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WNBA All-Decade Team

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The Women's National Basketball Association's All-Decade Team were chosen in 2006 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the WNBA from amongst 30 nominees compiled by the league by fan, media, coach, and player voting. The team was to comprise the 10 best and most influential players of the first decade 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 were eligible, but extra-league achievements were considered.

Nine of the first team selections won Olympic gold medals with Team USA, and eight won league championships, including three—Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson—who won four consecutive titles with the Houston Comets. Of the ten first-team honorees, only Cooper, who, having retired in 2000 to become head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, played four games during the 2003 season before finally ending her playing career, was not an active player when the team was announced. Swoopes, Thompson, and Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) were the only three first team selections to have been drafted in 1997 and to have played in each of the ten seasons of the WNBA. Thompson and Leslie were among the six players who only played on one team their entire careers.

Players selected

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^ 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

All-Decade Team

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  • Note: all information only pertains to the first ten seasons of the league's existence.
Player Nationality Position Team(s) played for College(s) attended Olympic
medals
League titles League awards All-Star Games
Sue Bird^  United States PG Seattle Storm (2002–2022) Connecticut 2004 gold 2004 None 2002–2006
Tamika Catchings^  United States SF Indiana Fever (2002–2016) Tennessee 2004 gold None DPOY (2005, 2006)
ROY (2002)
2002–2006
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke  United States SG Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2003) USC 1988 gold
1992 bronze
19972000 MVP (1997, 1998)
Finals MVP (1997–2000)
1999, 2000, 2003
Yolanda Griffith^  United States C Sacramento Monarchs (1999–2007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Indiana Fever (2009)
Florida Atlantic 2000 gold
2004 gold
2005 MVP (1999)
DPOY (1999)
1999–2001, 2003–2006
Lauren Jackson^  Australia C Seattle Storm (2001–2012) N/A 2000 silver
2004 silver
2004 MVP (2003) 2001–2003, 2005, 2006
Lisa Leslie^  United States C Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009) USC 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
2001, 2002 MVP (2001, 2004)
DPOY (2004)
Finals MVP (2001, 2002)
ASG MVP (1999, 2001, 2002)
1999–2006
Katie Smith^  United States SF Minnesota Lynx (1999–2005)
Detroit Shock (2006–2009)
Washington Mystics (2010)
Seattle Storm (2011-2012)
New York Liberty (2013)
Ohio State 2000 gold
2004 gold
2006 None 2000–2006
Dawn Staley^  United States PG Charlotte Sting (1999–2005)
Houston Comets (2005–2006)
Virginia 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
None KPSA (1999, 2006) 2002–2006
Sheryl Swoopes^  United States F Houston Comets (1997–2007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Tulsa Shock (2011)
Texas Tech 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
19972000 MVP (2000, 2002, 2005)
DPOY (2000, 2002, 2003)
ASG MVP (2005)
1999, 2000, 2002–2006
Tina Thompson^  United States F Houston Comets (1997–2008)
Los Angeles Sparks (2009-2011)
Seattle Storm (2012-2013)
USC 2004 gold 19972000 ASG MVP (2000) 1999–2004, 2006

Honorable mention

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Player Nationality Position Team(s) played for College(s) attended Olympic
medals
League titles League awards All-Star Games
Ruthie Bolton  United States SG Sacramento Monarchs (1997–2004) Auburn 1996 gold
2000 gold
None None 1999, 2001
Chamique Holdsclaw^  United States F Washington Mystics (1999–2004)
Los Angeles Sparks (2005–2007)
Atlanta Dream (2009)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2010)
Tennessee 2000 gold None ROY (1999) 1999–2003, 2005
Ticha Penicheiro^  Portugal PG Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009)
Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011)
Chicago Sky (2012)
Old Dominion None 2005 None 1999–2002
Diana Taurasi^  United States SG Phoenix Mercury (2004–) Connecticut 2004 gold None ROY (2004) 2004–2006
Teresa Weatherspoon  United States PG New York Liberty (1997–2003)
Los Angeles Sparks (2004)
Louisiana Tech 1988 gold
1992 bronze
None DPOY (1997, 1998) 1999–2003
  • Each woman, save Lauren Jackson (Australia), won her Olympic medal(s) competing for the United States.
  • The inaugural WNBA All-Star Game took place during the 1999 season, and the game has been contested yearly since, although the 2004 edition was supplanted by a game between WNBA players from both conferences and the 2004 United States Olympic team. Appearances in the 2004 game are still considered All-Star appearances.
  • 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

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1 Retired at time of All-Decade Team announcement.

References

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