Dream select C Lyttle No. 1 in dispersal draft

Dec 8, 2008 - 7:14 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Dream selected center Sancho Lyttle with the No. 1 overall pick in Monday's WNBA Dispersal Draft, which was necessitated by the collapse of the Houston Comets last week.

The Comets, who claimed the WNBA's first four championships from 1997-2000, announced they were shutting down operations last Tuesday.

Current players were available in the draft, with the exception of unrestricted free agents Latasha Byears, Mwadi Mabika, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson.

Those players will become free agents on January 5.

The Dream were given the first overall pick based on their league-worst 4-30 mark. Lyttle averaged 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 27 games last season.

The Washington Mystics selected guard Matee Ajavon, and the Chicago Sky chose forward Mistie Williams with the third pick. The Minnesota Lynx selected guard Roneeka Hodges, while the Phoenix Mercury chose guard Sequoia Holmes.

Guard Erica White was the sixth overall pick of the Indiana Fever, and the Sacramento Monarchs wrapped up the draft by taking guard Renae Camino.

The final six teams chose not to select a player.