2003 WNBA season

The 2003 WNBA season was the Women's National Basketball Association's seventh season. It was the first season in which teams either folded or relocated, as well as the first to have teams that were not co-owned with NBA teams. The Orlando Miracle relocated to Connecticut and became the Connecticut Sun, the Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio, Texas and became the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Meanwhile, both the Miami Sol and the Portland Fire folded, while the Charlotte Sting became the second WNBA team without a brother NBA team. A one-round dispersal draft was held on April 24, 2003 to reassign former Sol and Fire players.^[1]

The schedule increased from 32 games per team to 34. The season ended with the Detroit Shock winning their first WNBA Championship.

On April 24, 2003, the dispersal draft for the Miami Sol and Portland Fire was held.^[1] This draft consisted of one round to re-assign the 26 players from the Sol and Fire rosters, who both folded after the end of 2002 WNBA season.^[1] The remaining fourteen teams in the WNBA were able to select one player from either roster in the draft.^[2] The order of selection was determined by teams' 2002 regular season records, going from worst to first.^[3] Former Sol and Fire players not selected in the dispersal draft became unrestricted free agents.^[3]

The top four picks were:

Reference:^[4]

• 2003 WNBA Final Standings