In the WNBA, getting drafted is sometimes the ultimate in prestige. It’s when a fairy tale comes true for a young baller on national TV.
So what about players whose names never come up? Some of them don’t just survive—they thrive, crash the party, and rewrite the success story.
From coming into tryouts with something to prove to leaving with championships and All-Star nods, these five women didn’t need a draft pick to become legends.
Undrafted and Unstoppable: 5 WNBA Icons Who Redefined the Game
1. Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon is not just the greatest undrafted player in WNBA history—she might be one of the greatest, full-stop.
Having gone undrafted in 1999, largely due to her 5’6″ size and questions regarding how her game would translate at the professional level, Hammon signed with the New York Liberty. And oh boy, did she send those doubters packing.
She became one of the league’s toughest competitors, accumulating six All-Star appearances and ending her career with more than 5,000 points.
Her legacy didn’t stop there, however. Hammon broke barriers off the court, too, as she became the first full-time female assistant coach in NBA history for the San Antonio Spurs. In 2022, she came back to the WNBA as head coach of the Las Vegas Aces and took them to their very first championship straight away.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here,” Hammon once exclaimed. “But that’s the thing about dreams—they don’t care if you were picked or passed over.”
2. Erica Wheeler
Erica Wheeler’s road to WNBA stardom is the stuff of a Hollywood script. Undrafted in 2013 out of Rutgers, Wheeler never allowed disappointments and grief to deter her—not even after the loss of her mother to cancer.
She played overseas, worked diligently through training camps, and eventually broke the code in the WNBA.
In 2019, she made history as the first undrafted player to win All-Star Game MVP. She dropped 25 points, including seven made three-pointers, and stole the show.
“Nobody saw me coming,” she said after the game, beaming. Her journey is a testament to grit, and today, Wheeler is more than just a feel-good story—she’s a legitimate playmaker and fan favorite.
3. Kayla Thornton
If hustle came in a human face, Kayla Thornton’s would be the one. Having gone undrafted out of UTEP in 2014, she was soon signed—and dropped—by the Washington Mystics.
But Thornton refused to quit. She took her talent overseas, sharpened her defense, and battled back into the league with the Dallas Wings.
Thornton became one of the WNBA’s premier defenders, closing down elite scorers and delivering a nightly boost. She’s been described as a glue player—a not-stat sheet-lighting player who makes winning contributions. In 2024, she was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft, again proving she’s worth more than statistics.
4. DeMya Walker
DeMya Walker was a best-kept secret in the WNBA during the early 2000s. Undrafted in 1999, she started her pro career in the ABL before going overseas and ultimately ending up in the WNBA with the Portland Fire.
But it was while playing for the Sacramento Monarchs that Walker established her rhythm.
She developed into an anchor of the Monarchs’ frontcourt, leading them to their first—and sole—WNBA championship in 2005. Anna DeForge was a scrappy, rebounding, tough player who did all the nitty-gritty and never turned back. She’s a reminder that champions sometimes come from anywhere.
5. Anna DeForge
Anna DeForge may not be a household name today, but during her heyday in the early 2000s, she was a flat-out scorer. An undrafted pick from Nebraska in 1998, DeForge went back and forth between leagues before becoming a fixture in the WNBA. Especially with the Detroit Shock and the Phoenix Mercury later in her career.
She was best with the Phoenix, averaging double digits in points and being given two consecutive All-Star berths in 2004 and 2005.
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DeForge’s effortless jump shot and scoring prowess made her a nightmare to match up against.
Her own tale is not as well-documented, but among insiders within the world of basketball; she’s known simply to be one of the greatest pure shooters to have ever gone undrafted. She showed us that all it takes is one shot to become a legend—and she never let hers go.
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