Top 10 Greatest WNBA Players of All Time

Diana Taurasi is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer with 10,000+ points — the only player in league history to surpass five digits — and has won three WNBA championships with the Phoenix Mercury (2007, 2009, 2014). She won the scoring title seven times, was a 10-time All-WNBA First Team selection, and added five Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball across 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Taurasi's competitive ferocity and clutch performance made her the league's defining star for 20 years, and her 10,000-point milestone in 2023 was celebrated as one of basketball's most significant records.

Lisa Leslie was the WNBA's first player to dunk in a game (July 30, 2002) and is the league's all-time leading rebounder with 3,307 boards. She won four MVP awards (1997, 2001, 2004, 2006), two championships with the Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2002), and was Finals MVP in 2001 and 2002. Leslie represented USA Basketball at four Olympics, winning gold each time (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008). Her combination of size (6-foot-5), skill, and charisma made her the WNBA's most visible ambassador and helped secure the league's survival through its difficult early years.

Caitlin Clark shattered college basketball's all-time scoring record — men's or women's — at Iowa, finishing with 3,951 points, surpassing Pete Maravich's 54-year-old record in February 2024. She averaged 33.6 PPG in her final college season while adding 8.9 APG, winning two consecutive AP Player of the Year awards and leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship games. Her WNBA debut with Indiana Fever in 2024 set single-season records for assists and drew record attendance and viewership to the league. By 2026, she is already among the most influential basketball players of her generation.

Sheryl Swoopes was the first player signed in WNBA history and became one of its most decorated stars, winning three MVP awards (2000, 2002, 2005) and four championships with the Houston Comets. She was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a six-time All-WNBA selection, and won three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball. At her peak in 2000-2005, Swoopes combined scoring, defense, and athletic versatility in a way no player in the league could match, drawing direct comparisons to Michael Jordan from coaches and analysts who watched both.

A'ja Wilson won back-to-back WNBA MVP awards in 2020 and 2022 and added a third in 2024, becoming only the second player in WNBA history to win three MVP awards (alongside Swoopes). She led the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, winning Finals MVP both years. Wilson averaged 26.1 PPG and 9.5 RPG in the 2024 season while breaking the single-season scoring record, then won Olympic gold with USA Basketball in Paris. At just 27 years old, she is already building the case for greatest WNBA player ever.

Lauren Jackson of Australia won three WNBA MVP awards (2003, 2007, 2010) and one WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004, averaging a career 19.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG. She was the first international player to win WNBA MVP and the first international player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Jackson was named one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time and represented Australia at five Olympics, winning a silver medal. Her post game, shooting range, and defensive intensity made her the most complete big in WNBA history before retirement.

Breanna Stewart won two WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm (2018, 2020) and was MVP in 2018, adding a second MVP in 2023 with the New York Liberty. Her 2018 postseason — where she averaged 21.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG — was one of the most dominant individual playoff runs in WNBA history. After suffering a torn Achilles in 2019 that ended her EuroLeague season, Stewart returned stronger and produced arguably the finest stretch of her career. Her 4 NCAA titles at UConn plus 2 WNBA titles make her the most decorated champion in modern women's basketball.

Tamika Catchings won one WNBA championship with the Indiana Fever in 2012 and was Finals MVP, the culmination of an 18-year career defined by defensive excellence and competitive will. She won five Defensive Player of the Year awards — the most in WNBA history — and was a five-time scoring champion, combining offensive versatility with the most relentless on-ball defense the league has seen. Catchings overcame a hearing impairment to become a four-time Olympic gold medalist and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Sue Bird is the winningest player in basketball history — four WNBA championships, five Olympic gold medals, and five EuroLeague titles across a 21-year WNBA career (2002-2022) with the Seattle Storm. She never won WNBA MVP because she was the quietest great, the orchestrator who made everyone better without taking the spotlight. Her career assist total of 2,840 is the WNBA all-time record, and her 13 All-WNBA selections match Lisa Leslie. At 41, her final season in 2022 was marked by a standing ovation at every arena in the league. She won a gold medal at age 40 in Tokyo.

Diana Taurasi is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer with 10,000+ points — the only player in league history to surpass five digits — and has won three WNBA championships with the Phoenix Mercury (2007, 2009, 2014). She won the scoring title seven times, was a 10-time All-WNBA First Team selection, and added five Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball across 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Taurasi's competitive ferocity and clutch performance made her the league's defining star for 20 years, and her 10,000-point milestone in 2023 was celebrated as one of basketball's most significant records.

Lisa Leslie was the WNBA's first player to dunk in a game (July 30, 2002) and is the league's all-time leading rebounder with 3,307 boards. She won four MVP awards (1997, 2001, 2004, 2006), two championships with the Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2002), and was Finals MVP in 2001 and 2002. Leslie represented USA Basketball at four Olympics, winning gold each time (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008). Her combination of size (6-foot-5), skill, and charisma made her the WNBA's most visible ambassador and helped secure the league's survival through its difficult early years.

Caitlin Clark shattered college basketball's all-time scoring record — men's or women's — at Iowa, finishing with 3,951 points, surpassing Pete Maravich's 54-year-old record in February 2024. She averaged 33.6 PPG in her final college season while adding 8.9 APG, winning two consecutive AP Player of the Year awards and leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship games. Her WNBA debut with Indiana Fever in 2024 set single-season records for assists and drew record attendance and viewership to the league. By 2026, she is already among the most influential basketball players of her generation.

Sheryl Swoopes was the first player signed in WNBA history and became one of its most decorated stars, winning three MVP awards (2000, 2002, 2005) and four championships with the Houston Comets. She was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a six-time All-WNBA selection, and won three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball. At her peak in 2000-2005, Swoopes combined scoring, defense, and athletic versatility in a way no player in the league could match, drawing direct comparisons to Michael Jordan from coaches and analysts who watched both.

A'ja Wilson won back-to-back WNBA MVP awards in 2020 and 2022 and added a third in 2024, becoming only the second player in WNBA history to win three MVP awards (alongside Swoopes). She led the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, winning Finals MVP both years. Wilson averaged 26.1 PPG and 9.5 RPG in the 2024 season while breaking the single-season scoring record, then won Olympic gold with USA Basketball in Paris. At just 27 years old, she is already building the case for greatest WNBA player ever.

Lauren Jackson of Australia won three WNBA MVP awards (2003, 2007, 2010) and one WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004, averaging a career 19.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG. She was the first international player to win WNBA MVP and the first international player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Jackson was named one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time and represented Australia at five Olympics, winning a silver medal. Her post game, shooting range, and defensive intensity made her the most complete big in WNBA history before retirement.

Breanna Stewart won two WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm (2018, 2020) and was MVP in 2018, adding a second MVP in 2023 with the New York Liberty. Her 2018 postseason — where she averaged 21.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG — was one of the most dominant individual playoff runs in WNBA history. After suffering a torn Achilles in 2019 that ended her EuroLeague season, Stewart returned stronger and produced arguably the finest stretch of her career. Her 4 NCAA titles at UConn plus 2 WNBA titles make her the most decorated champion in modern women's basketball.

Tamika Catchings won one WNBA championship with the Indiana Fever in 2012 and was Finals MVP, the culmination of an 18-year career defined by defensive excellence and competitive will. She won five Defensive Player of the Year awards — the most in WNBA history — and was a five-time scoring champion, combining offensive versatility with the most relentless on-ball defense the league has seen. Catchings overcame a hearing impairment to become a four-time Olympic gold medalist and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Sue Bird is the winningest player in basketball history — four WNBA championships, five Olympic gold medals, and five EuroLeague titles across a 21-year WNBA career (2002-2022) with the Seattle Storm. She never won WNBA MVP because she was the quietest great, the orchestrator who made everyone better without taking the spotlight. Her career assist total of 2,840 is the WNBA all-time record, and her 13 All-WNBA selections match Lisa Leslie. At 41, her final season in 2022 was marked by a standing ovation at every arena in the league. She won a gold medal at age 40 in Tokyo.