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In 27 years, the WNBA has successfully carved its mark in the world of sports and has produced quite a crop of talent since its inception in 1996. The league's stars became ambassadors of the game and revolutionized women's sports all around the world.
In 2021, the league came out with its 25th-year anniversary team to honor the league's 25 best players in history. In this article, we streamline even further to dive into the best of the best and what we would call the cream of the crop.
Who is the best WNBA player of all time?
While this is debatable as basketball evolves from different eras, there are players who stand out and make the best of what they have. Given the situations and era in which they are in their prime, there are the few who dominated and even had the league change their rules around them.
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Right now, the likes of Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, A'Ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Elena Delle Donne continue to push the game forward and each has their own case to be considered the best in their time.
When all the players above finish their careers, they could even crack the Top 5 list:
5 best WNBA players of all time
#1. Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi just dominated the league when she came in and this basketball icon already has three championships under her belt. She was also named the MVP of the league in 2009 and has made 10 WNBA All-Star appearances. This lady also owns the league's scoring title five times and also led in assists in 2014.
Her achievements are an automatic inclusion in the league's 15th, 20th and 25th-anniversary teams and she is still active in the league as of this writing.
#2. Tamika Catchings
Retired in 2016, Tamika Catchings left an indelible mark in the league with her leadership and skills. Her accolades include the 2012 WNBA Championship and the MVP plum 2011. She is also a 10-time All-Star and took home five DPOY awards from 2005-2012. A very dominant player from both ends on the floor and comes out great in the clutch, she owns records such as the all-time steals leader, and all-time playoffs leader in scoring, rebounding and steals.
#3. Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
When the league started in 1996, Cynthia Cooper rose up as undoubtedly the best player. She was a WNBA champion with the Houston Comets from 1997-2000 and was named Finals MVP in all those title runs. Cooper was also the league MVP twice and was the scoring leader from 97 to 99. The lady who started it all only had five seasons in the WNBA but she could have been higher if the league started earlier.
#4. Lisa Leslie
Right after Cynthia Cooper left, the league's best player baton was given to Lisa Leslie to push the game even higher. Playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, she was a two-time champion and a three-time league MVP. In 12 seasons, she was able to average 17.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Leslie led the league in rebounds thrice and blocks twice.
#5. Lauren Jackson
Arguably the best women's international player to ever grace the league, Lauren Jackson was already a legend in Australia before playing in the WNBA. In 12 seasons, Jackson has two championships and three MVPs to boast. She also led the league in scoring thrice and once a rebounding leader.
