The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever 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.
The regular season began with a televised (ABC) meeting between the defending champion Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles, California on June 6. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 9th Annual All-Star Game which was broadcast live on ABC (HD) on July 25.
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:
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.
Marissa Coleman (born January 4, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the forward position for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.
Coleman was born in Portland, Oregon to Tony and Joni Coleman. She has an older sister, Tonya, and a younger brother, Anthony. Later they moved to Cheltenham, Maryland where Coleman attended high school at St. John's College.
Coleman went to high school at St. John's College. Coleman was a McDonald's and WBCA All-American, playing in both senior all-star games. She led all scorers with 19 points at the McDonald's game. She was selected East Team Most Valuable Player at the WBCA game.
Coleman chose the University of Maryland, College Park over the University of Tennessee, the University of Connecticut, the University of Florida, and Duke University. As a freshman she became the second-straight Terrapin to be named ACC Rookie of the Year. She was only the ninth Terrapin all-time with 1,500 career points. She is one of only four Terps in the history of the program to receive All-ACC honors three times, earning a spot on the second team every year. She is fifth all-time at Maryland in rebounding and she is the only player in school history to record a triple-double.
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry (born September 10, 1986) is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player. She also plays for the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the EuroLeague Women.
McCoughtry led the Big East Conference in scoring, rebounding, and steals, while breaking school records for most and steals in a season, most points in a season, and most points in a game. She was named Big East Player of the Year during her sophomore year in 2006-2007. In the summer of 2007, McCoughtry represented the United States on the Pan American Games women's basketball team. During her junior year at Louisville, McCoughtry broke her own records for points and steals on the season, and tied her own single-game scoring record. She played a key role in Louisville's upset of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the 2008 Big East conference tournament. In addition, McCoughtry was named an All-American by several organizations as a junior.
DeWanna Bonner (born August 21, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the forward position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.
Born on August 21, 1987 to LaShelle Bonner and Gregory McCall, she has three siblings, sister Vin'Centia Dewberry, brother Justin McCall, and sister Erica McCall. Bonner majored in Psychology at Auburn University.
Bonner attended high school at Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Alabama. She was named McDonald's and WBCA All-American and participated in their All-America games. She earned USA Today Junior All-America and was the Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year while at Fairfield High School. She was featured in USA Today as one of the top 25 recruits in the nation during summer of 2005.
Bonner went to Auburn University. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. She scored in double figures in 22 games during the 2005–06 season and led the Tigers with a 13.5 points per game average, the first time since 1980–81 that a freshman led the team in scoring.
Kristi Toliver (born January 27, 1987) is an American basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. She is from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has an older sister, Carli. She is the daughter of former NBA referee, George Toliver, and Peggy Toliver.
Attended Harrisonburg High School and graduated in 2005. At HHS she was a member of the Symphonic Band, and Student Government Secretary. Toliver was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2005 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored nine points.
A standout player from the University of Maryland, Toliver was known for her shooting and propensity to produce in clutch situations, as shown in the 2006 National Championship game when Toliver, then a freshman, hit a game-tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime against Duke, eventually leading to a win and Maryland's first national championship.
In the 2009 WNBA Draft, the Chicago Sky selected point guard Kristi Toliver with the 3rd pick. Toliver was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks just before the start of the 2010 season.
relaxin maxin to the maximum
to tracks a hum
the wicks where the stacks are from
inside the styles of a funky lyrical wiz
what a miracle is
get down to spiritual business
now my tounge kissed
put words in your system wished em
respect the blackness em
give in em win em the peace they want
but dont want the peace signs unless its in the mind
become a victim because i kick em sick em
supposed to be black but they be wack
those who pretend to be a muslim i gooshed em
positive ones i pushed em
into the path or righteousness might get dissed
those who pump a fist but aint right with this
i increase rhymes wacks and weak minds
if it aint real stop throwin up peace signs
dont give him no peace sign if you dont mean it from your heart
untied we can get over, yet were still apart
terror wished em ima terrorize elorize in disguise
those for side for tizin and i begin
to creepin seepin thought out unrighteousness and dissed
connect of venomous gangs with the rhytmness
figured they manifestin g i can address
individually each emcee is throwin up peace but dont pray to the east
i write the lect the soul should be playin towards mecca
but snakes and devils wont letcha
freestyle some religous free dump see
to letcha know how come dumb some be
ignorance a comish to look like a fish
and since we whipped from bars to a ghetto priz
ima wiz some brains i give em a brain washin
when im walkin devils im squashin
science fiction mixed in tricks in fixin
the ways of all sort for good
come in my fortress ima gonna force this
cuz it holy dont try to fold me
some just say peace tryin to the black guy
some say peace thinkin it means bye bye
so g if ya never mean this from the heart and the mind
stop throwin up peace signs
lets walk the path of a vo-cab-ulary
you'll cary the thoughts of every righteous man
lets fight this plan of a other man
waxin thoughts of a brother man
satans waitin for us to be hatin each other
sister brother or mother color
blackness dont try to attack this fact this lets now practice
true peace new salon one who is a peace
cease when you see hunger than give peace
blacks a supplied them and applied them identified them
you suffer inhale and say why them
cuz you did not follow the path that i layed out
say blackness and get played out
like children wildin some try to kick a fist
pick a fist i take a piss wikedness to get crushed up
movin up on that bustop while stand inhale bustop
so you must stop
fakin the holy faith in wakin
star dont come apart our hearts get a stake in
so dont be mad so what minds to the minimum
cuz in the em sendin em holy wisdom
to let you know from the heart and the mind
It's time to fight the invader
To raise the flag of rebellion
No peace as they live
No peace as they breathe
Kill the ennemy
It don' t matter women children
Bleed for what you believe
Die to be free
Gonna give death to your enemies
Gonna bring pain into their families
No peace as they live
No peace as they breathe
Kill the enemy
It don' t matter women children
Bleed for what you believe
Die to be free
Gonna give death to your enemies
Gonna bring pain into their families
Gonna give death to your enemies
Gonna bring pain into their families
No peace
It's time to fight the invader
To raise the flag of rebellion
No peace as they live
No peace as they breathe
Kill the enemy
It don' t matter women children
Bleed for what you believe
Die to be free
Gonna give death to your enemies
Gonna bring pain into their families
Gonna give death to your enemies
Gonna bring pain into their families
Gonna give death to your enemies
[Tung Twista]
relaxin maxin to the maximum
to tracks a hum
the wicks where the stacks are from
inside the styles of a funky lyrical wiz
what a miracle is
get down to spiritual business
now my tounge kissed
put words in your system wished em
respect the blackness em
give in em win em the peace they want
but dont want the peace signs unless its in the mind
become a victim because i kick em sick em
supposed to be black but they be wack
those who pretend to be a muslim i gooshed em
positive ones i pushed em
into the path or righteousness might get dissed
those who pump a fist but aint right with this
i increase rhymes wacks and weak minds
if it aint real stop throwin up peace signs
[chorus 2x]
dont give him no peace sign if you dont mean it from your heart
untied we can get over, yet were still apart
terror wished em ima terrorize elorize in disguise
those for side for tizin and i begin
to creepin seepin thought out unrighteousness and dissed
connect of venomous gangs with the rhytmness
figured they manifestin g i can address
individually each emcee is throwin up peace but dont pray to the east
i write the lect the soul should be playin towards mecca
but snakes and devils wont letcha
freestyle some religous free dump see
to letcha know how come dumb some be
ignorance a comish to look like a fish
and since we whipped from bars to a ghetto priz
ima wiz some brains i give em a brain washin
when im walkin devils im squashin
science fiction mixed in tricks in fixin
the ways of all sort for good
come in my fortress ima gonna force this
'cause it holy dont try to fold me
some just say peace tryin to the black guy
some say peace thinkin it means bye bye
so g if ya never mean this from the heart and the mind
stop throwin up peace signs
[chorus]
lets walk the path of a vo-cab-ulary
you'll cary the thoughts of every righteous man
lets fight this plan of a other man
waxin thoughts of a brother man
satans waitin for us to be hatin each other
sister brother or mother color
blackness dont try to attack this fact this lets now practice
true peace new salon one who is a peace
cease when you see hunger than give peace
blacks a supplied them and applied them identified them
you suffer inhale and say why them
'cause you did not follow the path that i layed out
say blackness and get played out
like children wildin some try to kick a fist
pick a fist i take a piss wikedness to get crushed up
movin up on that bustop while stand inhale bustop
so you must stop
fakin the holy faith in wakin
star dont come apart our hearts get a stake in
so dont be mad so what minds to the minimum
'cause in the em sendin em holy wisdom
to let you know from the heart and the mind
stop throwin up peace signs