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The W25 are the Women's National Basketball Association's Top 25 Players of All Time, chosen in 2021 on the occasion of the 25th season of the WNBA from amongst 72 nominees compiled by the league. The group, selected by a panel consisting of media members and pioneering women's basketball figures, was to comprise the 25 best and most influential players of the first 25 years of the WNBA, with consideration also accorded to sportsmanship, community service, leadership, and contribution to the growth of women's basketball. To be considered, players had to have competed in the WNBA for at least two seasons, and fit at least four of seven criteria:

  • Winning a major individual playing award.
  • Selection to at least one All-WNBA Team at any level.
  • Selection to at least one WNBA All-Defensive Team at any level.
  • Selection for at least one WNBA All-Star Game.
  • Member of at least one WNBA championship team.
  • A ranking among the top 40 career leaders in any major statistical category, as of the start of the 2021 season.
  • Winner of the WNBA's season-long Community Assist Award.

The W25 were announced on September 5, 2021 at halftime of the Las Vegas AcesChicago Sky game, televised in the U.S. by ABC. [1]

The announcement of The W25 was immediately followed by "Vote for the GOAT". From September 5–19, fans voted on the WNBA's official website, the WNBA's mobile app, and Twitter to determine which member of The W25 they considered to be the league's greatest of all time. Before Game 1 of the 2021 WNBA Finals on October 10 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, Diana Taurasi was announced as the fans' "GOAT". [2]

Players selected

Notes
  • All information only pertains to the first 25 years of the league's existence.
  • No awards or honors that were presented after the 2021 regular season are included. The 2021 All-Star Game is included because it took place before the final announcement of The W25.
^ 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 Top 15 Team Top 20 Team
Seimone Augustus   United States SF Minnesota Lynx (2006–2019)
Los Angeles Sparks (2020)
2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 Finals MVP (2011)
ROY (2006)
All-WNBA
2006–2007, 2011, 2013–2015, 2017, 2018 Nominated Yes
Sue Bird^   United States PG Seattle Storm (2002–2012, 2014–2018, 2020–2022) 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020 KPSA (2011, 2017, 2018)
All-WNBA
2002–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014–2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 Yes 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)
All-WNBA
2003, 2005, 2007, 2011 Nominated Nominated Yes
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
12× All-Defensive
2002–2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011 Yes Yes Yes
Tina Charles^   United States C Connecticut Sun (2010–2013)
New York Liberty (2014–2019)
Washington Mystics (2021–)
None MVP (2012)
ROY (2010)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2011, 2013–2015, 2017–2019, 2021 Nominated
Cynthia Cooper   United States SG Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2003; entire career) 19972000 MVP (1997, 1998)
Finals MVP (1997–2000)
All-WNBA
1999, 2000, 2003 Yes Yes Yes
Elena Delle Donne^   United States F/G Chicago Sky (2013–2016)
Washington Mystics (2017–2019, 2021–)
2019 MVP (2015, 2019)
ROY (2013)
All-WNBA
2013–2015, 2017–2019 Nominated
Sylvia Fowles^   United States C Chicago Sky (2008–2014)
Minnesota Lynx (2015–2022)
2015, 2017 MVP (2017)
Finals MVP (2015, 2017)
DPOY (2011, 2013, 2016)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2009, 2011, 2013, 2017–2019, 2021 Nominated
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)
All-WNBA
1999–2001, 2003, 2005–2007 Yes Yes Yes
Brittney Griner^   United States C Phoenix Mercury (2013–; entire career to date) 2014 DPOY (2014, 2015)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2013–2015, 2017–2019, 2021 Nominated
Becky Hammon   United States
  Russia
PG New York Liberty (1999–2006)
San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars (2007–2014)
None KPSA (2014)
All-WNBA
2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011 Nominated Yes Yes
Lauren Jackson   Australia C Seattle Storm (2001–2012; entire career) 2004, 2010 MVP (2003, 2007, 2010)
Finals MVP (2010)
DPOY (2007)
All-WNBA
2001–2003, 2005–2007, 2009 Yes 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
1999–2003, 2005–2006, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
Angel McCoughtry^   United States F/G Atlanta Dream (2009–2018)
Las Vegas Aces (2020–)
None ROY (2009)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2011, 2013–2015, 2018 Nominated
Maya Moore   United States SF Minnesota Lynx (2011–2018; entire career) [a] 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 MVP (2014)
Finals MVP (2013)
ASG MVP (2015, 2017, 2018)
ROY (2011)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2011, 2013–2015, 2017, 2018 Yes
Nneka Ogwumike^   United States PF Los Angeles Sparks (2012–; entire career to date) 2016 MVP (2016)
Finals MVP (2016)
ROY (2012)
KPSA (2019, 2020)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2013–2015, 2017–2019 Nominated
Candace Parker^   United States PF Los Angeles Sparks (2008–2020)
Chicago Sky (2021–)
2016 MVP (2008, 2013)
DPOY (2020)
ASG MVP (2013)
Finals MVP (2016)
ROY (2008)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2011, 2013–2014, 2017–2018 Nominated Yes
Ticha Penicheiro   Portugal PG Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009)
Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011)
Chicago Sky (2012)
2005 All-WNBA
All-Defensive
1999–2002 Honorable mention Yes 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)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2006–2007, 2009, 2011, 2013–2015 Yes 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)
All-WNBA
2000–2003, 2005–2006, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
Breanna Stewart^   United States PF Seattle Storm (2016–2022)
New York Liberty (2023-)
2018, 2020 MVP (2018)
Finals MVP (2018, 2020)
ROY (2016)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
Sheryl Swoopes   United States SF Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2002–2007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Tulsa Shock (2011)
19972000 MVP (2000, 2002, 2005)
DPOY (2000, 2002, 2003)
ASG MVP (2005)
All-WNBA
All-Defensive
1999, 2000, 2002–2003, 2005–2006 Yes Yes Yes
Diana Taurasi^   United States SG Phoenix Mercury (2004–2014, 2016–; entire career to date) 2007, 2009, 2014 MVP (2009)
Finals MVP (2009, 2014)
ROY (2004)
14× All-WNBA
2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2013–2014, 2017–2018, 2021 Honorable mention Yes Yes
Tina Thompson   United States SF Houston Comets (1997–2008)
Los Angeles Sparks (2009–2011)
Seattle Storm (2012–2013)
19972000 ASG MVP (2000)
All-WNBA
1999–2003, 2006, 2007, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
Lindsay Whalen   United States PG Connecticut Sun (2004-2009)
Minnesota Lynx (2010–2018)
2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 All-WNBA 2006, 2011, 2013–2015 No No Yes
  • The inaugural WNBA All-Star Game took place during the 1999 season, and the game has been contested yearly since, with the following exceptions:
    • From 2004 through 2016, no All-Star Game was held in any Olympic year. 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 replaced by a game between WNBA players from both conferences and Team USA, but the WNBA does not consider either to have been an All-Star Game.
    • No All-Star Game was scheduled in 2020, accommodating the original scheduling of that year's Summer Olympics. The Olympics were delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19 issues.
    • With the Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for 2021, the WNBA held a pre-Olympic game between WNBA players from both conferences and the 2021 US Olympic team. Unlike the 2004 and 2010 editions, the 2021 edition was officially classified 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.
  • Three players included in previous lists, Dawn Staley (All-Decade and 15 Years Team), Teresa Weatherspoon (15 Years and 20@20) and Deanna Nolan (20@20) missed the W25.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Moore last played in the WNBA in 2018, but did not officially announce her retirement until January 2023.

References

  1. ^ "WNBA Continues Celebration Of Landmark 25th Season, Names Greatest Players In League History, "The W25"" (Press release). WNBA. September 5, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "Diana Taurasi Voted By Fans As WNBA's Greatest Player of All Time" (Press release). WNBA. October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.