WNBA Top 20@20


WNBA Top 20@20 are the Women's National Basketball Association's Top 20 Players of All Time, chosen in 2016 on the occasion of the twentieth season of the WNBA from amongst 60 nominees compiled by the league. The group was to comprise the 20 best and most influential players of the first twenty 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 for at least two seasons, and fit at least three of seven criteria were considered.
The Top 20 players were announced on June 21, 2016 at ESPN's SportsCenter. Dawn Staley was the only member of both the WNBA's All-Decade Team and the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time absent from the Top 20 list.

Players selected

  • Note: all information only pertains to the first twenty years of the league's existence.
^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

PlayerNationalityPositionTeamLeague titlesLeague awardsAll-Star GamesAll-Decade Team15 Years Team
Seimone Augustus^SFMinnesota Lynx
Los Angeles Sparks 		2011, 2013, 2015, 2017Finals MVP
ROY
6×All-WNBA		2006–2007, 2011, 2013–2015, 2017, 2018Nomitated
Sue Bird^PGSeattle Storm 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020KPSA
8×All-WNBA		2002–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014–2015, 2017, 2018
Swin Cash^PFDetroit Shock
Seattle Storm
Chicago Sky
Atlanta Dream
New York Liberty 		2003, 2006, 2010ASG MVP
KPSA
2×All-WNBA		2003, 2005, 2007, 2011NomitatedNomitated
Tamika Catchings^SFIndiana Fever 2012MVP
Finals MVP
ROY
DPOY
KPSA
12×All-WNBA		2002–2007, 2009–2011
Cynthia CooperSGHouston Comets 1997–2000MVP
Finals MVP
4×All-WNBA		1999, 2000, 2003
Yolanda GriffithCSacramento Monarchs
Seattle Storm
Indiana Fever 		2005MVP
Finals MVP
DPOY
ASG MVP
5×All-WNBA		1999–2001, 2003–2007
Becky Hammon
PGNew York Liberty
San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars 		-KPSA
4×All-WNBA		2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011Nomitated
Lauren JacksonCSeattle Storm 2004, 2010MVP
Finals MVP
DPOY
8×All-WNBA		2001–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2010
Lisa LeslieCLos Angeles Sparks 2001, 2002MVP
Finals MVP
ASG MVP
DPOY
12×All-WNBA		1999–2006, 2009
Maya Moore^SFMinnesota Lynx 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017MVP
Finals MVP
ASG MVP
ROY
4×All-WNBA		2011, 2013-2015
Deanna Nolan
SGDetroit Shock 2003, 2006, 2008Finals MVP
5×All-WNBA		2003-2007NomitatedNomitated
Candace Parker^PFLos Angeles Sparks
Chicago Sky 		2016, 2021MVP
ASG MVP
Finals MVP
ROY
6×All-WNBA		2011, 2013, 2014Nomitated
Ticha PenicheiroPGSacramento Monarchs
Los Angeles Sparks
Chicago Sky 		20053×All-WNBA1999–2002
Cappie Pondexter^SGPhoenix Mercury
New York Liberty
Chicago Sky
Los Angeles Sparks
Indiana Fever 		2007, 2009Finals MVP
4×All-WNBA		2006, 2007, 2009–2011
Katie SmithSGMinnesota Lynx
Detroit Shock
Washington Mystics
Seattle Storm
New York Liberty 		2006, 2008Finals MVP
4×All-WNBA		2000–2006, 2009
Sheryl SwoopesSFHouston Comets
Seattle Storm
Tulsa Shock 		1997–2000MVP
DPOY
ASG MVP
7×All-WNBA		1999, 2000, 2002–2006
Diana Taurasi^SGPhoenix Mercury 2007, 2009MVP
Finals MVP
ROY
10×All-WNBA		2004–2007, 2009–2011, 2013-2014
Tina ThompsonSFHouston Comets
Los Angeles Sparks
Seattle Storm 		1997–2000ASG MVP
8×All-WNBA		1999–2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
Teresa WeatherspoonPGNew York Liberty
Los Angeles Sparks 		-DPOY
4×All-WNBA		1999–2003
Lindsay Whalen^PGConnecticut Sun
Minnesota Lynx 		2011, 2013, 2015, 20175×All-WNBA2006, 2011, 2013-2015

  • The inaugural WNBA All-Star Game took place during the 1999 season, and the game has been contested in most years since. 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. From 2008 through 2020, no All-Star Game was held in any Summer Olympic year. With the 2020 Summer Olympics being delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19, the league held an exhibition shortly before it took a break for the Olympics, with a WNBA all-star team taking on the USA national team. Unlike the analogous 2004 event, the 2021 game was officially treated as an All-Star Game.
  • 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 Still active at time of Top 20 Team announcement.
2 Was in both the All-Decade and Top 15 teams.
3All-Decade honorable mention, Top 15 nominee.
4Nominated for both All-Decade and Top 15 teams.
5All-Decade nominee.
6Top 15 nominee.
7Deceased.