WNBA Names Gianna Bryant andbr Teammates as Honorary Draft Picks On April 17, Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobellibr and Payton Chester were posthumouslybr honored during the 2020 WNBA draft. They were among the nine killed in a Januarybr helicopter crash that also claimed the life ofbr famed basketball player Kobe Bryant. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert made thebr announcement in a video message, saying the threebr athletes “represented the future of the WNBA.” Cathy Engelbert,br via ESPN Among the family members thatbr spoke following Engelbert’s announcementbr was Vanessa Bryant, who thanked thebr WNBA for honoring Gianna. Vanessa Bryant,br via ESPN No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu, who was a close friendbr of the Bryant family, also praised the WNBA for honoringbr the young women, saying it was a “beautiful thing.