1999 WNBA expansion draft

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) held their second expansion draft on April 6, 1999 for the Minnesota Lynx and the Orlando Miracle.^[1][2] This draft allowed the two new expansion teams to select players from the existing WNBA teams to fill their debut rosters prior to the start of the 1999 WNBA season.

1999 WNBA expansion draft
General information
Sport	Basketball
Date(s)	April 6, 1999
Overview
League	WNBA
Expansion teams	Minnesota Lynx Orlando Miracle
← 1998 2000 →

In December 1998, the American Basketball League (ABL) folded.^[3] The 90 players from the ABL's eight teams (except Kristin Folkl and Nykesha Sales who were allocated to the new WNBA expansion teams by the WNBA) were eligible for the 1999 WNBA draft.^[2]

Key

Pos.	G	F	C
Position	Guard	Forward	Center

!	Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
^	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

Initial player allocation

Prior to the expansion draft, the WNBA allocated two players to the Minnesota Lynx and the Orlando Miracle on September 15, 1998 in no particular order.

Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	Team	School / club team	WNBA years[a]	Career with the franchise[b]	Ref.
1	Kristin Folkl	F	United States	Minnesota Lynx	Stanford Cardinal	0	1999–2000	[4]
2	Nykesha Sales *	G/F		Orlando Miracle	UConn Huskies		1999–2007	[1]

Expansion draft

The following players were drafted for the rosters of the Lynx and Miracle from the league's existing teams on April 6, 1999:

Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	New team	Former team	WNBA years[a]	Career with the franchise[b]	Ref.
1	Brandy Reed +	F	United States	Minnesota Lynx	Phoenix Mercury	1	1999	[5]
2	Andrea Congreaves		United Kingdom	Orlando Miracle	Charlotte Sting	2	1999
3	Kim Williams	G	United States	Minnesota Lynx	Utah Starzz	2	—
4	Kisha Ford			Orlando Miracle	New York Liberty	2	1999
5	Octavia Blue			Minnesota Lynx	Los Angeles Sparks	1	—
6	Yolanda Moore	F		Orlando Miracle	Houston Comets	2	1999
7	Adia Barnes			Minnesota Lynx	Sacramento Monarchs	1	1999
8	Adrienne Johnson	G		Orlando Miracle	Cleveland Rockers	2	1999–2000; 2002–2003
9	No selection[c]	—	—	—	Detroit Shock	—	—	[6]
10		—	—	—	Washington Mystics	—	—

Post-expansion draft player allocation

After the expansion draft, the WNBA allocated an additional two players to the Minnesota Lynx and the Orlando Miracle on May 3, 1999.

Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	New team	Former team	WNBA years[a]	Career with the franchise[b]	Ref.
1	Katie Smith * ^ !	G/F	United States	Minnesota Lynx	Columbus Quest (ABL)	0	1999–2005	[4]
2	Shannon Johnson *	G		Orlando Miracle			1999–2003	[1]

Notes

1. Number of years played in the WNBA prior to the draft
2. Number of years played for expansion franchise that drafted player
3. Players from the rosters of the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics were ineligible to be drafted.

References

1. "Building The Miracle". WNBA. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
2. "Aces History: Feeling A Draft (1999)". WNBA. February 15, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
3. Williams, Lena (April 2, 1999). "Former Team Official Recounts the A.B.L.'s Dizzying Descent". Retrieved June 19, 2025.
4. Nelson, Joe (April 22, 2018). "20 facts celebrating 20 years of the Minnesota Lynx". Bring Me the News. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
5. "1999 WNBA Expansion Draft". Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
6. "Shock: EnShocklopedia D". WNBA. Retrieved June 18, 2025. The Detroit Shock did not lose any players in the 1999 Expansion Draft.