One of My Favorite Things About the WNBA

ARTICLE XIII
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND WNBA DRAFT
Section 1. Player Eligibility.
(a) Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.
(b) A player is eligible to be selected in the WNBA Draft if she: (i) will be at
least twenty-two (22) years old during the calendar year in which such Draft is held and she
either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate
eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft; (ii) has
graduated from a four-year college or university prior to such Draft, or “is to graduate” from
such college or university within the three (3)-month period following such Draft and she either
has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate eligibility
by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft or (iii) attended a fouryear
college or university, her original class in such college or university has already been
graduated or “is to graduate” within the three (3)-month period following such Draft, and she
either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining intercollegiate
eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten (10) days prior to such Draft. For purposes
of subsection (b)(ii) above, “is to graduate” shall mean that such player would graduate from the
college or university she is currently enrolled in if she were to successfully complete the
coursework she is enrolled in at the time of such Draft and such course load is commensurate
with the previous course loads she has successfully completed. For purposes of subsection
(b)(iii) above, “is to graduate” shall mean that the majority of the students in such class would
graduate from such college or university upon successful completion of the coursework the
members of such class are enrolled in at the time of such Draft.
(d) Notwithstanding Section 1(b) above, an international player is eligible to
be selected in the WNBA Draft if she will be at least 20 years old during the calendar year in
which such Draft is held.
(e) For purposes of this Section 1, an “international player” means any person
born and residing outside the United States who participates in the game of basketball as an
amateur or a professional. An international player who exercises intercollegiate basketball
eligibility in the United States shall be subject to the eligibility rules set forth in Section 1(b)(iii)
above.