WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time


The Women's National Basketball Association's Top 15 Players of All Time were chosen in 2011 on the occasion of the fifteenth season of the WNBA from amongst 30 nominees compiled by the league by fan, media, coach, and player voting. The group was to comprise the 15 best and most influential players of the first fifteen years of the WNBA, with consideration also accorded to sportsmanship, community service, leadership, and contribution to the growth of women's basketball; only players to have competed in the WNBA were eligible, but extra-league achievements were considered.
The Top 15 players were announced at halftime of the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game.

Players selected

^Denotes player who was still active in the WNBA at time of award
~Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

PlayerNationalityPositionTeamCollege attendedOlympic
medals		League titlesLeague awardsAll-Star Games
Sue Bird^PGSeattle Storm Connecticut[Basketball at the Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Summer Olympics|2004] gold
[Basketball at the Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics|2008] gold
2012 gold
2016 gold
2020 gold		2004, 2010, 2018, 2020KPSA 2002–2007, 2009–2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
Tamika Catchings^SFIndiana Fever Tennessee2004 gold
2008 gold		2012MVP
Finals MVP
ROY
DPOY
KPSA 		2002–2007, 2009–2011
Cynthia CooperSGHouston Comets USC1988 gold
1992 bronze		1997–2000MVP
Finals MVP 		1999, 2000, 2003
Yolanda GriffithCSacramento Monarchs
Seattle Storm
Indiana Fever 		Florida Atlantic2000 gold
2004 gold		2005MVP
Finals MVP
DPOY
ASG MVP 		1999–2001, 2003–2007
Becky Hammon^
PGNew York Liberty
San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars 		Colorado State2008 bronze --2003–2007, 2009–2011
Lauren Jackson^CSeattle Storm N/A2000 silver
2004 silver
2008 silver 		2004, 2010MVP
Finals MVP
DPOY 		2001–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2010
Lisa LeslieCLos Angeles Sparks USC1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
2008 gold		2001, 2002MVP
Finals MVP
ASG MVP
DPOY 		1999–2006, 2009
Ticha Penicheiro^PGSacramento Monarchs
Los Angeles Sparks
Chicago Sky 		Old Dominion-2005-1999–2002
Cappie Pondexter^SGPhoenix Mercury
New York Liberty
Chicago Sky
Los Angeles Sparks
Indiana Fever 		Rutgers2008 gold2007, 2009Finals MVP 2006, 2007, 2009–2011
Katie Smith^SFMinnesota Lynx
Detroit Shock
Washington Mystics
Seattle Storm
New York Liberty 		Ohio State2000 gold
2004 gold
2008 gold		2006, 2008Finals MVP 2000–2006, 2009
Dawn StaleyPGCharlotte Sting
Houston Comets 		Virginia1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold		-KPSA 2002–2006
Sheryl Swoopes^SFHouston Comets
Seattle Storm
Tulsa Shock 		Texas Tech1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold		1997–2000MVP
DPOY
ASG MVP 		1999, 2000, 2002–2006
Diana Taurasi^SGPhoenix Mercury Connecticut2004 gold
2008 gold
2012 gold
2016 gold
2020 gold 2024 gold		2007, 2009, 2014MVP
Finals MVP
ROY 		2004–2007, 2009–2011
Tina Thompson^SFHouston Comets
Los Angeles Sparks
Seattle Storm 		USC2004 gold
2008 gold		1997–2000ASG MVP 1999–2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
Teresa WeatherspoonPGNew York Liberty
Los Angeles Sparks 		Louisiana Tech1988 gold
1992 bronze		-DPOY 1999–2003

  • The inaugural WNBA All-Star Game took place during the 1999 season, and the game has been contested yearly since, although the 2004 edition was supplanted by a game between WNBA players from both conferences and the 2004 United States Olympic team and the 2010 edition was a game between WNBA players from both conferences and the USA National Team. For the purposes of this article, appearances in the 2004 and 2010 games for both participating teams are considered All-Star appearances. This differs from the WNBA's practice, which does not count Team USA players in 2004 and 2010 as All-Stars, even though all members of Team USA except for Maya Moore in 2010 were WNBA players at the time of the two games. There was no All-Star Game held in 2008.
  • Players who were voted to start in all-star games but were unable to play due to injury are nevertheless considered to have been starters; players voted as reserves who started in place of other injured players are nevertheless considered to have been reserves.

Other finalists

1 Retired at time of Top 15 Team announcement.
2 Not playing in the league at time of Top 15 Team announcement.

Top 15 Players vs. All-Decade Team

All ten members of the WNBA's All-Decade Team were included in the Top 15 Team. There were some players that were nominated for the Top 15 Team that were not nominated for the All-Decade Team and vice versa. Below are lists of players that were either added to or omitted from the Top 15 Team nominations, in respect to the All-Decade Team nominations.

Added

Omitted