2005 WNBA Draft (April 16, 2005)
The Silver Stars finished with the worst record in the WNBA in 2004, but came out of the draft lottery with the No. 4 pick. That was the highest selection for the franchise since 1999 when they chose Natalie Williams at No. 3 overall.
With that fourth pick, San Antonio took Kansas State forward Kendra Wecker. Wecker was the 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year, and named a Kodak/WCBA All-American and to the AP All-American First Team.
Unfortunately for Wecker and the Silver Stars, she tore the ACL in her right knee in the first game of the regular season, forcing her to miss the remainder of the year. She returned healthy the following season, and played in all 34 games, averaging 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds.
The following year, Wecker played in just 14 games, and San Antonio waived her prior to the start of the 2008 season. Washington signed her in late June, and she saw action in nine games for the Mystics for what would prove to be her last season in the WNBA.
In the second round of the draft (14th overall pick), the Silver Stars selected Tennessee forward Shyra Ely. Ely helped lead the Lady Vols to four consecutive Fine Four appearances and was named a WBCA All-American in 2004.
She played in 31 games as a rookie, averaging 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds for San Antonio. The following season, she played in just 12 games for the Silver Stars, averaging 3.4 points and 2.6 boards.
Ely signed with the Seattle Storm as a free agent in 2007 and 2008, and with the Chicago Sky in 2009. Her best season as a pro came in Chicago where she played in all 34 games and averaged 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds, while connecting on a career-high 41.8 percent of her shots from the floor and 38.3 percent from long distance.
After sitting out the 2010 campaign, Ely played her final season in the WNBA in 2011 with Indiana. She played in 33 of 34 games for the Fever, and finished her career with averages of 4.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 173 games.
In the third round of the draft, San Antonio chose Oregon forward Catherine Kraayeveld, although she wouldn’t play a regular season game for the Silver Stars until 2013. San Antonio cut her in 2005 prior to start of the season, and she was picked up by the New York Liberty for whom she played for five years.
For her fist two seasons in New York, Kraayeveld was a reserve and spot starter, but she became a full-time starter in 2006 and averaged a career-best 10.8 points per game that season. She started 94 0f 102 games from 2007-09, and grabbed a career-best 6.1 rebounds per game in 2008.
Kraayeveld spent two seasons in Chicago (2010-11) and one in Atlanta (2012) before finally suiting up for the Silver Stars in 2013. During her nine-year WNBA career, she played in 275 games, and averaged 7.0 points and 3.7 rebounds.