The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised (ESPN2) meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star Game which was broadcast live on ESPN on July 10. This year, it was a contest between Geno Auriemma's USA Basketball team and a single team of WNBA All-Stars. The Finals was a series between the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream which Seattle won 3–0.

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2010 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	May 15 – September 16, 2010
Number of games	34
Number of teams	12
Total attendance	1,598,174
Average attendance	7,834
TV partner(s)	ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
Top draft pick	Tina Charles
Picked by	Connecticut Sun
Season MVP	Lauren Jackson (Seattle)
Eastern champions	Atlanta Dream
Eastern runners-up	New York Liberty
Western champions	Seattle Storm
Western runners-up	Phoenix Mercury
Finals champions	Seattle Storm
Runners-up	Atlanta Dream
Finals MVP	Lauren Jackson (Seattle)
WNBA seasons
← 2009 2011 →

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• The new television deal with ESPN continued during the 2010 season (runs 2009–2016). 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 was 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 September 29, 2009, Nolan Richardson was named head coach and general manager of a potential Tulsa, Oklahoma franchise.^[1]
• On October 20, 2009, the Detroit Shock announced that the franchise would relocate to Tulsa as well as move to the Western Conference.^[2]
• On November 20, 2009, the Sacramento Monarchs folded.^[3]
• On December 3, 2009, the New York Liberty announced that previously interim head coach Anne Donovan would be named head coach.^[4]
• On December 8, 2009, Cheryl Reeve was named head coach of the Minnesota Lynx.
• A dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009, for all non-free agent Sacramento Monarchs players.^[5]
• On January 7, 2010, the Los Angeles Sparks named former player Jennifer Gillom head coach.
• On February 25, 2010, Sandy Brondello was named head coach of the San Antonio Silver Stars when Dan Hughes stepped aside from the position.

On December 14, 2009, the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft was held. Three former Monarchs players, Kara Lawson, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba and Ticha Penicheiro were free agents and therefore not eligible for this draft. Teams selected based inversely on their 2009 season finish.

The top picks were:

1. Nicole Powell, New York Liberty
2. Rebekkah Brunson, Minnesota Lynx
3. DeMya Walker, Connecticut Sun

Four of the twelve teams making selections waived their picks.

The WNBA Draft lottery was held on November 5, 2009. The lottery teams were the Sacramento Monarchs, Minnesota Lynx (from N.Y.), Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky. The top pick was awarded to Minnesota. Since Sacramento folded after the lottery, all the teams following Sacramento in the draft simply moved up a pick. Minnesota subsequently traded the first overall pick to Connecticut.

The 2010 WNBA Draft was held on April 8, 2010, in Secaucus, New Jersey. Coverage of the first round was shown on ESPN2 (HD). Second and third round coverage was shown on ESPNU and NBA TV.

The top picks were:

1. Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun
2. Monica Wright, Minnesota Lynx
3. Kelsey Griffin, Minnesota Lynx
4. Epiphanny Prince, Chicago Sky
5. Jayne Appel, San Antonio Silver Stars

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