Phoenix, AZ, Dec. 3 -- WNBA President Val Ackerman announced today that the Phoenix Mercury have won the WNBA Draft Lottery thus earning the rights to the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA College Draft. After completing the 2003 season with an 8-26 record, the Mercury had the best odds (410 out of 1,000) out of six total teams to win the Lottery.
“This is just the beginning of another page in the history books for the Phoenix Mercury,” said team General Manager/Vice President Seth Sulka. “Having the number one pick in a draft this strong will immediately make the Mercury a more competitive ball club.”
The Third Annual WNBA Draft Lottery serves to assign Draft order to the six non-playoff teams from the previous season. The Washington Mystics will select second in the 2004 Draft followed by Washington, Indiana, San Antonio, New York and Seattle.
“I think a lot of people are assuming Diana Turasi at this point, that she is the natural consensus to go number one in this Draft, but I have to tell you, the players that go one through four definitely could be number one picks any other year,” said Sulka. “Obviously if you look at Turasi, she is really going to change this game. She has seen success at the collegiate level and will be thirsty to get her hands on another championship.”
The 2004 WNBA College Draft is expected to be held in April 2004, following the NCAA Tournament.
Following is a complete look at the All-Time Draft History of the Phoenix Mercury:
| 1997 Player Allocation |
| Player |
College |
| Jennifer Gillom |
University of Mississippi |
| Michele Timms |
Australia |
1997 Elite Draft |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Bridget Pettis |
Florida |
1 |
7 |
| Nancy Lieberman-Cline |
Old Dominion |
2 |
15 |
1997 Draft - April 27 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Toni Foster |
Iowa |
1 |
8 |
| Tia Jackson |
Iowa |
2 |
9 |
| Umeki Webb |
North Carolina State |
3 |
24 |
| Monique Ambers |
Arizona State |
4 |
25 |
1997 Final Allocations -- May 22 |
| Player |
College |
| Marlies Askamp |
Germany |
| Tara Williams |
Auburn |
1998 Draft -- April 29 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Maria Stepanova |
Russia |
1 |
8 |
| Andrea Kuklova |
Slovakia |
2 |
18 |
| Brandy Reed |
Southern Mississippi |
3 |
28 |
| Karen Wilkins |
Howard |
4 |
38 |
1999 Draft -- May 4 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Edna Campbell |
Texas |
1 |
10 |
| Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil |
Texas |
2 |
22 |
| Lisa Harrison |
Tennessee |
3 |
34 |
| Amanda Wilson |
Louisiana Tech |
4 |
46 |
2000 Draft -- April 25 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Adrian Williams |
USC |
2 |
21 |
| Tauja Catchings |
Illinois |
3 |
37 |
| Shantia Owens (Traded to Miami for fourth round draft pick in 2001) |
Kentucky |
4 |
53 |
2001 Draft -- April 20 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Kristen Veal |
Australia |
1 |
13 |
| Ilona Korstine |
Russia |
2 |
29 |
| Tere Williams |
Virginia Tech |
3 |
45 |
| Carolyn Moos |
Stanford |
4 |
53 |
| Megan Franza |
Washington |
4 |
61 |
2002 Draft -- April 19 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Tootie Shaw |
Wichita State |
2 |
25 |
| Kayte Christensen |
UCSB |
3 |
40 |
| Amba Kongolo |
N. Carolina Central |
4 |
56 |
2003 WNBA Dispersal Draft -- April 24 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Tamicha Jackson |
Louisiana Tech |
1 |
4 |
2003 Draft -- April 25 |
| Player |
College |
Round |
Pick |
| Plenette Pierson |
Texas Tech |
1 |
4 |
| Petra Ujhelyi |
South Carolina |
2 |
16 |
| Telisha Quarles |
Virginia |
3 |
31 |
| Marion Jones |
North Carolina |
3 |
33 |
For complete information on the WNBA Draft Lottery, visit www.wnba.com.
