Power ranking the greatest WNBA players of all-time

The WNBA appears to be in as promising of a position as it ever has been in its existence, thanks its current stars and influx of young players. We’ll take a look at the best WNBA players of all-time, and take on the challenging task of ranking them from 10 to 1. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Throughout her 15-year WNBA career, Fowles established herself as one of the hardest players to score on in the league. She won four Defensive Player of the Year awards, impressively spread out in the early and later stages of her career. She nearly finished her career averaging a double-double, scoring 15.7 points per game and grabbing 9.8 rebounds a night.

Fowles was a force with the Chicago Sky, where she spent her first seven years in the WNBA. However, she’s eternally grateful for her time with the Minnesota Lynx, where she played the final eight years of her career. When the Lynx retired her number in 2023, ESPN reported that she told the crowd “my life changed once I got here, I think I hit my peak.”

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Parker hit the ground running about as well as any WNBA player ever has. In his first season in 2008, she won both the MVP award and Rookie of the Year. She’s a three-time champion, having been to the mountain top with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, the Chicago Sky in 2021 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.

There’s a chance that Parker’s life after her playing days might bring on more fame than when she was a star on the court. She’s been an integral part of Turner’s NBA coverage, sitting alongside greats like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. Her profile and analysis of the men’s and women’s game gives her a unique platform.

ESPN once wrote, “When Sheryl Swoopes was at her best, there was no one better.” She was one of the most famous players in the WNBA in the 1990s, and went on to banner success with the Houston Comets. Swoopes won three MVPs in her career as well, cementing her legacy as one of the best to ever do it.

The WNBA’s website recognizes Swoopes as a true pioneer, highlighting her many firsts in the league during her career. Swoopes was the first player to sign a WNBA contract, the first to have her own signature shoe, the first player to have a triple double in the playoffs, and so much more. Her status as one of the founding players is unquestioned.

ESPN wrote, “it was never as easy as Moore made it look, but she let us enjoy thinking it was. She played basketball like the pianist who makes it appear as if a difficult piece of music simply flows from their fingers like magic, without the countless, aching hours of work.” It’s a timeless compliment for a WNBA star that was incredibly clutch.

Slam Magazine’s website wrote about Moore, “she was always efficient. She was always steady. She was always the closer.” While she may not have as many individual accolades as others on this list (although three All-Star MVP’s doesn’t hurt), she played her best when it mattered most. She delivered four titles for the Minnesota Lynx during her eight-year WNBA career.

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The WNBA’s website noted that Thompson was the only player ever to score 7,000 points and grab 3,000 rebounds when she retired at the end of a brilliant 17-year career. She was a major part of what made the Houston Comets so special in the late 1990s. Former WNBA president Laurel Ritchie spoke about how Thompson mentored younger players entering the league.

Thompson probably could have averaged more points in her career, although her 15.1 average is nothing to sneeze at. Perhaps the most appropriate comparison for her championship impact is similar to that of Chris Bosh or Kevin Love in the NBA, who filled in a role as a second or third-best player about as well as anyone ever has in the WNBA.

It doesn’t get much better than winning four straight championship and winning Finals MVP in each instance, which is exactly what Cooper did for the Houston Comets in the WNBA’s early days. The Basketball Hall of Fame’s website notes that her best days may have come playing overseas.

Cooper averaged 21 points per game in her WNBA career, but keen observers will note that she only played five seasons. That’s because the league was developed at the tail end of her basketball career. She was 34 when she played her first WNBA campaign, but certainly showed everyone that she could not be stopped during her heyday.

The Basketball Hall of Fame’s website writes that Catchings is one of the best two-way players women’s basketball has ever seen. It’s easy to see why, as she won five Defensive Player of the Year awards during her WNBA career. ESPN wrote a piece in 2020 claiming Catchings might be the greatest WNBA player ever.

Catchings missed what was supposed to be her first WNBA season as she recovered from an ACL injury. However, she would go on to be a pillar of consistency for the Indiana Fever, as she made palpable impacts on offense and defense from 2002-2016. The New York Times noted she was first in career defensive win shares and second in offensive win shares.

ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel wrote that Leslie was “as talented a center as women’s hoops has seen.” Betway wrote that “Leslie fits the mold for the GOAT because she was a force at both ends of the court; a go-to scorer on offense and an elite shot-blocker on defense.” Leslie was one of the most popular figures during the WNBA’s inception.

While the singular play didn’t make Leslie great in and of itself, her fastbreak dunk in a 2002 game made her the first to jam the ball through the hoop in WNBA history. Former WNBA player Ruth Riley said to Sporting News, “it’s not just that moment in time. For young girls growing up able to see that and then to see the replays… I think it’s one of those barrier-breaking moments.”

NBC Sports Philadelphia pointed out that Bird is the only WNBA player to win championships in three different decades, as her career spanned from 2002-2022. She won four WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm, the team that she started and ended her playing career with. ESPN reported that she now is a part owner of the franchise.

Bird is the WNBA’s all-time leader in total assists, and the New York Times believes that she very well might be the best point guard in league history. They wrote, “perhaps what sets Bird apart comes down to one word: longevity. Even in her later playing years, she was still effective and playing at a high level.”

It’s anyone’s guess as to when Taurasi will hang it up, but there’s a chance she could still play at a high level for several more years. The 42 year-old is in her 20^th WNBA season, all coming with the Phoenix Mercury. What’s somewhat scary for the league is that she hasn’t really taken a step back, making yet another All-Star team during the 2024 campaign.

There’s no moment or shot too big for Taurasi, as she’s proven time and time again throughout her career. CBS Sports believes that she’s the unquestioned best scorer in WNBA history, but it isn’t just the volume of baskets that she makes. She deflates opponents by making contested shots that most players wouldn’t even dream of taking.

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