You’re here because you want to find out who the best WNBA players of all time are. Maybe it was generational talent Caitlin Clark that brought you here?
Ever since the WNBA started in 1997, when the LA Sparks tipped off against the New York Liberty at the Great Western Forum in front of 14,284 fans, the league has been growing from strength to strength.
Who Is the Best WNBA Player?
The WNBA has seen explosive growth with StubHub sales increasing 93% in a year, and 41x since 2018. So who are the best WNBA players of all time? Let’s take a look at the top ten.
10. Sylvia Fowles
One of the most dominant centers of her generation Sylvia Fowles is the WNBA’s all-time leader in double-doubles with 193 in total. She managed to average a double-double in 7 of the 14 seasons she played in.
A two-time WNBA champion, 2017 MVP and twice Finals MVP, Fowles is also the all-time leader in rebounds (4,007) and field goal percentage (59.9%).
Did You Know: Sylvia Fowles studied mortuary science, and has a fascination with working on dead bodies. Yes, you heard that right!
9. Sue Bird
The “Bird is the Word”, because Sue Bird is the only WNBA player ever to win titles in three different decades. Playing all 19 seasons of her career with the Seattle Storm, her first championship win was in 2004, and her fourth and final in 2020.
Both an exceptional shooter and playmaker, Sue Bird has the record for most wins in WNBA history with 333, as well as a record 13 All-Star appearances. Bird finished her career with averages of 11.7 points, 5.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and made 39% of her shots from three-point range.
8. Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes was the first player ever to be signed to the WNBA in 1997. She also became the first player ever to record a triple-double on July 27, 1999 with 14 points, 15 rebounds and a 10-assist performance .
With the Houston Comets, Swoopes won the first four WNBA titles and she also won an NCAA title and Olympic gold medal across her illustrious career.
Add to her achievements three MVP awards, three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and two scoring titles amongst others and you can see why she’s on the best WNBA players we’ve ever seen.
Did You Know: Sheryl Swoopes’ son Jordan Jackson went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. He won the 2024 G League dunk contest while a member of the Maine Celtics.
7. Candace Parker
The first overall pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft, seven-time All-Star Candace Parker scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in her debut. CP3 was born (no not Chris Paul).
Primarily a power forward, Parker could play any position on the floor. On June 22, 2008 she became only the second player in history to sink in a WNBA game. Parker is the only player in history to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP, and she won a championship with the Sparks, Sky and Aces.
6. Maya Moore
Maya Moore could do it all. She had the leap, vision, shooting ability and lightning quick reflexes, and she became the face of the league during her eight seasons in the WNBA. One of the greatest WNBA players ever, Moore won Rookie of the Year in 2011, four championships, league MVP in 2014, and was a six-time All-Star.
There’s no doubt that had Moore played on in 2019, she’d be much higher up on our list. Moore retired with averages of 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, after eight seasons with the Minnesota Lynx.
Did You Know: Basketball aside, Maya Moore is a social justice advocate. Moore played her last game in the WNBA in 2019 at the age of 29 to help free Jonathan Irons.
Freed in 2020 after serving 23 years in prison on a wrongful conviction, Moore and Irons had got married, and the couple gave birth to Jonathan Irons Jr. in 2023.
5. Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie’s record breaking college career at University of Southern California led to her allocation to her hometown team the Los Angeles Sparks during the establishment of the WNBA to begin play in 1997. The Sparks went back-to-back in 2001 and 2002 led by Leslie’s Finals MVP performances
By the end of her 12-season career, she earned 8 All-Star appearances, three-time MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and our fourth best WNBA player of all-time. Retiring with averages of 17.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, Leslie once scored 101 points in a single half of a high school game before her opponents quit.
Did You Know: Lisa Leslie became the first WNBA player in history to dunk in a game on July 30, 2002, throwing down a one-handed dunk on a breakaway against the Miami Sol.
4. Lauren Jackson
Australia’s greatest ever WNBA export, Jackson dominated the league during her 12-year career at the Seattle Storm. The 6-foot-6 center terrorized the opposition with her height across both ends of the court.
Lauren retired with impressive averages of 18.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 46% shooting. With a style of play that can be compared to Dirk Nowitzki’s, she won two championships, three MVPs, seven All-Star appearances and a Defensive Player of the Year Award.
“Lauren is the greatest stretch 4 our game has ever seen! Her 6’5” frame with post up and guard skills changed our game!”
Former Seattle Storm head coach Lin Dunn
3. Cynthia Cooper
An integral part of the Houston Comets dynasty, a 34-year old Cynthia Cooper starred on the opening day of the WNBA in 1997. Despite only playing four full seasons – and winning a championship each time – she’s the third greatest WNBA player of all-time.
A pioneer of the pick-and-roll in the WNBA, Cooper was an unstoppable force. She averaged 21 points, 4.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds during her short reign in the league, was league MVP twice and Finals MVP four times.
2. Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings wasn’t the best offensive player, nor was she the greatest defensive player. Without a doubt however, she was the most complete and considered by many to be the best all-round player the WNBA has ever seen.
Catchings earned herself WNBA MVP in 2011, Finals MVP in 2012, and is the only player in history to rank inside the top 10 in steals, points, rebounds, and assists. Despite never leading the league in points per game, she’s still remarkably the third highest scorer of all-time (7380).
A five-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, Catchings played her entire WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. She’s also a 10-time All-Star, the all-time leader in steals (1,074) and well ahead of second placed Ticha Penicheiro (764), and winner of the 2021 WNBA championships.
1. Diana Taurasi
The 2024 season is Diana Taurasi’s 20th of her career, keeping in mind that she sat out the 2015 season. The best WNBA player of all time, Taurasi has averaged 19.1 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and a field goal percentage of 42.6%.
Her consistency, longevity and sharpshooting ability is what sets her apart from others, and her faithfulness is evident on the fact that she’s played her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury.
A ten time All-Star, three time championship winner and the 2009 WNBA MVP, Taurasi’s greatness lies in her ability to score endlessly, whether it be mid-range, from the three-point, or driving to the basket. Surpassing 9,000 career points on June 27, 2021, she became the first player ever to eclipse the 10,000 mark two years later in 2023.
So special is Taurasi one of the greatest NBA players in history, Kobe Bryant, bestowed her with the title of “White Mamba”. Much like “Black Mamba” himself, Taurasi is a leader, is clutch, and is the cornerstone of the only franchise she’s ever played for.
Did You Know: The WNBA’s newest logo created in 2019 isn’t based on a single player, but that hasn’t stopped speculation by fans that it’s based on Diana Taurasi.
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