The WNBA Draft is always the highlight of the calendar year for a basketball fan. It is always that night the future great women’s basketball legends get their nights to shine. The world shall see the fresh batch of new talent that’ll make a difference. Others, though, stay there much longer than anyone could’ve ever imagined in the history of the league.
Here are five of the most memorable moments ever in WNBA Draft history; everybody’s talking about them.
The 5 Legendary WNBA Draft Nights To Remember
1. Sabrina Ionescu Goes No. 1 in 2020 — Days After Paying Tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant
2020 was never going to be like any other WNBA Draft. The draft was held virtually during the pandemic across the world, but the environment was charged with excitement. Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon University’s brightest guard, went number one overall to the New York Liberty.
But it wasn’t only her on-court supremacy that rendered this moment so iconic—it was the emotional context. Only a few months earlier, the basketball community had lost one of its all-time greats, Kobe Bryant, and his daughter, Gianna, in a devastating helicopter accident.
Ionescu, who idolized Kobe, went out of her way to pay tribute to the Bryants as she entered the draft.
In a heartfelt message, Ionescu said, “I’ve been working for this my entire basketball career, and it’s surreal to see that come to fruition. I dedicate this moment to Kobe and Gianna.”
Ionescu’s phrase was a sad reminder that basketball extends beyond the court, bringing players and fans together in sorrow and expectation. Ionescu’s own career has since lived up to the promise—she’s emerged as one of the most visible young stars in the WNBA, with a game that combines vision, versatility, and leadership.
What made this moment all the more important was that Ionescu was drafted just a few days after the tragic loss. It became a symbol of the future of the WNBA and an ode to the legacies of those who were lost. Ionescu’s No. 1 pick reminded everyone of strength and the emotional connections that make sports so much more than mere sport.
2. Caitlin Clark Enters No. 1 in 2024 — And Sets a New Benchmark for Visibility
In 2024, the WNBA Draft saw another first, with Caitlin Clark being picked first overall by the Indiana Fever. Clark is a tale that has fascinated the country. Clark was known for her electrifying three-point shooting and ability to take over games.
And in 2023, she led the Iowa Hawkeyes on a historic run through the NCAA Tournament, setting multiple records in the process.
Her selection ushered in an era of the visibility of women’s sports—the moment when, in reference to Clark, athletes are no longer merely collegiate heroes. However, they are demanding equal measures of media spotlight and fan anticipation in lieu of their counterparts in the men’s leagues. The 2024 WNBA Draft was such a moment.
It was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a venue usually reserved for New York’s most important cultural events. Tickets for the production were put up for sale and sold out virtually overnight. And international media descended on the city to chronicle the proceedings.
Clark’s choice wasn’t just about her amazing talent—it was about the earthquake that was occurring in the way the world perceives women’s basketball.
“It’s bigger than me,” Clark said at her selection. “It’s about the future of the game and how far we’ve come.”
The 2024 draft underscored how far women’s basketball has come in terms of visibility. Well, thanks to players like Clark, who’ve set new standards for what is possible on and off the court.
3. The “Three to See” Define a New Era in 2013
If the 2024 WNBA Draft represented the new yardstick of visibility, then 2013 marked a new dawn on the way superstars redefine their league.
It was the beginning with three powerful players considered among the finest in modern WNBA history: Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins, whom drafters coined the “Three to See,” with the trio serving as the top three draft choices.
Griner, Baylor’s 6’8″ center, went first overall to the Phoenix Mercury. She already had set all sorts of records in college, shot-blocking and dominating the paint, unmatched. The pick helped fuel the Mercury to a new age of dominance. Delle Donne, the 6’5″ Delaware forward, went second to the Chicago Sky.
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Reputed for her scoring and all-around ability, Delle Donne was a quick star, changing the standards for what a WNBA forward could accomplish. Diggins, an energetic 5’9″ point guard out of Notre Dame, was picked third by the Tulsa Shock.
Diggins’ leadership, flair, and ability to dominate games immediately drew fans in. The 2013 Draft brought three phenomenal players, but it also ushered in a new era for the WNBA. The future might have a place for women’s basketball as being pace-based, skills-oriented, and full of personality.
This class of draftees would rule the league for decades to come and create a period for the WNBA of global acknowledgment.
4. Candace Parker Shattered the Barriers in 2008
Candace Parker’s draft as the No. 1 overall pick in 2008 was historic—not only for the WNBA but for the game of basketball in general. After her leadership of the University of Tennessee to consecutive national championships in 2007 and 2008, Parker entered the draft as one of the most hyped prospects in basketball history.
When the Los Angeles Sparks took her first overall, it was the beginning of something special.
What made Parker’s choice historic was not necessarily her ability, but her influence on how people saw women’s basketball.
She dunks in the NCAA Tournament to become the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game, and in her first WNBA game, she broke a rookie debut record by scoring 34 points. Her ability to control down low, spread the floor, and create off the break challenged every notion of what a forward was supposed to be.
Parker went from being the package that every team wanted overnight, winning rookie of the year in 2008 and then earning two WNBA MVP awards. Her impact on the league simply pushed the boundaries. The Parker draft was historic; the development of women’s basketball had a defining milestone.
Young girls and women from all over the world began chasing their dreams on the court.
5. Destanni Henderson Look + Reaction in 2022
And sometimes, it’s not the household name or the highlight reels of a career that make the WNBA Draft one for the ages—it’s the pure, unadulterated emotion.
For Destanni Henderson in 2022, when she was selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 20 pick overall, that became one that will forever be remembered in draft history. Henderson, who had been a significant contributor to the University of South Carolina, was visibly shaken and ecstatic when her name was announced.
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The genuine feeling on her face, along with her wide-eyed stare and beaming smile, connected with fans everywhere. Her reaction quickly went viral, and fans across social media celebrated the authenticity of the moment.
“I really didn’t think this would happen. It’s everything I’ve worked for,” Henderson said after being selected. The moment showcased the genuine joy and dreams of young athletes coming true in real time, adding a human touch to the spectacle of the draft.
The WNBA Draft is not merely the names that are called out—it’s also about the tales, emotions, and cultural turning points behind each pick.
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