WNBA All-Time Rebound Leaders- Ranked

When it comes to basketball, the rebound is often taken for granted as it is not as visually appealing as scoring or athletic theatrics. On the contrary, preventing the other team from scoring and putting pressure on the team is undoubtedly important for the success of any team. For example, in the WNBA, some of the best players of all time were also among the top rebounders. Over the years, these historical WNBA players have led their respective leagues in rebounds in such a way that it became evident that scoring is not the only means of winning; rather, boxing out and rebounding are necessary.

Rebounders might not get a great spot among the fans but they have significance in the WNBA. That’s why often, the good rim protectors land on better franchises in the WNBA league eventually.

WNBA All-Time Rebound Leaders: The Top 10

1. Tina Charles

Tina CHARLES – the WNBA diva, is coming into her 13th season and has played 15 years in the professional league. She missed out on games the entire year due to the COVID-19 bubble and did not play for any team in the previous year. This year, she came to the Atlanta Dream and has proved to be a valuable addition to the 15 games that she has played so far.

Charles is a dominant force in the paint, especially in rebounds and scoring, as she has been a volume shooter throughout her career, averaging 18.0 points per game within her playing experience. She was awarded the MVP of the championship in 2012 and has made it to nine All-WNBA teams in her years of service.

2. Sylvia Fowles

Respectively, Sylvia Fowles has sustained the highest average of rebounds per game in WNBA history at 9.82. In the entire WNBA, the primacy of the former WNBA MVP was in Richards, not Rebounds. She reigns supreme with the highest levels for most of the categories in the history of WNBA games. Among all players, she has the record for the most season total rebounds in the top twenty all-time, which is five.

Fowles was not only an excellent rebounder but was also an offensive and defensive force. Throughout her career, she was honored on four separate occasions with the award for the best defender, with statistics of 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, as per WNBA data. To prove her versatility as a dual-threat athlete even further, she averaged 15.7 points per game good enough for 23rd place in WNBA history.

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3. Candace Parker

Candace Parker has solidified herself as one of the best basketball players, particularly in the WNBA, and aspires to be among the ten best players in the history of the league. As a conclusion of her career, she won her third championship with the Aces last season. In the history of the WNBA, she is within the top ten in almost all key statistical parameters.

For 12 out of her 16 seasons in the WNBA, Parker routinely got over eight rebounds a game. After winning about 2 MVP titles, and 7 All-Star Games, she went into broadcasting and has been seen on TNT.

4. Rebekkah Brunson

Rebekkah Brunson enjoyed a successful 15-year political career in the WNBA, thus placing her among the historic leaders for career rebounds. Thanks to her defensive and rebounding skills, she made five All-Star teams before retiring in 2018.

Brunson played particularly well on the offensive end of the floor, especially when it came to retrieving the ball off the rim. Earning 1166 offensive rebounds, Brunson is ranked 10th all-time in offensive rebound percentage at 12.4 percent.

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5. Tamika Catchings

Tamika Catchings was an exceptional athlete who relied on her work ethic, versatility, and athleticism to rule the rebounding statistics all throughout her career. Though noted for her all-around game, Catchings was a force to reckon with on both ends of the floor, particularly in securing the ball under the basket, where she would surprise taller players even without jumping, thanks to her quick thinking and dogged pursuit.

Her rebounding ability was one of the attributes that made her one of the most all-around players in WNBA history. Catchings was also clutch on the boards, asserting her will and voice even when it was not necessary. Therefore, she had over 3300 career rebounds, which shows more than her abilities but dedication to the dirty work, earning her the credits as one of the fiercest rebounders in the league.

6. Lisa Leslie

Lisa Leslie was undeterred towards the end of her professional career because even in the worst of cases, she was always ranked at least amongst the top ten players in the MVP voting. She entered the league in its very first year, played for 12 straight seasons, and finally hung her boots at thirty-six years old as one of the all-time greats of the WNBA.

In the comparison of Leslie among WNBA players, one of the three MVPs, two DPOYs, two Center Championships, and Every All-WNBA Team that she has played in shows that successful career. Leslie had great rebounding skills, which were just one of the facets of her all-around game.

7. Candice Dupree

One of the first-round picks of the 2006 Draft class, Candice Dupree, was the overall 6th pick for the Chicago Sky. However, during her 15-year stint with the WNBA franchise, she played for five different teams. Before retirement in her last year, Candice Dupree played for two teams, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream. However, she made a lasting impact in her career with record rebounds and 7 times WNBA All-Star appearance.

Every league season comes with its fair share of challenges and victories, and more particularly, the 2010 World Championship saw her work magic in her career journey. She displayed her abilities for the US National team as a defender and guarded their victory to the title.

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8. Tina Thompson

Regarded as one of the finest basketball players in the history of the Women’s National Basketball Association, Tina Thompson was perhaps the most versatile and most recognized player in the league. Thompson, who was the first pick in the WNBA history and known to be a good scorer, included her superb rebounding in her skill set, which was overlooked by many but a key factor to her achievements as well.

Due to her bulky size, basketball intelligence, and hard work, she was always a fighter on the boards for as long as she played. Whether it was boxing out in the pain area or sprinting to grab a loose ball, Thompson’s aggressiveness always made her a two-way player. This skill made sure that the team captured additional chances on offense but, in this instance, also made it possible for her to play up-tempo in transition, which illustrated her two-way action on the court.

9. DeWanna Bonner

DeWanna Bonner’s skills, particularly her rebounding prowess, which many would think would be limited to only interior players, has also been quite beneficial for her, earning her a spot in the top ten WNBA all-time leaders in rebounds. As a wing player in stats, she hails yet another impressive aspect of herself; as it proved helpful with any teams she played to, she is simply hard to miss.

10. Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Taj McWilliams-Franklin, referred to endearingly as “Mama Taj,” was a rebounding powerhouse for the entire period of her career in the WNBA. The ability to control the boards was not only because of her positioning and effort but also because of cunning, which came with experience. Even though she was not the tallest female athlete on the court, this did not stop her from overpowering the opposition’s box outs and gauging where the ball would come down in order to make crucial rebounds.

Her strength and determination were evident in many nail-biting situations, more so in a playoff context where there was a lot of pressure, and her ability to board was key. Having been one of the best post players in the league, she collected over three thousand rebounds in her career thus placing her in the highest ranks of WNBA rebounders while also showing that great will and smart play can be on the same level with physicality in terms of battling for rebounds.

Conclusion

This just goes to show that even simple tasks, such as the art of rebounding in the WNBA, call for the use of anticipation, strength, and timing, among other skills that can affect the game. Each player on this list has his or her own repertoire of reeling in rebounds, whether it is the strength and size of Sylvia Fowles or the quickness of DeWanna Bonner that has brought them success. Yet, the greatest rebounders in WNBA history are not only the women who had statistics in a book of Fowles, Margo Dyde, Rebecca Lobo, or Lisa Leslie; they are the revolutionaries in their profession, the ones who set the standards for the future athletes, and who highlight the importance of rebounding in guiding the team to success. The presence of these best WNBA rebounders is felt every time the ball hits the basket, and players scramble to get the ball.