The 2009 WNBA Season was the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008. The season ended with the Phoenix Mercury winning their second championship in three years.

Quick Facts League, Sport ...

2009 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	June 6 – October 9, 2009
Number of games	34
Number of teams	13
Total attendance	1,776,536
Average attendance	8,039
TV partner(s)	ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
2009 WNBA Draft
Top draft pick	Angel McCoughtry
Picked by	Atlanta Dream
Regular season
Season MVP	Diana Taurasi (Phoenix)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Indiana Fever
Eastern runners-up	Detroit Shock
Western champions	Phoenix Mercury
Western runners-up	Los Angeles Sparks
Finals
Champions	Phoenix Mercury
Runners-up	Indiana Fever
Finals MVP	Diana Taurasi
WNBA seasons
← 2008 2010 →

Close

The regular season began with a televised (ABC) meeting between the defending champion Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles on June 6. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 9th Annual All-Star Game which was broadcast live on ABC (HD) on July 25.

• The new television deal with ESPN will begin during the 2009 season. For the first time ever, teams will be paid rights fees as part of this deal.
• As of the 2009 season, the maximum roster size per team is reduced from 13 to 11. Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury, pregnancy or any other factor outside of the control of the team will, upon request, be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games. As soon as the injured (or otherwise sidelined) player(s) is able to play, the roster hardship player(s) -- not any other player on the roster—must be waived.
• On October 23, 2008, Angela Taylor was named general manager of the Washington Mystics.
• On November 6, 2008, Julie Plank was named head coach of the Washington Mystics.
• On November 20, 2008, Bill Laimbeer was signed to a two-year contract extension as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock.
• On December 1, 2008, the Houston Comets ceased basketball operations.
• On January 5, 2009, the free agent signing period began.
• On February 3, 2009, president Donna Orender announced that the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game is in Connecticut, hosted by the Sun.
• On April 28, 2009, Anne Donovan was named assistant coach of the New York Liberty.
• The WNBA announced the addition of the WNBA LiveAccess system on May 13, 2009. This new feature on WNBA.com will provide fans with free access to more than 200 live game webcasts – the league's most comprehensive offering – throughout the 2009 WNBA season. For the first time, fans around the world will be able to access live game webcasts on individual team web sites. All of the WNBA LiveAccess games will then be archived for on-demand viewing.
• On June 1, 2009, Donna Orender and David Stern announced that the Phoenix Mercury had signed a corporate deal with LifeLock. This would allow the LifeLock name to be on the team uniforms and the court, among other things. This was the first deal of the type in WNBA or NBA history.
• On June 3, 2009, Minnesota Lynx head coach Don Zierden resigned to take an assistant job with Flip Saunders and the Washington Wizards. Assistant coach Jennifer Gillom was promoted to head coach of the Lynx.
• On June 5, 2009, the Los Angeles Sparks signed a corporate deal with Farmers Insurance. This would allow the Farmers Insurance name to be on the team uniforms and the court, among other things. This was the second deal of the type in WNBA or NBA history (after the Mercury).

On December 8, 2008, the Houston Comets dispersal draft was held. Five former Comets players, Latasha Byears, Mwadi Mabika, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson were free agents and therefore not eligible for this draft. Teams selected based inversely on their 2008 regular season records.

The top picks were:

1. Sancho Lyttle, Atlanta Dream
2. Matee Ajavon, Washington Mystics
3. Mistie Bass, Chicago Sky

Six of the thirteen teams making selections waived their picks.

The WNBA Draft lottery was held on December 9, 2008. The Atlanta Dream received the first overall selection. The Washington Mystics received the number two selection. The Chicago Sky came up with the third overall selection, followed by the Minnesota Lynx at four and the Phoenix Mercury at number five. For the first time in WNBA history, the lottery balls were chosen exactly according to odds.

The 2009 WNBA Draft was held on April 9 in Secaucus, New Jersey. Coverage of the first round was shown on ESPN2 (in HD for the first time ever) at 3:00pm. Second and third round coverage was shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at 4:00pm.

The top draft picks were as follows:

1. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
2. Marissa Coleman, Washington Mystics
3. Kristi Toliver, Chicago Sky
4. Renee Montgomery, Minnesota Lynx
5. DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury

• On February 5, 2009, center Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the WNBA. Leslie was one of the four remaining players from the WNBA's inaugural season.
• On May 15, 2009, forward Yolanda Griffith of the Indiana Fever announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the WNBA. Griffith was injured in the third game of the season but continued to help the Fever as an assistant coach figure.
• On May 31, 2009, San Antonio Silver Stars guard Vickie Johnson announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the league. Johnson was one of the four remaining players from the WNBA's inaugural season.
• On September 18, 2009, Seattle Storm guard Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson announced that she would retire at the end of the 2009 season.
• On September 24, 2009, forward Erin Perperoglou of the San Antonio Silver Stars announced that she would not return to the WNBA.

• WNBA
• WNBA draft
• WNBA All-Star Game
• WNBA Playoffs
• WNBA Finals