The 10 Best Players in WNBA History: Female Basketball Icons

Every female basketball enthusiast must have held a question in his/her mind regarding the greatest basketball athlete of all time in the WNBA. In the NBA, the title majorly goes to His Airness or Michael Jordan for his pioneering marketing of the game. Like there have been debates from time to time regarding comparisons between him and LeBron James, along with the rising stars of the league. The same goes for the WNBA as well. The league had players like Cynthia Cooper, who got to play in the league when she was 34 years old, could not play for long, and yet earned titles in the league.

On the other hand, there are young bloods like Breanna Stewart, who have already moved much past the achievements of their previous generations. She is the holder of two WNBA titles at the age of just 27 years. Sorting out even the best players in the WNBA league. On top of that, finding the Top 10 best players of all time is even more challenging. Usually, the criteria for selecting the best players from a league is dependent on the following factors:

• Career Statistics
• Championships and Awards
• Longevity and Peak Performance
• Impact on the game
• Post-season performance
• Historical Context
• Community Contributions

However, we have analyzed the data and figured out the best players from the WNBA for you. This time, the list of female basketball players is not just about the ones with the most titles or better numbers. It is about better performance on the court and consistency from the players throughout their stint in the league. How they maintained the effectiveness of their game over the years and retired after inspiring a generation.

Without any further ado, let’s move ahead with the female basketball players on the count of 10 who are legends in the WNBA of all time.

Ranking The Greatest WNBA Players of All Time

The above-mentioned players on the list of the Top 10 best players in WNBA history are based on the selection of exclusive panelists from ESPN. However, the following description will explore not only the numbers but also the list. Rather, it will also focus on the overall impact that they have made on the surrounding players and the league rather than just plain numbers. Things like stat padding often manipulate the numbers of an athlete. So let’s go through the details as to why these above-mentioned female players hold their place on the list of The best 10 basketball players in the WNBA.

Top 10 Best Players in WNBA History (2024)

Diana Taurasi

Career Stats: 19.4 PPG, 4 RPG, 4.3 APG

It has been more than two decades since Diana Taurasi’s debut in the WNBA league. However, the Phoenix Mercury guard is yet able to compete on the highest level of basketball at the age of 42 years. She was the overall first pick from the 2004 draft class. There was an era in 2008 when she averaged 24.1 points per game. However, over the years, she did not let it slide below 10 points per game. In the 2024 regular season, she averaged 14.9 points, but her overall career average in terms of scoring was 18.8 points.

It is her domination and longevity on the hardcourt that still make her formidable to her opponents. She spent her whole 20-year career with the Phoenix Mercury and still holds the career point record(10,307). And this number will keep increasing until she bids adieu to the game permanently. Lately, her latest season ended with a regular-season finale against the Seattle Storm, and her retirement news is still lingering in the media. Till now, she holds accolades like

• 2009 MVP
• 2x Finals MVP
• 10x All-Star
• 14x All-NBA team
• 5x scoring champion
• 2014 assists leader
• 2004 Rookie of the Year

Also Read: Who Are the Tallest and Shortest Players in the WNBA

Tamika Catchings

Career Stats: 16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

Tamika Catchings is hailed as one of the best defensive players in the whole WNBA to step on the court. She spent about 15 seasons in the league, and all of them went to her dedication for the Indiana Fever franchise. She was the third overall pick from the 2001 draft class. However, she could not play in her rookie year due to an ACL injury that she sustained while playing at the end of her collegiate career, representing the University of Tennessee. So she debuted in 2002 for the Fever team and made her performance vocal immediately by earning the title of the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

The players were not able to get past her on the court due to her defensive prowess. Even shooting past her was not easy. But that doesn’t mean that she was just busy protecting the rim. Even when it comes to scoring the bucket, she stands third on the All-Time points leaders list(7,380). Her career accolades in the WNBA are the following:

• 2011 MVP
• 2012 Finals MVP
• 7x All-Star
• 12x All-NBA team
• 5x Defensive Player of the Year
• 12x All-Defensive team
• 8x steals leader
• 2002 Rookie of the Year

Also Read: The Youngest and Oldest WNBA Players in 2024

Cynthia Cooper

Career Stats: 21 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.9 APG

Cynthia Cooper was the first star of the league as soon as she joined the league. She was already a female basketball player with great skill, but there was no platform like the WNBA to represent her talent. Much later, after her collegiate career ended, the WNBA management came up with the idea of the league, and Cynthia Cooper joined its first season at the age of 34. In her short WNBA stint of five seasons, she won four championships and even the league MVP in the first two years of the league.

At the end of her career in the last season, she also earned the Finals MVP. Her record, even beyond her prime age, is something that the young WNBA players have not been able to achieve yet. Her career average score in the WNBA history is still a record. Her additional WNBA awards can be given as follows:

• 2x MVP
• 4x Finals MVP
• 3x All-Star
• 4x All-NBA team
• 3x scoring champion

Also Read: Top 5 Highest Paid WNBA Players in 2024

Sheryl Swoopes

Career Stats: 15 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.2 APG

Sheryl Swoopes has been a pioneer in terms of WNBA basketball, whether it be legendary status or the torchbearer of the WNBA. She was one of the first stars in the league, and she evolved over the years in terms of her game excellence. Even when no one was there to support the WNBA as a new entry into the world, Sheryl Swoopes joined the WNBA squad first and joined the Houston Comets to make them one of the greatest dynasties in the world. It was not a great start for the Comets, as the balance was initially in favor of Cynthia Cooper.

Later on, when Sheryl Swoopes won the fourth championship with the Houston Comets, she matured on the professional level enough to earn the MVP that year. As the years progressed, the Comets forward added two more MVP titles to her quiver. Sheryl continued to evolve over time and even earned Defensive Player of the Year three times despite her scoring prowess. Her on-court accolades in the WNBA include the following:

• 3x MVP
• 6x All-Star
• 7x All-NBA team
• 3x Defensive Player of the Year
• 2x All-Defensive team
• 2x scoring champion
• 2x steals leader

Lisa Leslie

Career Stats: 17.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG

Lisa Leslie was also one of the initial stars from the league, hailing from the USC Trojans. She survived 12 seasons in the league amid stars like Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper. And it did not happen just like that. Apart from possessing the usual basketball skills, she did something that others did not have. She was the first woman in the WNBA to score a bucket through a dunk. It was a monumental moment that brought the attention of the fans to the league. Some of the achievements of the Los Angeles Sparks center include:

• 3x MVP
• 2x Finals MVP
• 8x All-Star
• 12x All-NBA team
• 2x Defensive Player of the Year
• 4x All-Defensive team
• 2x blocks leader

Also Read: Stephanie White New Coach Head of Indiana Fever

Maya Moore

Career Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.3 APG

Maya Moore was just 30 when she retired from the league and had spent eight seasons as a WNBA player. However, in this short period of time, she managed to get four championships. She was the one who made the Minnesota Lynx the best WNBA dynasty. Before that, even Houston Comets had just four championships. However, Maya Moore added two more championships to their portfolio. She could have achieved even much more. But she sacrificed it all for the sake of her family and social work. Other accomplishments that she achieved during her short period at the Minnesota Lynx include:

• 2014 MVP
• 2013 Finals MVP
• 6x All-Star
• 7x All-NBA team
• 2x All-Defensive team
• 2014 scoring champions
• 2018 steals leader
• 2011 Rookie of the Year

Sylvia Fowles

Career Stats: 15.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.1 APG

One of the greatest centers in the league, the WNBA witnessed its epitome in terms of rebounds under the dominance of Sylvia Fowles. She was just marvelous at defending the rim, as she is still the leader in single-season rebounds per game (11.8), All-Time in total rebounds (4,006), and rebounds per game(9.8). All these stats are just the face of her rebounding excellence. Apart from her defense prowess, she was also good inside the rim in terms of scoring the basket. Some of the accolades that she accumulated due to her skill include:

• 2017 MVP
• 2x Finals MVP
• 8x All-Star
• 8x All-NBA team
• 4x Defensive Player of the Year
• 11x All-Defensive team
• 2x blocks leader
• 3x rebounds leader

Candace Parker

Career Stats: 16 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4 APG

Due to her versatility and adeptness on the hard court, Candace Parker was an instant success on the hard court. However, her fellow Lisa Leslie and her made the Magic Johnson-Kobe Bryant duo for the Los Angeles Sparks. Fans often get confused about the player between the two. But Candace was unique as she could be heavy inside the paint, could go for blocks, and even jump to sniper a shot into the bucket. Due to her adaptability, she was able to lead the league in terms of points, assists, and rebounds at one point or another, maintaining her per-game average close to almost 20 points. Here are some of the WNBA awards:

• 2x MVP
• 2016 Finals MVP
• 7x All-Star
• 10 All-NBA team
• 2020 Defensive Player of the Year
• 2x All-Defensive team
• 2015 assists leader
• 3x rebounds leader
• 2x blocks leader
• 2008 Rookie of the Year

Sue Bird

Career Stats: 11.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.6 APG

Sue Bird is often underestimated due to her lack of athletic capabilities and physical traits. However, she was consistent throughout her stint in the league. The Seattle Storm got her as the first pick in the 2002 draft class. That’s why the UConn product was able to get four championships in the WNBA. She still holds the record for most assists in her career, which is 3,224. It represents how much Sue had trust in her teammates to score on the court. Overall she was a team player rather than being an individual player, and it earned her the following achievements:

• 13x All-Star
• 8x All-NBA team
• 3x assists leader

Lauren Jackson

Career Stats: 18.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.4 APG

The Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was under the shadow of her contemporary WNBA stars. However, she dished out some of the best offensive and defensive stats on the court. She even won two championships and other WNBA accolades like:

• 3x MVP
• 2010 Finals MVP
• 7x All-Star
• 8x All-NBA team
• 2007 Defensive Player of the Year
• 5x All-Defensive team
• 3x scoring champion
• 2007 rebounds leader