{"id":408042,"date":"2026-01-15T04:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T04:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/408042\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T04:29:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T04:29:21","slug":"every-wnba-draft-no-1-overall-pick-and-where-they-went-to-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/408042\/","title":{"rendered":"Every WNBA draft No. 1 overall pick, and where they went to college"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Since the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997, 29 NCAA players have heard their names called as the No. 1 pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UConn’s Paige Bueckers is the most recent player to be selected first overall. The Dallas Wings drafted the 2025 DI women’s basketball champion with the No. 1 pick in 2025.<\/p>\n

The Huskies have produced the most first-overall picks with six total. Before Bueckers, the most recent Huskies’ selection was Breanna Stewart (2016) followed by Maya Moore (2011), Tina Charles (2010), Diana Taurasi (2004) and Sue Bird (2002).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennessee and South Carolina tie for second with two from each school.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcca DRAFT DATA:\u00a0College basketball schools with the most WNBA 1st-round draft picks<\/a><\/p>\n

The Seattle Storm have been first on the clock four times, the most in league history, locking up Stewart most recently in the 2016 draft. With the 2023 pick the Indiana Fever made its first-ever top selection; the Chicago Sky is now the only current team that’s never picked first.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here’s every WNBA No. 1 overall pick since 1997:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\tDRAFT YEAR
\n\t\t\tWNBA TEAM
\n\t\t\tPLAYER
\n\t\t\tSCHOOL<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2025
\n\t\t\tDallas Wings
\n\t\t\tPaige\u00a0Bueckers
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2024
\n\t\t\tIndiana Fever
\n\t\t\tCaitlin Clark
\n\t\t\tIowa<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2023
\n\t\t\tIndiana Fever
\n\t\t\tAliyah Boston
\n\t\t\tSouth Carolina<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2022
\n\t\t\tAtlanta Dream
\n\t\t\tRhyne Howard
\n\t\t\tKentucky<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2021
\n\t\t\tDallas Wings
\n\t\t\tCharli Collier
\n\t\t\tTexas<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2020
\n\t\t\tNew York Liberty
\n\t\t\tSabrina Ionescu
\n\t\t\tOregon<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2019
\n\t\t\tLas Vegas Aces
\n\t\t\tJackie Young
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2018
\n\t\t\tLas Vegas Aces
\n\t\t\tA’ja Wilson
\n\t\t\tSouth Carolina<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2017
\n\t\t\tAtlanta Dream
\n\t\t\tKelsey Plum
\n\t\t\tWashington<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2016
\n\t\t\tSeattle Storm
\n\t\t\tBreanna Stewart
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2015
\n\t\t\tSeattle Storm
\n\t\t\tJewell Loyd
\n\t\t\tNotre Dame<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2014
\n\t\t\tConnecticut Sun
\n\t\t\tChiney Ogwumike
\n\t\t\tStanford<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2013
\n\t\t\tPhoenix Mercury
\n\t\t\tBrittney Griner
\n\t\t\tBaylor<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2012
\n\t\t\tLos Angeles Sparks
\n\t\t\tNneka Ogwumike
\n\t\t\tStanford<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2011
\n\t\t\tMinnesota Lynx
\n\t\t\tMaya Moore
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2010
\n\t\t\tConnecticut Sun
\n\t\t\tTina Charles
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2009
\n\t\t\tAtlanta Dream
\n\t\t\tAngel McCoughtry
\n\t\t\tLouisville<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2008
\n\t\t\tLos Angeles Sparks
\n\t\t\tCandace Parker
\n\t\t\tTennessee<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2007
\n\t\t\tPhoenix Mercury
\n\t\t\tLindsey Harding
\n\t\t\tDuke<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2006
\n\t\t\tMinnesota Lynx
\n\t\t\tSeimone Augustus
\n\t\t\tLSU<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2005
\n\t\t\tCharlotte Sting
\n\t\t\tJanel McCarville
\n\t\t\tMinnesota<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2004
\n\t\t\tPhoenix Mercury
\n\t\t\tDiana Taurasi
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2003
\n\t\t\tCleveland Rockers
\n\t\t\tLaToya Thomas
\n\t\t\tMississippi State<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2002
\n\t\t\tSeattle Storm
\n\t\t\tSue Bird
\n\t\t\tUConn<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2001
\n\t\t\tSeattle Storm
\n\t\t\tLauren Jackson
\n\t\t\tN\/A Australia<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2000
\n\t\t\tCleveland Rockers
\n\t\t\tAnn Wauters
\n\t\t\tN\/A France<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1999
\n\t\t\tWashington Mystics
\n\t\t\tChamique Holdsclaw
\n\t\t\tTennessee<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1998
\n\t\t\tUtah Starzz
\n\t\t\tMargo Dydek
\n\t\t\tN\/A Poland<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1997
\n\t\t\tHouston Comets
\n\t\t\tTina Thompson
\n\t\t\tSouthern California<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

STORE: Latest college basketball gear<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

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READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n