-date=December 14, 2020}}

  • The player's 22nd birthday falls during the calendar year of the draft. For this draft, the cutoff birth date is December 31, 1999.
  • 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 (normally) must declare for the draft within 24 hours of their final game.

"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.

For the 2021 draft only, the WNBA and its players union agreed to a modification of the normal eligibility rules. The most significant change is that all otherwise eligible college players who wished to enter the draft, including seniors in 2020–21, had to declare for draft entry. Due to an NCAA ruling that the 2020–21 season, dramatically affected by COVID-19, would not be counted against the college eligibility of any basketball player, every college senior in the 2020–21 season had remaining eligibility. Players who wished to be drafted had to notify the league by email no later than April 1, except for those involved in the 2021 Final Four, who had a 48-hour opt-in window after the completion of their last game instead of the normal 24 hours.{{cite news |date=March 8, 2021 |title=College players will need to opt-in to upcoming WNBA draft |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31025336 |access-date=March 8, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |agency=Associated Press}} Players who had opted in had until midnight on April 10 (0400 UTC, April 11) to opt out.{{cite news |last=Voepel |first=Mechelle |author-link=Michael Voepel |date=April 10, 2021 |title=Georgia's Jenna Staiti and Que Morrison, Rice's Nancy Mulkey, Ohio's Cece Hooks opt out of WNBA draft |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/31224722 |access-date=April 11, 2021 |website=ESPN.com}} This is similar to special 2021 draft declaration rules announced by the NBA, which also required seniors to opt into the draft.{{cite news |last=Givony |first=Jonathan |date=February 26, 2021 |title=Pandemic changes NBA draft rules for seniors |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30968822 |access-date=February 26, 2021 |website=ESPN.com}}

On April 3, the WNBA announced that 52 college players had opted into the draft. This did not include players from the Final Four teams (Arizona, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn); South Carolina and UConn lost in the semifinals on April 2, while Stanford defeated Arizona in the championship game on April 4.{{cite press release|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-announces-players-who-have-opted-in-for-consideration-for-2021-wnba-draft-presented-by-state-farm/ |title=WNBA Announces Players Who Have Opted-In for Consideration for 2021 WNBA Draft Presented By State Farm® |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association |date=April 3, 2021 |access-date=April 5, 2021}} On April 7, the WNBA announced that one of the original 52 players had withdrawn from consideration, and that six additional players had opted into the draft.{{cite press release|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/six-additional-ncaa-players-opt-in-for-consideration-for-2021-wnba-draft-presented-by-state-farm/ |title=Six Additional NCAA Players Opt-In for Consideration for 2021 WNBA Draft Presented By State Farm® |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association |date=April 7, 2021 |access-date=April 7, 2021}} Four players from the initial list of 52 would opt out by the final deadline of April 11.

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{div col end}}

Draft

{{WNBA Draft legend|1=|2=|3=|4=|5=|6=y|7=y}}

File:Charli Collier media.jpg was selected 1st overall by the Dallas Wings.]]

File:Awak Kuier (2021) (cropped).jpg was selected 2nd overall by the Dallas Wings.]]

File:Aari McDonald (52921268261) (cropped).jpg was selected 3rd overall by the Atlanta Dream.]]

File:Michaela Onyenwere (cropped).jpg was selected 6th overall by the New York Liberty.]]

File:Dana Evans (52913663163).jpg was selected 13th overall by the Dallas Wings.]]

File:DiJonai Carrington (52947107733) (cropped).jpg was selected 20th overall by the Connecticut Sun.]]

=First round=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width=30|Pick

! width=333|Player

! width=200|Nationality

! width=383|Team

! width=333|School / Club team

1

| Charli Collier

| {{USA}}

| Dallas Wings {{small|(from New York via Seattle)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|February 10, 2021: New York to Seattle{{Cite web|title=New York Liberty Acquire Natasha Howard And Sami Whitcomb|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/new-york-liberty-acquire-natasha-howard-and-sami-whitcomb|date=February 11, 2021|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=WNBA|language=en}}

  • New York acquired Natasha Howard
  • Seattle acquired 2021 first-round and 2022 second-round picks, and Phoenix's 2022 first-round pick}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|February 10, 2021: Seattle to Dallas{{Cite web|title=Storm Acquires Katie Lou Samuelson, Mikiah "Kiki" Herbert Harrigan; Rights To Stephanie Talbot And Two 2022 Draft Picks|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/storm-acquires-katie-lou-samuelson-mikiah-kiki-herbert-harrigan-rights-to-stephanie-talbot-and-two-2022-draft-picks|date=February 11, 2021|access-date=June 11, 2024|website=WNBA.com|language=en}}
  • Seattle acquired Katie Lou Samuelson and a 2022 second-round pick
  • Dallas acquired New York's 2021 first-round pick}}

| Texas

2

| Awak Kuier

| {{FIN}}

| Dallas Wings

| Passalacqua Ragusa {{small|(Italy)}}

3

| Aari McDonald

| {{USA}}

| Atlanta Dream

| Arizona

4

| Kysre Gondrezick

| {{USA}}

| Indiana Fever

| West Virginia

5

| Chelsea Dungee

| {{USA}}

| Dallas Wings {{small|(from Washington via New York)}}{{refn|April 15, 2020: Three-team trade{{cite web|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/washington-mystics-acquire-7x-all-star-tina-charles|title=Washington Mystics Acquire 7x All-Star Tina Charles in Three-Team Deal|website=WNBA.com|date=April 15, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}

  • Dallas acquired Washington's 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick from New York
  • New York acquired 2021 second- and third-round picks, 2020 first-round picks and second-round pick, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough from Washington; Las Vegas's 2020 first-round pick, 2020 second-round picks, and Tayler Hill from Dallas
  • Washington acquired Tina Charles from New York|group=lower-alpha|name=3teamtrade}}

| Arkansas

6

| Michaela Onyenwere

| {{USA}}

| New York Liberty {{small|(from Connecticut via Phoenix)}}{{refn|February 11, 2020: Connecticut to Phoenix{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/wnba/mercury/2020/02/11/phoenix-mercury-all-star-dewanna-bonner-traded-connecticut-sun/4720920002|title=Phoenix Mercury All-Star DeWanna Bonner traded to Connecticut Sun|publisher=Arizona Republic|first=Jeff|last=Metcalfe|date=February 11, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}

  • Phoenix acquired a 2021 first-round pick and two 2020 first-round picks
  • Connecticut acquired DeWanna Bonner|group=lower-alpha}}{{refn|February 10, 2021: Phoenix to New York
  • Phoenix acquired Kia Nurse and Megan Walker
  • New York acquired a 2021 first-round pick and Phoenix's 2022 first-round pick|group=lower-alpha}}

| UCLA

7

| Jasmine Walker

| {{USA}}

| Los Angeles Sparks {{Small|(from Chicago via Dallas)}}{{refn|February 14, 2020: Chicago to Dallas{{Cite web|title=Chicago Sky Acquire Azura Stevens, Trade Katie Lou Samuelson to Dallas Wings|url=https://sky.wnba.com/news/chicago-sky-acquire-azura-stevens-trade-katie-lou-samuelson-to-dallas-wings |date=February 14, 2020 |access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Chicago Sky|language=en}}

  • Dallas acquired Katie Lou Samuelson and a 2021 first-round pick
  • Chicago acquired Azura Stevens|group=lower-alpha}}{{refn|April 14, 2021: Dallas to Los Angeles{{Cite web |title=Los Angeles Sparks acquire No. 7 overall pick in WNBA draft from Dallas Wings |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/31258724 |access-date=April 15, 2021 |work=ESPN |first=Mechelle |last=Voepel |author-link=Michael Voepel |date=14 April 2021}}
  • Los Angeles acquired a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick''
  • Dallas acquired a 2022 first-round pick|group=lower-alpha}}

| Alabama

8

| Shyla Heal

| {{AUS}}

| Chicago Sky {{Small|(from Phoenix via Dallas)}}{{refn|February 12, 2020: Phoenix to Dallas{{Cite web|title=Wings Trade Diggins-Smith, Acquire Astou Ndour|url=https://wings.wnba.com/news/wings-trade-diggins-smith-acquire-astou-ndour |date=February 12, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Dallas Wings|language=en}}

  • Phoenix acquired Skylar Diggins-Smith
  • Dallas acquired a 2021 first-round pick and two 2020 first-round picks|group=lower-alpha}}{{refn|February 12, 2020: Dallas to Chicago
  • Dallas acquired Astou Ndour
  • Chicago acquired Phoenix's 2021 first-round pick|group=lower-alpha}}

| Townsville Fire {{small|(Australia)}}

9

| Rennia Davis

| {{USA}}

| Minnesota Lynx

| Tennessee

10

| Stephanie Watts

| {{USA}}

| Los Angeles Sparks

| North Carolina

11

| Aaliyah Wilson

| {{USA}}

| Seattle Storm

| Texas A&M

12

| Iliana Rupert

| {{FRA}}

| Las Vegas Aces

| Tango Bourges Basket {{small|(France)}}

=Second round=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width=30|Pick

! width=333|Player

! width=200|Nationality

! width=383|Team

! width=333|School / club team

13

| Dana Evans

| {{USA}}

| Dallas Wings {{small|(from New York)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=3teamtrade}}

| Louisville

14

| Destiny Slocum

| {{USA}}

| Las Vegas Aces {{small|(from Indiana)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|February 15, 2021: Indiana to Las Vegas{{Cite web|title=Fever Complete Trades with Las Vegas and Minnesota|url=https://fever.wnba.com/news/fever-complete-trades-with-aces-lynx|date=February 15, 2021|access-date=February 15, 2021|website=Indiana Fever|language=en}}

  • Las Vegas acquired a 2021 second-round pick
  • Indiana acquired Lindsay Allen and a 2021 second-round pick

|name=feb15trade}}

| Arkansas

15

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Raquel Carrera#

| {{ESP}}

| Atlanta Dream

| Valencia Basket {{small|(Spain)}}

16

| Natasha Mack

| {{USA}}

| Chicago Sky {{small|(from Dallas via Los Angeles)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|February 21, 2020: Dallas to Los Angeles{{Cite web|title=Sparks Acquire 2021 Second Round Pick from Dallas Wings|url=https://sparks.wnba.com/news/sparks-acquire-2021-second-round-pick-from-dallas-wings|date=February 21, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Los Angeles Sparks|language=en}}

  • Los Angeles acquired a 2021 second-round pick
  • Dallas acquired Marina Mabrey

}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=may26trade|May 26, 2020: Los Angeles to Dallas

  • Dallas reacquired its own original 2021 second-round pick
  • Los Angeles acquired Kristine Anigwe and a 2021 third-round pick

}}{{Refn|February 9, 2021: Dallas to Chicago{{Cite web|title=Sky Acquire 2021 Second-Round Draft Pick|url=https://sky.wnba.com/news/sky-acquire-2021-second-round-draft-pick|date=February 9, 2021|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=Los Angeles Sparks|language=en}}

  • Chicago acquired the 2021 second-round pick
  • Dallas acquired a 2022 second-round pick|group=lower-alpha}}

| Oklahoma State

17

| DiDi Richards

| {{USA}}

| New York Liberty {{small|(from Washington)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=3teamtrade}}

| Baylor

18

| Kiana Williams

| {{USA}}

| Seattle Storm {{small|(from Connecticut)}}{{refn|February 24, 2020: Connecticut to Seattle{{Cite web|title=Sun Acquire Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis from Seattle|url=https://sun.wnba.com/news/sun-acquire-kaleena-mosqueda-lewis-from-seattle|date=February 24, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Connecticut Sun|language=en}}

| Stanford

19

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Unique Thompson#

| {{USA}}

| Indiana Fever {{small|(from Chicago)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=aug28trade|August 28, 2020: Chicago to Indiana{{Cite web|title=Fever Acquire Jantel Lavender From Chicago Sky, Trade Stephanie Mavunga|url=https://fever.wnba.com/news/fever-acquire-jantel-lavender-trade-stephanie-mavunga|date=August 28, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Indiana Fever|language=en}}

| Auburn

20

| DiJonai Carrington

| {{USA}}

| Connecticut Sun {{small|(from Phoenix)}}{{refn|February 19, 2020: Phoenix to Connecticut (three-team trade with Atlanta){{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/28737240 |title=Mercury acquire Jessica Breland in 3-team deal with Dream, Sun |publisher=ESPN |last=Weinfuss |first=Josh |date=February 19, 2020 |access-date=December 14, 2020}}

| Baylor

21

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Micaela Kelly#

| {{USA}}

| Connecticut Sun {{small|(from Minnesota)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|February 25, 2020: Minnesota to Connecticut{{Cite web|title=Minnesota Lynx Acquire Rachel Banham|url=https://lynx.wnba.com/news/minnesota-lynx-acquire-rachel-banham|date=February 25, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=Minnesota Lynx|language=en}}

  • Minnesota acquired Rachel Banham
  • Connecticut acquired a 2021 second-round pick

}}

| Central Michigan

22

| Arella Guirantes

| {{USA}}

| Los Angeles Sparks

| Rutgers

23

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| N'dea Jones#

| {{USA}}

| Seattle Storm

| Texas A&M

24

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Trinity Baptiste#

| {{USA}}

| Indiana Fever {{small|(from Las Vegas)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=feb15trade}}

| Arizona

=Third round=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width=30|Pick

! width=333|Player

! width=200|Nationality

! width=383|Team

! width=333|School / club team

25

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Valerie Higgins#

| {{USA}}

| New York Liberty

| Pacific

26

| Chelsey Perry

| {{USA}}

| Indiana Fever

| UT Martin

27

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Lindsey Pulliam#

| {{USA}}

| Atlanta Dream

| Northwestern

28

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Ivana Raca#

| {{SRB}}

| Los Angeles Sparks {{small|(from Dallas)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=may26trade}}

| Wake Forest

29

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Marine Fauthoux#

| {{FRA}}

| New York Liberty {{small|(from Washington)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=3teamtrade}}

| ASVEL Féminin {{small|(France)}}

30

| Aleah Goodman

| {{USA}}

| Connecticut Sun

| Oregon State

31

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{ill|Florencia Chagas|es}}#

| {{ARG}}

| Indiana Fever {{small|(from Chicago)}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=aug28trade}}

| Empoli {{small|(Italy)}}

32

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Ciera Johnson#

| {{USA}}

| Phoenix Mercury

| Texas A&M

33

| Maya Caldwell

| {{USA}}

| Indiana Fever {{small|(from Minnesota)}}{{refn|March 6, 2020: Minnesota to Indiana{{cite web|url=https://fever.wnba.com/news/shenise-johnson-traded|title=Fever Acquire Draft Picks in Trade with Minnesota|website=Indiana Fever|date=March 6, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}

  • Indiana acquired a 2021 third-round pick and New York's 2020 second-round pick
  • Minnesota acquired Shenise Johnson and a 2020 second-round pick|group=lower-alpha}}

| Georgia

34

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{ill|Aina Ayuso Bagur|ca}}#

| {{ESP}}

| Los Angeles Sparks

| Casademont Zaragoza {{small|(Spain)}}

35

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{ill|Natalie Kucowski|fr}}#

| {{USA}}

| Seattle Storm

| Lafayette

36

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Kionna Jeter#

| {{USA}}

| Las Vegas Aces

| Towson

Footnotes

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

{{WNBA Drafts}}

{{2021 WNBA season by team}}

{{2021 WNBA draft}}

Category:WNBA draft

WNBA draft