Basketball is a sport that has always been dominated by men. However, there have been some incredible women who have made their mark on the game. In this blog post, we will be counting down the top 20 female basketball players in the history of the sport. From pioneers like Cheryl Miller and Nancy Lieberman to modern-day stars like Candace Parker and Brittney Griner, these are the women who have changed the game of basketball forever.
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Lieberman, also known as “Lady Magic”, is a former professional basketball player who played in the Women’s Basketball Association (WBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Currently, she is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.
Lieberman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 1, 1958. She began her basketball career at Far Rockaway High School in Queens, where she was named a Parade All-American in 1976. After graduation, she attended Old Dominion University, where she helped lead the Lady Monarchs to two NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships in 1979 and 1980. Lieberman was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in both years.
In 1981, Lieberman became one of the first women to play professional basketball when she signed with the WBA’s Detroit Cobras. She played two seasons with the Cobras before moving to the NBA’s Utah Jazz in 1983. She made history again as one of the first women to play in the NBA, but her stint with the Jazz was short-lived and she returned to the WBA to finish her career.
Lieberman retired from playing professional basketball in 1986, but she remained involved with the game as a coach and broadcaster. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Cheryl Miller
Cheryl Miller is considered one of the best female basketball players in history. Miller played for the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, and was a four-time All-American. She was named the National Player of the Year three times, and won two NCAA Championships with the Trojans.
She was also a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, which won a gold medal in Los Angeles. She went on to play professionally in Europe and Japan, before returning to the U.S. to coach at her alma mater.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie is a former American professional basketball player who played in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Leslie is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Leslie was born in Inglewood, California, and she attended Morningside High School. She then went on to play college basketball at the University of Southern California (USC), where she was a four-time All-American. Leslie helped lead USC to three NCAA Championships, and she was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1994.
In 1997, Leslie began her professional career with the Los Angeles Sparks; she quickly became one of the best players in the league, winning MVP honors in 2001 and 2004. In 2002, Leslie led the Sparks to their first ever WNBA Championship. Leslie also played for Team USA in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympics, winning gold medals each time.
In 2009, Leslie announced her retirement from the WNBA after 12 seasons. She finished her career as the league’s all-time leader in rebounds (3,307) and blocks (1,608). In 2015, Leslie was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson is one of the most successful players in women’s basketball. She played for the Houston Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks, winning four WNBA championships with the Comets. She was also a member of the United States women’s national basketball team, winning two Olympic gold medals.
Thompson was born in 1981 in Inglewood, California. She began playing basketball at a young age and starred for her high school team. She then went on to play college basketball at the University of Southern California, where she was named a First Team All-American.
After college, Thompson was drafted first overall by the Houston Comets in the 1997 WNBA Draft. She would go on to spend nine seasons with the Comets, winning four championships with the team. In 2000, she was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
In 2006, Thompson signed with the Los Angeles Sparks; she helped lead the team to back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances in 2008 and 2009. Thompson retired from professional basketball in 2013 after 17 seasons in the WNBA.
Throughout her career, Thompson was known as a great scorer and shooter. She is currently seventh all-time in scoring (6,751 points) and third all-time in three-point field goals made (822). She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo is one of the top female basketball players in the history of the sport. She was a member of the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning team and is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Lobo also had a successful college career, winning an NCAA title with the University of Connecticut Huskies in 1995.
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner is one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball history. At 6’8″, she has the size and strength to overpower most defenders. She also has a 7’4″ wingspan, which allows her to block shots and protect the rim like few others can. In her four years at Baylor University, Griner led the Bears to a 149-17 record and two National Championships. She was a three-time consensus All-American, and was named the National Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.
Griner is currently playing professionally in China, but she will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s college basketball.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker is considered one of the top female basketball players in the history. She was a dominant player in college, winning two NCAA Championships with the Tennessee Volunteers, and being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player in both 2007 and 2008. She was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2008 WNBA Draft, and went on to win two WNBA Championships with the team, as well as the WNBA Finals MVP award in 2016. Parker is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, winning two with the USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team and two more with the U-19 team.
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes is widely considered to be one of the best women’s basketball players in history. She was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a four-time WNBA champion. During her college career, she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament three times. In addition, she holds several individual records in the WNBA, including most points scored in a season and most career assists.
Seimone Augustus
Seimone Augustus is one of the top female basketball players in history. She has won multiple awards and championships throughout her career. Augustus was a USA basketball team member that won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. As well as this, she has also played professionally in the WNBA, where she is a six-time All-Star and was named the league’s MVP in 2006.
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings is one of the most decorated female basketball players in history. She was a 10-time WNBA All-Star, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, and the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on five occasions.
Catchings also excelled in the classroom, earning her degree in Speech Communications from the University of Tennessee. She is now the head coach of the Indiana Fever, which she led to a WNBA Championship in 2012.
Sue Bird
Sue Bird is one of the most successful women’s basketball players in history. She has won four Olympic gold medals, three WNBA Championships, and is a nine-time WNBA All-Star. Bird was also the first overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft.
A true leader on and off the court, Sue Bird has always been an inspiration to young girls who love basketball. She is a powerful role model and has used her platform to her advantage; she advocated for social justice and gender equality.
Sue Bird is a legend in women’s basketball, and her impact on the game will be felt for generations to come.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi is one of the most accomplished and decorated players in the history of women’s basketball. She is a three-time Olympic gold medallist and a three-time WNBA champion and league MVP. She has played professionally in Russia and Turkey, and was the first woman to ever be signed by a NBA team (the Phoenix Suns, in 2004).
A native of Chino, California, Taurasi enrolled at the University of Connecticut, where she helped lead the Huskies to four consecutive national championships. She was named the National Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Taurasi currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury, where she has spent her entire WNBA career. She is widely considered one of the best players in the world, and has helped popularize women’s basketball both domestically and internationally.
Maya Moore
Maya Moore is one of the top female basketball players in the history. She has played for the University of Connecticut Huskies and the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. Moore has won four Olympic gold medals, two WNBA championships, and four NCAA championships. She is also a two-time WNBA MVP and a five-time All-Star.
Ann Meyers Drysdale
Ann Meyers Drysdale is one of the top female basketball players in the history of the sport. She was a standout player at UCLA, where she won a national championship in 1978. Meyers Drysdale was also the first woman to be signed by an NBA team, when she was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1979. She played four seasons in the WNBA, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Cooper is a retired American professional basketball player. She played for the Houston Comets in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2000, and was a four-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA Finals MVP. In her first season with the Comets, she helped lead them to their first ever WNBA championship.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Cooper attended the University of Southern California, where she played on the women’s basketball team. After college, she played professionally in Europe for several years before joining the Houston Comets in 1997.
During her time with the Comets, Cooper was one of the league’s top scorers and was named WNBA MVP in 1997 and 1998. She retired from the league after winning her fourth championship with the Comets in 2000.
Cooper has been inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jennifer Azzi
Jennifer Azzi is a retired American professional basketball player. She played in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2002. After her playing career, she became a coach, first as an assistant coach for the Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball team from 2002 to 2008, and then as the head coach of the University of San Francisco Dons from 2009 to 2013.
Azzi was born in Oakland, California, and grew up in Concord, California. She began playing basketball at an early age, and eventually attended Pinole Valley High School. She then went on to play collegiately at Stanford University, where she helped lead the Cardinal to an NCAA Championship in 1990. After graduation, she played professionally in Italy and Japan before joining the WNBA’s Utah Starzz in 1997.
In her six seasons in the league, Azzi averaged 8.2 points per game and 3.1 assists per game. She was named to the All-Star team in 1998 and 2000, and was a member of the Starzz team that won the WNBA Championship in 1998. She announced her retirement from the league in 2002.
Following her retirement from playing, Azzi became an assistant coach at her alma mater, Stanford University. She served in that role for six years before being named the head coach at the University of San Francisco in 2009. She coached there for four seasons before resigning in 2013.
Azzi was inducted into the Women’s
Katie Smith
Katie Smith is a retired American professional basketball player. She played for the Ohio State University women’s basketball team and won a gold medal as part of the US national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Smith is the all-time leading scorer in women’s professional basketball in the United States.
Smith was born in Logan, Ohio and grew up in nearby Bedford Heights. She began playing basketball at an early age and competed in local youth leagues. She attended Revere High School, where she was a star player on the school’s basketball team. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Ohio State University on a scholarship.
At Ohio State, Smith quickly established herself as one of the best players in the country. She was named a First Team All-American by The Associated Press three times and was named the National Player of the Year by ESPN in 1995. She helped lead the Buckeyes to four consecutive Big Ten Conference titles and four NCAA tournament appearances, including an appearance in the Final Four in 1993.
After graduation, Smith began her professional career with the Columbus Quest of the now-defunct American Basketball League (ABL). She won two ABL championships with the Quest and was named to the league’s All-Star team three times. When the ABL folded in 1998, Smith joined the WNBA and played for several teams over her 15-year career, including stints withthe Minnesota Lynx, Detroit Shock and New York Liberty. She won two W