Photo Courtesy of Elaine Thompson/Associated Press
Women’s History Month.
Since its inception in 1997, the WNBA has had its share of talented players. Whether it was Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoops, Tamika Catchings and more, players have come into the league and made an impact. And in today’s game, it is players like A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart carrying on the legacy.
Over the years, some players have achieved some incredible accolades. And when it comes to scoring, some players simply have a knack for it. Whether it is dominating in the post or being a lethal 3-point shooter, scoring comes easy to certain players. And throughout the years, some great scorers added their name to WNBA history. Here are the five WNBA all-time scoring leaders.
1.) Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Diana Taurasi is the epitome of a WNBA legend. At 40-years-old, Taurasi is a three-time WNBA champion, a 10-time WNBA All-Star, a five-time scoring champion and more. She came into the league in 2004 and the moment she stepped on the floor, she made an impact. And today, she holds several franchise records for the Mercury including most 3-pointers, most assists and so on.
Taurasi signed a new deal with the Mercury back in February. This makes her one of two active players on this list, and if she plays for a few more seasons, she can add to her point total. As it stands, Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer with 9,693 points. So, it will be interesting to see how many points she finishes with when it’s all said and done.
2.) Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson is a WNBA legend and Hall of Famer. She was the first pick in the inaugural WNBA draft. She was selected by the Houston Comets. Throughout her career, Thompson won four (consecutive) WNBA championships, became a nine-time All-Star and won All-Star MVP in 2000.
Thompson played in the WNBA for 17 years and finished her career with a total of 7,488 points.
For the past few years, Thompson got into coaching. She started off as an assistant at the University of Texas and in 2018, she became the head coach of the University of Virginia Cavaliers. But she was relieved of her duties in 2022. Thompson was a great WNBA player and as it stands, she will remain No. 2 on this list for quite some time. Unless another player on this list joins a team and plays for a few more seasons.
3.) Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings is another Hall of Famer and legend. She was a member of the 2021 Hall of Fame Class that included the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Catchings won MVP in 2011, won FInals MVP and a championship and 2012, won Defensive Player of the Year on five different occasions and was a 10-time All-Star. She is third on the all-time scoring list with 7,380 points.
4.) Tina Charles
Tina Charles is the second active player on this list. She last played for the Seattle Storm, who she joined after reaching a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Mercury. She is currently a free agent, and any team looking for a veteran could use her.
Charles’ accolades include an MVP award in 2012, being a four-time scoring champion, an eight-time All-Star and more. Charles is fourth on the all-time scoring list with 7,115 points. If she joins a team during the 2023 season, she can add to her total and potentially pass Catchings (and even Thompson).
5.) Candice Dupree
Candice Dupree is a former player that currently works as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. She had a solid career that included winning a championship in 2014 and being named an All-Star seven times. Dupree is fifth on the scoring list with 6,895 points.
The WNBA has had so many talented players come and go, and with so much young talent in today’s game, we could see more players rise up the list.