2003 WNBA dispersal draft

2003 WNBA dispersal draft
General information
Sport	Basketball
Date(s)	April 24, 2003
Overview
League	WNBA
Merging teams	Miami Sol (folded in 2002) Portland Fire (folded in 2002)
First selection	Ruth Riley Detroit Shock

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) held its first dispersal draft on April 24, 2003 prior to the 2003 WNBA season.^[1]

This dispersal draft consisted of one round to re-assign the 26 players from the Miami Sol and Portland Fire rosters, who both folded after the end of 2002 WNBA season.^[1] The remaining fourteen teams in the WNBA each selected one player from either roster in the draft.^[2] Former Sol and Fire players not selected in the dispersal draft became unrestricted free agents.^[3] The order of selection was determined by teams' 2002 regular season records, going from worst to first.^[3]

Key

Pos.	G	F	C
Position	Guard	Forward	Center

^	Denotes player who has been inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
*	Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-WNBA Team
^+	Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game

Dispersal draft

Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	New team	Former team
1	Ruth Riley ^+ ^	C	United States	Detroit Shock	Miami Sol
2	Sheri Sam ^+	F/G		Minnesota Lynx
3	Betty Lennox *	G		Cleveland Rockers
4	Tamicha Jackson			Phoenix Mercury	Portland Fire
5	DeMya Walker ^+	F		Sacramento Monarchs
6	Debbie Black	G		Connecticut Sun	Miami Sol
7	Sylvia Crawley	C		Indiana Fever	Portland Fire
8	Jenny Mowe			Washington Mystics
9	Alisa Burras	F		Seattle Storm
10	Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough	C		Charlotte Sting	Miami Sol
11	Elena Baranova ^+	F	Russia	New York Liberty
12	LaQuanda Barksdale	G/F	United States	San Antonio Silver Stars	Portland Fire
13	Ukari Figgs	G		Houston Comets
14	Jackie Stiles ^+ ^			Los Angeles Sparks

References

1. "PLUS: W.N.B.A.; Dispersal Draft Scatters 2 Rosters". The New York Times. April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
2. "Three Former Lady Techsters Selected in WNBA Dispersal Draft". LA Tech Sports. April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
3. "Detroit adds Riley with top pick". ESPN. April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 23, 2025.