The WNBA Draft is an annual draft held by the WNBA through which WNBA teams can select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. The 1997 WNBA Draft was the first draft in the WNBA's history. Unlike later drafts, this draft was unique because there were three different stages in which teams built their rosters. First on January 22, 1997, the Initial Player Allocation draft took place in which 16 players were assigned to each team in no particular order. The Elite draft portion was comprised of professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues, usually international leagues. On February 27, 1997 an Elite Draft added two more players to each team. On April 28, 1997 the four rounds of the regular WNBA draft took place.
[edit] Initial Player Allocation
[edit] Elite Draft
The Elite draft portion was composed of professional women's basketball players who had competed in other leagues, usually international leagues. It was the first time where the teams could draft the players out of a talent pool.
[edit] Round 1
[edit] Round 2
[edit] WNBA Draft
[edit] Round 1
[edit] Round 2
[edit] Round 3
[edit] Round 4
[edit] References
