# List of first overall WNBA draft picks

The Women's National Basketball Association's first overall pick is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins the WNBA draft lottery; in most cases, that team had a losing record in the previous season.
Eight first picks have won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lauren Jackson (three-time winner), Candace Parker (two-time winner), Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, and A'ja Wilson. Candace Parker is the only player to win the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award during her rookie year.
Fifteen first picks have won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus, Candace Parker, Angel McCoughtry, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark.
Four collegiate programs have multiple players that were selected first overall: UConn with five, Tennessee with three, and Notre Dame, South Carolina and Stanford with two each.

## Key

| * | 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 |
| Bold | Denotes player who won Rookie of the Year |
| PPG | Points per game |
| APG | Assists per game |
| RPG | Rebounds per game |

## List of first overall picks

| Draft | Selected by | Player | Country | Position | College / high school / former club | WNBA rookie statistics | WNBA rookie statistics | WNBA rookie statistics | Ref. |
| Draft | Selected by | Player | Country | Position | College / high school / former club | PPG | RPG | APG | Ref. |
| 1997 (Elite) | Utah Starzz | Dena Head | USA | Guard | Tennessee | 5.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | |
| 1997 | Houston Comets | Tina Thompson* | USA | Forward | USC | 13.2 | 6.6 | 1.1 | |
| 1998 | Utah Starzz | Margo Dydek$^+$ | POL | Center | Pool Getafe (Spain) | 12.9 | 7.6 | 1.8 | |
| 1999 | Washington Mystics | Chamique Holdsclaw* | USA | Forward | Tennessee | 16.9 | 7.9 | 2.4 | |
| 2000 | Cleveland Rockers | Ann Wauters$^+$ | BEL | Center | USV Olympic (France) | 6.2 | 4.0 | 1.2 | |
| 2001 | Seattle Storm | Lauren Jackson* | AUS | Forward-Center | Canberra Capitals (Australia) | 15.2 | 6.7 | 1.5 | |
| 2002 | Seattle Storm | Sue Bird* | USA | Guard | Connecticut | 14.4 | 2.6 | 6.0 | |
| 2003 | Cleveland Rockers | LaToya Thomas | USA | Forward | Mississippi State | 10.8 | 5.1 | 1.2 | |
| 2004 | Phoenix Mercury | Diana Taurasi* | USA | Forward | Connecticut | 17.0 | 4.4 | 3.9 | |
| 2005 | Charlotte Sting | Janel McCarville | USA | Center | Minnesota | 1.8 | 2.7 | 0.4 | |
| 2006 | Minnesota Lynx | Seimone Augustus* | USA | Forward | LSU | 21.9 | 3.8 | 1.5 | |
| 2007 | Phoenix Mercury | Lindsey Harding | USA | Guard | Duke | 11.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | |
| 2008 | Los Angeles Sparks | Candace Parker* | USA | Forward | Tennessee | 18.5 | 9.5 | 3.4 | |
| 2009 | Atlanta Dream | Angel McCoughtry* | USA | Forward | Louisville | 12.8 | 3.1 | 2.1 | |
| 2010 | Connecticut Sun | Tina Charles* | USA | Center | Connecticut | 15.5 | 11.7 | 1.5 | |
| 2011 | Minnesota Lynx | Maya Moore* | USA | Forward | Connecticut | 13.2 | 4.6 | 2.6 | |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Sparks | Nneka Ogwumike* | USA | Forward | Stanford | 14.0 | 7.5 | 1.2 | |
| 2013 | Phoenix Mercury | Brittney Griner* | USA | Center | Baylor | 12.6 | 6.3 | 1.0 | |
| 2014 | Connecticut Sun | Chiney Ogwumike$^+$ | USA | Forward | Stanford | 15.5 | 8.5 | 0.6 | |
| 2015 | Seattle Storm | Jewell Loyd* | USA | Guard | Notre Dame | 10.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | |
| 2016 | Seattle Storm | Breanna Stewart* | USA | Forward | Connecticut | 18.3 | 9.3 | 3.4 | |
| 2017 | San Antonio Stars | Kelsey Plum* | USA | Guard | Washington | 8.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | |
| 2018 | Las Vegas Aces | A'ja Wilson* | USA | Forward | South Carolina | 20.7 | 8.0 | 2.2 | |
| 2019 | Las Vegas Aces | Jackie Young* | USA | Guard | Notre Dame | 6.6 | 3.3 | 4.5 | |
| 2020 | New York Liberty | Sabrina Ionescu* | USA | Guard | Oregon | 18.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | |
| 2021 | Dallas Wings (from New York via Seattle) | Charli Collier | USA | Center | Texas | 3.4 | 3.6 | 0.2 | |
| 2022 | Atlanta Dream (from Washington) | Rhyne Howard$^+$ | USA | Guard | Kentucky | 16.2 | 4.5 | 2.8 | |
| 2023 | Indiana Fever | Aliyah Boston$^+$ | USA | Center | South Carolina | 14.5 | 8.4 | 2.2 | |
| 2024 | Indiana Fever | Caitlin Clark$^*$ | USA | Guard | Iowa | 19.2 | 5.7 | 8.4 | |