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 (WNBA championship, major individual award, a selection to either the All-WNBA Team, WNBA All-Defensive Team, or WNBA All-Star Game; a current ranking among the top 30 statistical career leaders; and a selection to either the WNBA's All-Decade Team or the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time) were considered.
The Top 20 players were announced on June 21, 2016 at ESPN's SportsCenter.[1] Dawn Staley was the only member of both the WNBA's All-Decade Team (2006) and the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011) absent from the Top 20 list.[2]
Players selected
edit- 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 this time |
| ~ | Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Player | Nationality | Position | Team(s) | League titles | League awards | All-Star Games | All-Decade Team | 15 Years Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seimone Augustus^ | United States | SF | Minnesota Lynx (2006–2019)
Los Angeles Sparks (2020) |
2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 | Finals MVP (2011) ROY (2006) 6×All-WNBA |
2006–2007, 2011, 2013–2015, 2017, 2018 | — | Nominated |
| Sue Bird^ | United States | PG | Seattle Storm (2002–2022) | 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020 | KPSA (2011) 8×All-WNBA |
2002–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014–2015, 2017, 2018 | Yes | Yes |
| Swin Cash^ | United States | PF | Detroit Shock (2002–2007) Seattle Storm (2008–2011) Chicago Sky (2012–2013) Atlanta Dream (2014) New York Liberty (2014–2016) |
2003, 2006, 2010 | ASG MVP (2009, 2011) KPSA (2013) 2×All-WNBA |
2003, 2005, 2007, 2011 | Nominated | Nominated |
| Tamika Catchings^ | United States | SF | Indiana Fever (2002–2016) (entire career) | 2012 | MVP (2011) Finals MVP (2012) ROY (2002) DPOY (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012) KPSA (2010, 2013) 12×All-WNBA |
2002–2007, 2009–2011 | Yes | Yes |
| Cynthia Cooper | United States | SG | Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2003) (entire career) | 1997–2000 | MVP (1997, 1998) Finals MVP (1997–2000) 4×All-WNBA |
1999, 2000, 2003 | Yes | Yes |
| Yolanda Griffith | United States | C | Sacramento Monarchs (1999–2007) Seattle Storm (2008) Indiana Fever (2009) |
2005 | MVP (1999) Finals MVP (2005) DPOY (1999) ASG MVP (2004) 5×All-WNBA |
1999–2001, 2003–2007 | Yes | Yes |
| Becky Hammon | United States Russia |
PG | New York Liberty (1999–2006) San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars (2007–2014) |
None | KPSA (2014) 4×All-WNBA |
2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011 | Nominated | Yes |
| Lauren Jackson | Australia | C | Seattle Storm (2001–2012) (entire career) | 2004, 2010 | MVP (2003, 2007, 2010) Finals MVP (2010) DPOY (2007) 8×All-WNBA |
2001–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2010 | Yes | Yes |
| Lisa Leslie | United States | C | Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009) (entire career) | 2001, 2002 | MVP (2001, 2004, 2006) Finals MVP (2001, 2002) ASG MVP (1999, 2001, 2002) DPOY (2004, 2008) 12×All-WNBA |
1999–2006, 2009 | Yes | Yes |
| Maya Moore^ | United States | SF | Minnesota Lynx (2011–) | 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 | MVP (2014) Finals MVP (2013) ASG MVP (2015) ROY (2011) 4×All-WNBA |
2011, 2013-2015 | — | — |
| Deanna Nolan | United States Russia |
SG | Detroit Shock (2001–2009) (entire career) | 2003, 2006, 2008 | Finals MVP (2006) 5×All-WNBA |
2003-2007 | Nominated | Nominated |
| Candace Parker^ | United States | PF | Los Angeles Sparks (2008–2020) Chicago Sky (2021-) |
2016, 2021 | MVP (2008, 2013) ASG MVP (2013) Finals MVP (2016) ROY (2008) 6×All-WNBA |
2011, 2013, 2014 | — | Nominated |
| Ticha Penicheiro | Portugal | PG | Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009) Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011) Chicago Sky (2012) |
2005 | 3×All-WNBA | 1999–2002 | Honorable mention | Yes |
| Cappie Pondexter^ | United States | SG | Phoenix Mercury (2006–2009) New York Liberty (2010–2014) Chicago Sky (2015-2017) Los Angeles Sparks (2018) Indiana Fever (2018) |
2007, 2009 | Finals MVP (2007) 4×All-WNBA |
2006, 2007, 2009–2011 | — | Yes |
| Katie Smith | United States | SG | Minnesota Lynx (1999–2005) Detroit Shock (2005–2009) Washington Mystics (2010) Seattle Storm (2011–2012) New York Liberty (2013) |
2006, 2008 | Finals MVP (2008) 4×All-WNBA |
2000–2006, 2009 | Yes | Yes |
| Sheryl Swoopes | United States | SF | Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2002–2007) Seattle Storm (2008) Tulsa Shock (2011) |
1997–2000 | MVP (2000, 2002, 2005) DPOY (2000, 2002, 2003) ASG MVP (2005) 7×All-WNBA |
1999, 2000, 2002–2006 | Yes | Yes |
| Diana Taurasi^ | United States | SG | Phoenix Mercury (2004–) | 2007, 2009 | MVP (2009) Finals MVP (2009) ROY (2004) 10×All-WNBA |
2004–2007, 2009–2011, 2013-2014 | Honorable mention | Yes |
| Tina Thompson | United States | SF | Houston Comets (1997–2008) Los Angeles Sparks (2009–2011) Seattle Storm (2012-2013) |
1997–2000 | ASG MVP (2000) 8×All-WNBA |
1999–2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 | Yes | Yes |
| Teresa Weatherspoon | United States | PG | New York Liberty (1997–2003) Los Angeles Sparks (2004) |
None | DPOY (1997, 1998) 4×All-WNBA |
1999–2003 | Honorable mention | Yes |
| Lindsay Whalen^ | United States | PG | Connecticut Sun (2004-2009) Minnesota Lynx (2010–2018) |
2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 | 5×All-WNBA | 2006, 2011, 2013-2015 | No | No |
- 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
edit- Janeth Arcain5
- Alana Beard1
- Ruthie Bolton3
- DeWanna Bonner1
- Rebekkah Brunson1
- Tina Charles1
- Elena Delle Donne1
- Érika de Souza1
- Skylar Diggins1
- Tamecka Dixon5
- Katie Douglas6
- Candice Dupree1
- Margo Dydek7
- Cheryl Ford6
- Sylvia Fowles1
- Jennifer Gillom5
- Brittney Griner1
- Chamique Holdsclaw3
- Shannon Johnson4
- Vickie Johnson5
- Crystal Langhorne1
- Kara Lawson
- Betty Lennox
- Mwadi Mabika5
- Angel McCoughtry1
- Taj McWilliams-Franklin4
- DeLisha Milton-Jones4
- Nneka Ogwumike1
- Wendy Palmer
- Plenette Pierson1
- Nicole Powell
- Ruth Riley
- Danielle Robinson1
- Nykesha Sales4
- Tangela Smith6
- Dawn Staley2
- Nikki Teasley
- Penny Taylor1, 6
- Natalie Williams4
- Sophia Young
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.
References
edit- ^ "Best of the Best: WNBA to Honor 20 Greatest Players of All-Time". WNBA. June 16, 2016.
- ^ Brian Martin (June 21, 2016). "Left Off The List: A Look At Those Who Could Have Made WNBA Top 20@20". WNBA.
External links
edit- Official announcement on WNBA.com