New York, January 6 - The Phoenix Mercury selected 6-1 forward Penny Taylor with the first pick in the WNBA Dispersal Draft of Cleveland Rockers players held via conference call today. Sixteen players were available to be selected in the one-round draft, including those players who did not play last season, but to whom the Rockers had negotiating rights. Teams drafted in inverse order of their regular-season finish in 2003.

The Washington Mystics chose center/forward Chasity Melvin with the second pick, and the San Antonio Silver Stars took forward LaToya Thomas with the third selection. The Houston Comets added two players to its roster in the Dispersal Draft, acquiring the eighth pick from the Connecticut Sun in a trade consummated on January 5. In exchange, the Sun received Houston's second round pick (24th overall) in the 2004 WNBA Draft. Houston took center Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough with the pick acquired from the Sun, and forward/center Lucienne Berthieu with its own 11th pick.

Rocker guard/forward Merlakia Jones, who is an unrestricted free agent, was not available for selection in the Dispersal Draft.

2004 Dispersal Draft Results

	Team (2003 Record)	Player	Pos	Ht
1.	Phoenix (8-26)	Penny Taylor	F	6-1
2.	Washington (9-25)	Chasity Melvin	C/F	6-3
3.	San Antonio (12-22)	LaToya Thomas	F	6-2
4.	New York (16-18)	Ann Wauters	C	6-4
5.	Indiana (16-18)	Deanna Jackson	F	6-2
6.	Seattle (18-16)	Betty Lennox	G	5-8
7.	Minnesota (18-16)	Helen Darling	G	5-6
8.	Houston from Connecticut (18-16)	Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough	C	6-3
9.	Charlotte (18-16)	Mery Andrade	F	6-0
10.	Sacramento (19-15)	Jennifer Butler	C	6-3
11.	Houston (20-14)	Lucienne Berthieu	F/C	6-0
12.	Los Angeles (24-10)	Isabelle Fijalkowski	C	6-5
13.	Detroit (25-9)	Jennifer Rizzotti	G	5-6