Top 30 WNBA Basketball Players Of All Time
The Women's National Basketball Association, or WNBA, has been home to the best women's basketball players in the world since its first season all the way back in 1997.
The league has been a boon for the popularity of not just women's basketball, but basketball in general. From its early days, dominated by superstars like Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo, to the present-day ascendance of Caitlin Clark, the WNBA has never lacked star power. Let's take a look at some of the best to ever play in the league.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi has spent the entirety of her remarkable WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury after being selected first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft out of UConn.
She's seen as the WNBA GOAT for her many accolades: Ten all-star selections, five scoring titles, an MVP award, and three championships. In 2017, she became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, and in 2023 became the first player in league history to surpass 10,000 career points.
Tamika Catchings
Catchings built a reputation as an efficient all-rounder throughout her pro career. A hard-nosed 6-foot-3 forward, she was not just an elite scorer but was also a terror on the boards and a tough defender to play against.
Following her retirement, Catchings has dedicated herself to various charitable causes and community activism. She's also participated in American Ninja Warrior in a season 11 episode that aired back in 2019.
Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Cooper was already a basketball legend before the WNBA began, based on her exploits in European leagues. The USC grad wound down her pro career with the Houston Comets, later moving on to coach in the WNBA and in various colleges.
Cooper was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. The following year, she also became the first WNBA player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Maya Moore
Named the "greatest winner in the history of women's basketball" by Sports Illustrated, Maya Moore's impressive resume speaks for itself. After being selected first overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 draft, Moore immediately made an impact in the league, winning Rookie of the Year.
From there, Moore has led the league in steals and scoring, won the 2014 MVP award, and picked up four league championships with the Lynx dynasty of the 2010s.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie was one of the faces of the WNBA - and women's basketball in general - when the league started out in 1997. At that point, she was already a known quantity after winning gold with USA's Dream Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
She wound up spending her entire pro career, from 1997 to 2009, with the Los Angeles Sparks. The lanky center was an elite defender who could also chip in offensively.
Sheryl Swoopes
Swoopes' importance to the WNBA cannot be overstated - she was the first player ever to be signed by the league after inking a deal with the Houston Comets in 1997. She split her career between Houston, Seattle, and Tulsa.
A relentless defender, Swoopes also made history as the first WNBA player to ever record a triple-double and also the first to record a triple crown of championships: An NCAA title, WNBA championship, and Olympic gold.
Lauren Jackson
The 6-foot-5 Jackson is probably the best women's player to ever come out of Australia, and her prime years were simply unmatched: She won three MVPs, two championships, and a host of other individual honors throughout the 2000s.
While Jackson hasn't played in the WNBA since 2012, she continues to play professionally in Australia. Now in her early 40s, she shows no sign of slowing down after winning the 2024 league championship for the Southside Flyers.
Sue Bird
Sue Bird was a generational talent who spent her entire 20-plus year WNBA career with the Seattle Storm. One of many talented players to come out of UConn, Bird was a dynamic point guard who's considered one of the best players of all time today.
Bird is not only the sole WNBA player to win championships in three separate decades, but she also has an incredible five Olympic gold medals. She and her longtime teammate Diana Taurasi are the only two players of any gender who have achieved this feat.
Candace Parker
Wherever Candace Parker goes, championships are sure to follow. After spending 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, she then went on to the Chicago Sky and later the Las Vegas Aces - winning a league title with each team.
Parker started her career with an immediate impact, becoming the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and League MVP in the same season. Now in the twilight of her career, Parker continues to lead the way for the Aces.
Sylvia Fowles
An elite and tenacious defender throughout her entire WNBA career, Fowles is the all-time league leader in rebounds. The 6-foot-6 center is a four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Minnesota Lynx to the 2015 and 2017 championships.
In addition to her tenure with the Lynx and Chicago Sky, Fowles also has three Olympic gold medals to her name after being named to team U.S.A. in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics.
Elena Delle Donne
Born and raised in Delaware, Elena Delle Donne turned down a scholarship offer from the UConn Huskies to play for her hometown Delaware Blue Hens in college ball. Delle Donne is known as an incredibly accurate shooter and is the WNBA's all-time leader in free throw percentage.
She won the 2015 WNBA MVP award as a member of the Chicago Sky and repeated the feat four years later with the Washington Mystics - winning her first WNBA championship along the way.
Breanna Stewart
Stewart's height would make her a good center, but her ball handling and dribbling skills have made her even more effective at the power forward position. She stands 6'4" but has an incredible wingspan of over seven feet.
Her all-round skills means she's just as likely to sink a precise 3-pointer as she is to drive the lane, and throughout her career she's had the ability to take over the game. By the time she retires, she just might be the best ever.
Yolanda Griffith
A standout player during the WNBA's formative years, Yolanda Griffith anchored a strong Sacramento Monarchs squad in the early 2000s. She didn't play for a D1 program in college and instead flew under the radar with D2 and junior college teams.
She made an immediate impact after joining the league, showing unmatched rebounding skills and averaging a double-double for three years running in her early career. She retired in 2009 as one of the best in WNBA history.
Seimone Augustus
Augustus came out of a strong LSU college program and was picked first overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2006 draft. While she didn't put up gaudy offensive numbers, her smooth ball-handling skills helped facilitate a dominant Lynx team.
She picked up a ton of individual accolades along the way, including eight all-star nods, the 2006 Rookie of the Year award, and spots on the WNBA's 20th and 25th anniversary teams.
Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson started her pro career in the WNBA's inaugural 1997 campaign with the Houston Comets and played her last WNBA game in 2013 for the Seattle Storm. A bruising forward, Thompson was difficult to defend during her entire career.
Thompson was legendary for her work ethic, pushing her teammates to new heights en route to an incredible four consecutive championships for the Houston Comets between 1997 and 2000. She's a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Katie Smith
Smith played her college ball in Columbus, Ohio, with the Ohio State Buckeyes. She then stayed in Columbus to begin her pro career, playing for the Columbus Quest in the now-defunct ABL.
Upon her arrival in the WNBA in 1999, Smith made an immediate impact. Within just six years, she became the first American female pro basketball player to record 5,000 career points. Her physicality also made her a threat at the defensive end of the floor.
Brittney Griner
At 6-foot-9, Brittney Griner isn't the tallest player in WNBA history - but she's probably the most impactful big body the league has ever seen. Her size and athleticism makes her a fearsome presence at both ends of the floor.
Griner has made headlines off the court as well, becoming in 2013 the first openly gay athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike. A nine-time all-star selection, it's safe to say that Griner is in the pantheon of WNBA greats.
Tina Charles
After a strong collegiate career at UConn, Charles was taken first overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2010 WNBA draft. The sharpshooter is one of the most precise scoring threats in WNBA history and can score from anywhere on the floor.
She still hasn't won a league championship, but that's about the only accolade missing from her impressive resume. After signing with the Atlanta Dream for the 2024 season, Charles will be hungry for a championship.
Lindsay Whalen
The Minnesota native has stayed true to her roots, playing collegiately for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, spending part of her pro career with the Minnesota Lynx, and then returning to her alma mater as a coach.
Whalen is a proven winner - at the time of her retirement in 2018, she was the WNBA's all-time leader in wins. Along the way, she was part of four championship teams for the Lynx and reigns as the league's all-time playoffs assists leader.
Angel McCoughtry
McCoughtry's regular season success is well known, but she had a knack for stepping it up when the games really matter in the playoffs. She helped lead the once-woeful Atlanta Dream to three WNBA Finals appearances in four seasons - although a championship eluded her.
She also had a fantastic career as a member of the U.S. National Team at various Olympic Games and world championships. McCoughtry wound down her career after the 2022 season.
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter was an immediate sensation when she made her WNBA debut during the 2006 season with the Phoenix Mercury, putting together a dominant rookie campaign that included an all-star nod and a spot on the all-rookie team.
She went on to win two WNBA championships with the Mercury and also won league championships internationally in Turkey and Russia. An elite competitor, Pondexter was the fastest player in league history to reach 3,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 200 steals.
Nneka Ogwumike
Ogwumike teamed up with Candace Parker on the Los Angeles Sparks to create one of the most dynamic one-two punches the league has ever seen. After 12 years with the Sparks, she signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Storm in 2024.
Her best season came in 2016 when she took home the WNBA championship, league MVP award, and numerous other individual accolades. That season, she had an incredible 66.5 percent shooting percentage, good for 19.7 points per game.
Becky Hammon
The 5'6" Hammon was often seen as undersized for pro ball, but the tenacious guard defied the odds to put together an impressive pro career. She wasn't seen as much of a prospect out of college, going undrafted before signing with the New York Liberty.
Hammon's work ethic is legendary, and her ability to shoot clutch three-pointers was deadly. After retirement, she crossed over to the men's game, becoming the second-ever woman to serve as an NBA coach.
Rebekkah Brunson
Brunson followed up a strong collegiate career with her hometown, Georgetown Hoyas, with a long run in the WNBA for the Sacramento Monarchs and Minnesota Lynx. It took her a couple of seasons to establish herself as a star and elite defensive talent.
Brunson supplemented her lock-down defense with aggressive rebounding and ball-handling ability. She served as a perfect complement to teammate Seimone Augustus for the 2010s Lynx, helping lead the way to four championships together.
Penny Taylor
Taylor first made an impact as a teenage pro in her native Australia before joining the now-defunct Cleveland Rockers in time for the 2001 season. Along with Lauren Jackson, Taylor is one of the top Australian female basketball players of all time.
After the Rockers folded, Taylor moved to the Phoenix Mercury, where she truly came into her own as a pro. She split her time between the Mercury and European pro teams, winning three WNBA titles along the way before retiring in 2016.
Deanna Nolan
Nolan would probably be better remembered if she had spent more time in the WNBA. In nine seasons with the Detroit Shock, she was named to five all-star squads and won three championships.
Following a move to Russia's pro league, Nolan gained Russian citizenship to compete internationally for Russia. The 5'10" guard has an impressive legacy both in the WNBA and in Europe and was named to the WNBA's 20th anniversary team in 2016.
Ticha Penicheiro
Penicheiro, who was born in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, is without a doubt the best female basketball player ever to come out of Portugal. Following some pro experience in Europe, she moved to North America to play college ball for Old Dominion.
She was drafted into the WNBA by the Sacramento Monarchs and spent the bulk of her career with the team. Penicheiro led the league in assists an impressive seven times and won the 2005 WNBA championship with the Monarchs.
A'ja Wilson
One of the younger stars on this list, A'ja Wilson, has put together an impressive resume - all before reaching her 30th birthday. Since joining the league in 2018, she's racked up individual and team accolades nearly every season since.
Wilson has been the centerpiece of the Las Vegas Aces, helping the team win back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. She's also won two league MVP awards, along with several international honors.
Dawn Staley
It's a shame that the WNBA didn't exist until Staley was in her late 20s because she was one of the best women's basketball players of the early to mid-'90s, even without a consistent league to play in.
Regardless, Staley showed impressive longevity in playing until she was 36 years old, capping her career off with six consecutive all-star appearances between 2001 and 2006. Since her retirement, she's served as a college coach - first at Temple and currently at South Carolina.
Caitlin Clark
We're cheating a bit by including such a young player on this list, but there's never been a prospect more hyped than Caitlin Clark. Her collegiate career at Iowa put her and the Hawkeyes on the map, routinely attracting record crowds and TV audiences.
In terms of career points and assists, Clark sits unmatched when it comes to Division 1 women's basketball. The consensus number-one pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, she was selected by the Indiana Fever after they won the draft lottery.
Swin Cash
Another grad of Geno Auriemma's dominant UConn Huskies program, Swin Cash established herself as an elite rebounder and scorer during her 15-season WNBA career, split between Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, and New York.
Cash's record speaks for itself: She has won three championships and made four all-star games, and she was included on both the WNBA's 20th and 25th-anniversary teams. Following her playing days, she went on to serve as VP of basketball operations and team development for the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans.
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw battled with many of the WNBA's future stars during her time playing under Pat Summitt with the University of Tennessee Volunteers, where she won three consecutive NCAA championships between 1996 and 1998.
Selected first overall by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA draft, she immediately made an impact as a pro, earning the 1999 Rookie of the Year award along with the first of five consecutive all-star appearances.
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Diggins-Smith was born in South Bend, Indiana, and played college ball for her hometown Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After turning pro with the Tulsa Shock (later the Dallas Wings), she had a disappointing rookie season before turning it around in her sophomore campaign.
She was named the league's most-improved player in 2014 and earned her first of six WNBA all-star selections. For the past decade, she's been one of the league's best players.
Rebecca Lobo
Lobo was already a legend before playing her first pro game. The 6'4" center was the focal point of the legendary 1994-95 UConn squad that went 35-0 on its way to the national championship. She followed this up by winning gold with the U.S. national team at the 1996 Olympics.
She was assigned to the New York Liberty during the WNBA's inaugural season and had a productive seven-year career in the league before retiring following the 2003 season.
Teresa Weatherspoon
A creative guard, Teresa Weatherspoon's pro career started all the way back in 1988 in Italy. Nine years later, the 31-year-old was part of the WNBA's first season, teaming up with Rebecca Lobo on the New York Liberty.
While Weatherspoon was older when the WNBA started, she still made a significant impact with five consecutive all-star appearances between 1999 and 2003. After a final season with the Los Angeles Sparks, she retired in 2004.
Alana Beard
Injuries hampered Alana Beard throughout her career, but the shooting guard/small forward still pieced together a productive pro career, playing for the Los Angeles Sparks between 2012 and 2019 (along with numerous international pro squads).
Beard's peak came in the 2006 season, in which she averaged nearly 20 points per game and sunk nearly half of her shots from the field. Ten years later, in the twilight of her career, she finally won her first championship.
Vickie Johnson
Vickie Johnson was one of the WNBA's stars back in its early days following her selection in the 1997 WNBA Elite draft. She was the first New York Liberty player to record 2,000 points — and reached the 3,000 threshold a few years later.
Johnson's lengthy career saw her rack up two all-star game nods and play 410 games, split between the Liberty and the San Antonio Silver Stars. Since her retirement, she's served as a coach with several WNBA teams.
Emma Meesseman
The 6'4" Belgian has been playing at a high level from an early age, coming through Europe's club team system rather than the conventional U.S. collegiate route. She was an unheralded prospect when she was taken by the Washington Mystics in the second round of the 2013 WNBA draft.
Most of Meesseman's career highlights came during her decorated stints in Europe, but she still proved herself as a capable WNBA player during her time with the Mystics and then the Chicago Sky, earning two all-star nods.
Cheryl Ford
Taken third overall in the 2003 WNBA draft by the Detroit Shock, Ford immediately established herself as an impact player. The forward won Rookie of the Year, her first of four all-star appearances, and a WNBA championship, all in her first season.
Ford's WNBA career was short and sweet, playing from 2003 to 2009. She went on to play club basketball in Europe, along with U.S. national team duties, in her final years as a pro.
Katie Douglas
Katie Douglas, a shooting guard/small forward, was one of the best two-way players in the league during her career. A high-scoring shooter who was deadly from long range, Douglas complemented her offensive abilities with tenacious effort defensively.
Douglas played around the world during her long career, winning championships in the NCAA, WNBA, and the Turkish pro league. She called it a career following a final season — complete with her fifth all-star appearance — for the Connecticut Sun in 2014.
Nykesha Sales
The Connecticut native played collegiately for the UConn Huskies juggernaut at the height of their power. Following an accomplished collegiate and international career, she was selected by the Orlando Miracle (who later moved to Connecticut) in the WNBA expansion draft.
In her first WNBA season, the ballhawk made her first of eight consecutive all-star game appearances. After her ninth season with the Connecticut Sun — the first season in which she wasn't named an all-star — she called it a career at the age of 31.
Cayla Francis
Cayla Francis, also known as Cayla George, is just one more in the long lineage of talented women's basketball players to come from Australia. She played professionally in Australia and Europe until her mid-20s, finally making her WNBA debut in 2015 with the Phoenix Mercury.
While she's spent most of her career overseas, she made an impact during her four non-consecutive seasons in the WNBA. She won the 2023 league championship with the Las Vegas Aces as a valuable role player.
Candice Dupree
A bruising power forward, Candice Dupress enjoyed a long career in women's pro basketball following a standout collegiate career with the Temple Owls. She was picked sixth overall by the Chicago Sky in 2006 and went on to play for four other WNBA teams before retiring after the 2021 season.
Dupree was named to seven WNBA all-star teams but also made a significant impact overseas, playing in Slovakia, Russia, China, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Taj McWilliams-Franklin
Taj McWilliams-Franklin is possibly the most durable women's basketball player of all time, with a pro career spanning three decades — from her debut in the German league in 1993 to her retirement from a Brazilian team after the 2014 season.
In between, she was named to six WNBA all-star teams and won two league championships during a career that saw her play with five WNBA teams. Her trophy case is also full of accomplishments from various leagues around the world.
DeLisha Milton-Jones
Milton-Jones broke into the WNBA in its early days, making her debut in 1999 for the Los Angeles Sparks. During her prime in the early 2000s, the small forward won two championships with the Sparks and made three all-star game appearances.
While she became more of a role player in the back half of her career, she was still a valuable player coming off the bench for San Antonio, New York, and Atlanta before retiring in 2015.
Ruth Riley
Ruth Riley, a lanky center, was picked fifth overall by the Miami Sol in 2001. She made history after winning MVP of the 2003 WNBA championship series, becoming the first person to win this award for both the WNBA and NCAA.
Riley had her best years with the Detroit Shock, where she was a two-time WNBA champion and one-time all-star. Following her retirement, she joined the front office staff of the NBA's Miami Heat.
Kim Perrot
Following her graduation from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Perrot went on to play six productive seasons in Europe. Undrafted, she signed with the Houston Comets for the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season.
Perrot was a pass-first point guard who formed a dynamic duo with Comets teammate Cynthia Cooper. Sadly, her promising career was permanently derailed after the 1998 season following a lung cancer diagnosis. The disease spread quickly, and she passed away in 1999.
Kia Nurse
Kia Nurse comes from an athletic family: The daughter of a pro football player and the brother of a pro hockey player. While her playing career is far from over, she's already established herself as one of the best Canadian women's basketball players of all time.
Nurse has been named to one WNBA all-star team and currently plays point guard for the Los Angeles Sparks. She's supplemented this with success in Australia, winning the WNBL's MVP award in 2020.
Asjha Jones
Asjha Jones was a winner everywhere she played, and she's one of relatively few women to win an Olympic gold medal, NCAA championship, FIBA World Cup gold medal, and WNBA championship.
Another UConn grad, her pro career started in 2002 with the Washington Mystics. She hit her stride a couple of years later, earning all-star nods with the Connecticut Sun. In her final season in 2015, she won her first WNBA championship with the Minnesota Lynx.
Margo Dydek
The 7'2" native of Poland was the tallest player in WNBA history and used her gargantuan frame to play a punishing defensive game. She was an all-star twice and is the WNBA's all-time blocks leader, leading the league in this category eight times.
She wrapped up her 11-year WNBA career after the 2008 season. Sadly, she collapsed at her home in 2011. She never regained consciousness and passed away at the age of 37.