Map: Where did WNBA Draft No. 1 picks go to high school?

Sabrina Ionescu expected to become league's 24th No. 1 overall pick Friday night.

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Apr 17, 2020, 1:58pm
Video: Sabrina Ionescu highlights
See expected top pick in action at Miramonte High School.

If all goes to form Friday night, Oregon point guard Sabrina Ionescu will be the top pick in the WNBA's 24th draft.

Ionescu, who was the 2015-16 MaxPreps National Player of the Year at Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.), would become the third California high school product to go No. 1, joining Diana Taurasi (2004) and Kelsey Plum (2017).

Expected to be swooped up by the New York Liberty, Ionescu is coming off a celebrated career in Eugene. She became the first NCAA Division I player in history – men's or women's – to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists.

See the full list and map of No. 1 picks in the WNBA Draft going all the way back to 1997 below.

There are a couple other high school-related storylines of interest when it comes to coming off the board first on WNBA draft day.

Six of the previous 23 No. 1s are from two schools – New York's Christ the King (Middle Village) and Cy-Fair (Cypress) of Texas.

Chamique Holdsclaw, Sue Bird and Tina Charles all played high school ball at Christ the King while Cy-Fair produced Lindsey Harding as well as the sister combination of Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
Year – Player, High School
1997 – Dena Head, Salem (Canton, Mich.)
1998 – Margo Dydek, International
1999 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)
2000 – Ann Wauters, International
2001 – Lauren Jackson, International
2002 – Sue Bird, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)
2003 – LaToya Thomas, Greenville (Miss.)
2004 – Diana Taurasi, Don Lugo (Chino, Calif.)
2005 – Janel McCarville, Stevens Point (Wis.)
2006 – Seimone Augustus, Capitol (Baton Rouge, La.)
2007 – Lindsey Harding, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)
2008 – Candace Parker, Naperville Central (Naperville, Ill.)
2009 – Angel McCoughtry, Patterson (Lenoir, N.C.)
2010 – Tina Charles, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)
2011 – Maya Moore, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
2012 – Nneka Ogwumike, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)
2013 – Brittney Griner, Nimitz (Houston, Texas)
2014 – Chiney Ogwumike, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)
2015 – Jewell Loyd, Niles West (Skokie, Ill.)
2016 – Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)
2017 – Kelsey Plum, La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
2018 – A'ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.)
2019 – Jackie Young, Princeton (Ind.)

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