Best Female Basketball Players!!!
Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was established in April 1922. Since then, there has been a vast improvement in women’s basketball.
Although the WNBA has a smaller fanbase than that of the NBA, it’s definitely getting there. In 2021, the viewership of WNBA went up by 49 percentage.
It feels good to see women actively working together in sports.
Let’s take a quick look at the 20 best female basketball players.
Quick Overview
| Name of Player |
| 20) Angel McCoughtry |
| 19) Becky Hammon |
| 18) Seimone Augustus |
| 17) Candice Dupree |
| 16) Tina Charles |
| 15) Kate Smith |
| 14) Candace Parker |
| 13) Sylvia Fowles |
| 12) Tina Thompson |
| 11) Cappie Pondexter |
| 10) Yolanda Griffith |
| 9) Elena Delle Donne |
| 8) Sheryl Swoopes |
| 7) Lauren Jackson |
| 6) Lisa Leslie |
| 5) Tamika Catchings |
| 4) Maya Moore |
| 3) Cynthia Cooper |
| 2) Diana Taurasi |
| 1) Sue Bird |
Best Female Basketball Players
20) Angel McCoughtry
Position: Small Forward/ ******** Guard
Achievements:
- 5 Times WNBA Champion
- 2 Times Scoring champion
- Steals leader 2 times
- 2 Times Peak Performer
- 4 Times Turkish President Cup Winner
- Rookie of the Year, 2009
Angel Lajaune McCoughtry is a professional basketball player. She currently plays for Galatasaray. Angel was drafted as the first overall pick by Atlanta Dream in 2009.
McCoughtry has won 5 gold medals, including the Olympics, World Championship, and Pan games.
According to WNBA, she has an average of 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
19) Becky Hammon
Position: Point Guard
Achievements:
- 6 Times WNBA Champion
- Assists Leader in 2007
- Lands in the List of Top 15 Players of All Time
- The W25
- WNBA Top 20@20
- Queen’s Cup Winner in 2010
Rebecca Lynn Hammon has been involved in the WNBA from 1999 to the present. She played from 1999-2012.
However, she started coaching in 2014. Currently, Hammon is the assistant coach for San Antonio Spurs.
Her stats include 8.3 points per game, 4.2 assists per game, and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Moreover, in her 13-year career, she won a gold medal in the 1998 Jones Cup and a silver in the 2009 EuroBasket.
18) Seimone Augustus
Position: Guard-Forward
Achievements:
- 4 Time WNBA Champion
- Finals MVP in 2011
- 8 Times All-Star
- WNBA Top 20@20
- 2 Times EuroCup Winner
- The W25, and many more.
Seimone Delicia Augustus is a retired basketball player and assistant coach for Los Angeles Sparks. She played from 2006-2016.
Augustus was the first overall pick by Minnesota Lynx in the 2006 WNBA draft. She suffered numerous health problems during the 2009-10 season. However, she made a remarkable comeback and became the team’s lead defender.
Moreover, she won gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, 2012 Olympics, 2016 Olympics, and 2014 World Championship.
All in all, Seimone averaged 5.9 points and 1.8 assists per game.
17) Candice Dupree
Position: Power Forward
Achievements:
- WNBA Champion in 2014
- 7 Times All-Star
- WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2006
- Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year
- Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Year
Candice Dupree is a professional basketball player. She currently plays for Atlanta Dream. Dupree was the 6th overall pick by Chicago Sky in 2006.
Averaging 12.5 points along with 5.7 rebounds, she is a pretty strong player on the team. She has a consistent playstyle, and although she gets overlooked often, her resume is pretty solid.
Moreover, Candice won gold medals in the 2010 FIBA Championship, 2014 FIBA, and 2005 World University Games.
16) Tina Charles
Position: Center
Achievements:
- MVP in 2012
- Rookie of the Year in 2010
- 8 Times All-Star
- 4 Times Rebound Champion
- 2 Times Scoring Champion
- 4 Times WNBA Peak Performer
- 2 Times Turkish Cup Winner, and more.
Tina Alexandria Charles is a professional basketball player who plays for Washington Mystics in the WNBA.
In the 2010 WNBA draft, she was the first overall pick by Connecticut Sun. Charles was nicknamed Ms. Basketball after she averaged 26.5 points per game in high school.
The tall, fierce, and bold center player can dominate the game.
Furthermore, she has won 6 gold medals, including the 3 Olympics medals and 3 World Cup medals.
She took a small break in 2020 due to the pandemic and her condition, extrinsic asthma. However, she is now holding a scoring streak.
15) Katie Smith
Position: ******** Guard/ Small Forward
Achievements:
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- 2 Times ABL Champion
- WNBA Finals MVP in 2008
- 7 Times All-Star
- Scoring Champion in 2001
- WNBA Top 20@20, and more.
Katie Smith is a former basketball player who played for Columbus Quest, Minnesota Lynx, and Lotos Gdynia. She retired in 2f013.
She is currently working as the assistant coach for Minnesota Lynx.
With a total of 6452 points and 1383 assists, she played for 17 years in total. Being a bold player and teammate, she is one of the best female basketball players of all time.
Smith was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2018. Furthermore, she won 3 Olympics gold medals and 2 gold medals in the World Cup.
In addition, she won a gold in Jones Cup. Her contributions to the WNBA as a player and a coach are immeasurable.
14) Candace Parker
Position: Center/ Power Forward/ Guard
Achievements:
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- WNBA Finals MVP in 2016
- 2 Times WNBA MVP
- 6 Times All-Star
- Defensive Player of the Year in 2020
- 3 Times Rebounding Leader
- 3 Times Peak Performer, and more.
Candace Nicole Parker is a professional basketball player of the Women’s National Basketball Association. She was drafted as the first overall pick by Los Angeles Sparks in 2008.
Averaging 16.6 points, 4.0 rebounds per game, and 8.6 rebounds per game, Parker is a consistent and versatile player.
In 2012-2013, she made a remarkable comeback post-pregnancy and shoulder injury.
Moreover, she has won two Olympic gold medals, one U18 and a U19 gold medal. Currently, she plays for Chicago Sky.
13) Sylvia Fowles
Position: Center
Achievements:
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- 2 Times WNBA Finals MVP
- The W25
- 7 Times All-Star
- 2 Times Blocks Leader
- 2 Times Peak Performer
- WNBA Rebounding Champion Twice
Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles is a professional basketball player currently playing for Minnesota Lynx. She was the second overall pick by Chicago Sky in 2008.
Averaging 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, there is nothing Fowles cannot do. Moreover, she won 4 Olympics gold medals and one World Championship gold medal.
Thus, being named the 2021 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, we can say that the defensive god is on her way to making history.
12) Tina Thompson
Position: Small Forward/ Power Forward
Achievements:
- 4 Times WNBA Champion
- 9 Times All-Star
- WNBA Top 15 Players of All Time
- WNBA Top 20@20
- EuroLeague Champion
Tina Marie Thompson is a former WNBA player and currently the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers.
She was picked by Houston Comets as the first overall pick in the 1997 WNBA draft.
Thompson played from 1997-2014.
She won two golds in the Olympics and a gold and a bronze in the World Cup. Moreover, she was the gold medal winner in the 1996 Jones Cup.
In her 17 year career, Tina scored 7488 points and 3070 rebounds. This shows how much of a dominant player she was on the court.
11) Cappie Pondexter
Position: Point Guard
Achievements:
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- WNBA Finals MVP in 2007
- 7 Times All-Star
- Top 15 Players in NBA
- WNBA Top 20@20
- The W25
- 4 Times Turkish League Champion
Cappie Marie Pondexter is a professional basketball player in WNBA. The Phoenix Mercury drafted her as the second overall pick in 2006. She retired in 2018 after playing for 12 years.
Her stats include 6,811 points and 1,578 assists.
Well known for her trick shots and jump shot, Pondexter was voted Top 15 by WNBA fans.
Furthermore, she won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, 2005 Universiade, and 2000 U18 and U19.
10) Yolanda Griffith
Position: Center
Achievements:
- WNBA Champion in 2005
- WNBA Finals MVP
- 8 Times All-Star
- 2 Times Rebounding Champion
- Russian League Player of the Year, and more.
Yolanda Evette Griffith is a former basketball player. She played in WNBA and ABL. In 1999, Griffith was the second overall pick by Sacramento Monarchs.
Nicknamed Yo and Yo-Yo, Griffith is widely considered one of the best defensive players in the WNBA.
The two-time Olympics gold medalist retired in 2009. She also coached the University of Massachusetts.
All in all, she averaged 13.6 points and 1.5 assists in the 311 games she played.
9) Elena Delle Donne
Position: Small Forward/ ******** Guard
Achievements:
- WNBA Champion in 2019
- 6 Times All-Star
- The W25
- WNBA Rookie of the Year
- Honda Sports Award
- 50-40-90 club
- Scoring Champion, 2015
- Peak Performer, 2015, and many more.
Elena Dekke Donne is a professional basketball player in WNBA. She was the second overall pick by Chicago Sky in 2013.
Currently, Donne plays for Washington Mystics. She won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics, the 2018 World Cup, and the 2011 Universiade.
Although she has Lyme disease, she plays spectacular offense and defense on the court.
Elena has an average of 20.2 points per game, 1.8 assists per game, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
8) Sheryl Swoopes
Position: ******** Guard/ Small Forward
Achievements:
- 4 Times WNBA Champion
- 6 Times WNBA All-Star
- Honda Sports Award
- 3 Times Defensive Player of the Year
- 2 Times Scoring Champion
- 2 Times Steals Leader
- WNBA Top 20@20
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is a former basketball player of the WNBA. She was drafted in 1997 by the Houston Comets.
Swoopes has won 3 Olympics golds, two World Cup golds, along with Goodwill Games gold.
She retired in 2011. However, she coached from 2009-2018.
Swoopes was enshrined into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. She has been voted the Top 15 Players of All Time with her speed, skill, and calmness.
All in all, her stats include 4,875 points, 1,596 rebounds, and 1,027 assists.
7) Lauren Jackson
Position: Power Forward/ Center
Achievements:
- 5 Times WNBL Champion
- 7 Times WNBA All-Star
- WNBA Scoring champion
- 6 Times WNBL All-Star Five
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- WNBA Scoring Champion Thrice, and more.
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBL and WNBA.
In WNBA, she was drafted as the first overall pick by Seattle Storm. Her career started at the age of 14.
We cannot deny that she is one of the best, averaging 18.9 points, 7.7 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game.
She won the gold medal in the 2006 World Championship and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Moreover, Jackson was enshrined into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
6) Lisa Leslie
Position: Center
Achievements:
- 2 Times WNBA Champion
- 8 Times All-Star
- 2 Times WNBA Finals MVP
- 2 Times Defensive Player of the Year
- WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All Time
- Honda Sports Award, and many more.
Lisa Deshaun Leslie is a retired basketball player in WNBA. She played from 1997 to 2009. Los Angeles Sparks drafted Leslie in 1997.
With a total of 6,263 points, 3,307 rebounds, and 822 blocks, her stats are phenomenal.
In 2015, Leslie was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Leslie was voted to the list of Top 15 Players of All-Time and Top 20@20.
5) Tamika Catchings
Position: Small Forward
Achievements:
- WNBA Championship in 2012
- Finals MVP in 2012
- 5 Times Defensive Player of the Year
- 10 Times All-Star
- 8 Times Steals Leader
- Rookie of the Year in 2002
- Member of Top 15 Team
- 2 Times Turkish Cup winner
Tamika Devone Catchings is a retired professional basketball player. She was drafted by Indiana Fever as the third pick overall in 2001.
In her 14-year long career, Catchings scored 7 380 points, 3,315 rebounds and 1, 488 assists. Moreover, she won a total of 6 gold medals, including the Olympics and World Championship.
Tamika became the player who improved the chemistry of the team, thus improving the performance. With the fluidity, experience, and knowledge of the game, Catchings ranks among the best players in WNBA history.
4) Maya Moore
Position: Small Forward
Achievements:
- 4 Times WNBA Champion
- WNBA Finals MVP in 2013
- MVP in 2014
- 6 Times All-Star
- Steals Leader in 2018
- Scoring Leader in 2014, and many more.
Maya April Moore is a professional basketball player of WNBA. She was picked first by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 WNBA draft.
She was the first female basketball player to sign with Air Jordan.
3) Cynthia Cooper
Position: Point Guard/ ******** Guard
Achievements:
- 4 Times WNBA Champion
- 4 Times Finals MVP
- 2 Times MVP
- 3 Times All-Star
- 3 Times Scoring Champion
- Ranked in WNBA Top 20 in 2016
- 2 Times NCAA Champion
Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke is a coach and a retired basketball player of the WNBA.
All in all, Cooper has 2,601 points, 403 rebounds, and 602 assists in her career.
She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Furthermore, as a coach, she has been a prominent and vital personality.
Cooper has coached Phoenix Mercury, Prairie View A&M, UNC Wilmington, Texas Southern, and USC.
As of now, she is the coach for Texas Southern.
2) Diana Taurasi
Position: Point Guard/ ******** Guard
Achievements:
- 3 Times WNBA Champion
- 2 Times WNBA Finals MVP
- 10 Times All-Star
- WNBA Top 20@20
- 5 Times Scoring Champion
- 6 Times Peak Performer
- 4 Times USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, and many more.
Diana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player in the WNBA. She was the first overall pick by Phoenix Mercury in 2004.
Her stats include 19.4 points per game, 4.3 assists per game, and 4 rebounds per game.
Taurasi has won 5 Olympic gold medals along with 3 World Championship golds. She is widely regarded to be the best player in the NBA for her playstyle and stats.
Moreover, Taurasi is the first player in WNBA to have more than 9000 points.
Nicknamed ‘White Mamba,’ Taurasi is currently playing for Phoenix Mercury.
1) Sue Bird
Position: Point Guard
Achievements:
- 4 WNBA Championships
- 3 Times Assists Leader
- 2 Peak Performer Award
- 2 NCAA Championships
- 3 Nancy Lieberman Awards
- 5 EuroLeague Championships
- 5 Russian National League Championships
Suzanne Brigit Bird is a professional basketball player for the Women’s National Basketball Association. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm in 2002 as the first overall pick.
Averaging 10 points per game and 5.3 assists per game, Bird is considered the best player of all time.
Moreover, she has won 5 golds in the Olympics and four golds in World Championships.
She also lands among the 25 candidates fans voted to be crowned as the GOAT of WNBA.
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