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 have won Olympic gold medals, and eight have won league championships, including three–Cynthia Cooper, 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 released. 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. [edit] Players selected [edit] First team | Player | Position | Team(s) played for | College(s) attended | Olympic
medals | League titles | League awards | All-Star Games | | Sue Bird | Point guard | Seattle Storm (2002-present) | University of Connecticut | 2004 gold
2008 gold | 2004 | None | Starter: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 | | Tamika Catchings | Power forward | Indiana Fever (2002-present) | University of Tennessee | 2004 gold
2008 gold | None | DPOY: 2005-2006
ROY: 2002 | Starter: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 | | Cynthia Cooper | Point guard | Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2003) | University of Southern California | 1988 gold | 1997, 1998
1999, 2000 | MVP: 1997, 1998, 2000
F MVP: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2003 | | Yolanda Griffith | Center | Sacramento Monarchs (1999-2007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Indiana Fever (2009) | Palm Beach Junior College
Florida Atlantic University | 2000 gold
2004 gold | 2005 | MVP: 1999
DPOY: 1999 | Starter: 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007
Reserve: 1999, 2000, 2003 | | Lauren Jackson | Power forward | Seattle Storm (2001-present) | Australian Institute of Sport | 2000 silver
2004 silver
2008 silver | 2004 | MVP: 2003, 2007 | Starter: 2005, 2006
Reserve: 2001, 2002, 2003 | | Lisa Leslie | Center | Los Angeles Sparks (1997-2009) | University of Southern California | 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
2008 gold | 2001, 2002 | MVP: 2001, 2004
DPOY: 2004, 2008
F MVP: 2001, 2002
ASG MVP: 1999, 2001, 2002 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
Reserve: 2001, 2005, 2006 | | Katie Smith | Small forward | Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005)
Detroit Shock (2005-present) | The Ohio State University | 2000 gold
2004 gold
2008 gold | 2006, 2008 | F MVP: 2008 | Reserve: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 | | Dawn Staley | Point guard | Charlotte Sting (1999-2005)
Houston Comets (2005-2006) | University of Virginia | 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold
| None | KPSA: 1999, 2006 | Starter: 2002, 2003, 2006
Reserve: 2005 | | Sheryl Swoopes | Small forward | Houston Comets (1997-2007)
Seattle Storm (2008) | Texas Tech University | 1996 gold
2000 gold
2004 gold | 1997, 1998
1999, 2000 | MVP: 2000, 2002, 2005
DOPY: 2000, 2002, 2003
ASG MVP: 2005 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 | | Tina Thompson | Power forward | Houston Comets (1997-2008)
Los Angeles Sparks (2009-present) | University of Southern California | 2004 gold
2008 gold | 1997, 1998
1999, 2000 | ASG MVP: 2000 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Reserve: 2006 | [edit] Honorable mention | Player | Position | Team(s) played for | College(s) attended | Olympic
medals | League titles | League awards | All-Star Games | | Ruthie Bolton | Shooting guard | Sacramento Monarchs (1997-2004) | Auburn University | 1996 gold
2000 gold | 2005 | None | Starter: 2001
Reserve: 1999 | | Chamique Holdsclaw | Power forward | Washington Mystics (1999-2004)
Los Angeles Sparks (2005-2006) | University of Tennessee | 2000 gold | None | ROY: 1999 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Reserve: 2005 | | Ticha Penicheiro | Point guard | Sacramento Monarchs (1998-present) | Old Dominion University | None | 2005 | None | Starter: 2000, 2001, 2002
Reserve: 1999 | | Diana Taurasi | Small forward | Phoenix Mercury (2004-present) | University of Connecticut | 2004 gold
2008 gold | 2007 | ROY: 2004 | Starter: 2005
Reserve: 2006 | | Teresa Weatherspoon | Point guard | New York Liberty (1997-2003)
Los Angeles Sparks (2004) | Louisiana Tech University | 1988 gold
1992 bronze | None | DPOY: 1997, 1998 | Starter: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 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 and is not considered a traditional all-star game.
- Due to the 2008 Summer Olympics, there was no 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 alternates who started in place of other injured players are nevertheless considered to have been alternates.
[edit] Other finalists 1 Retired at time of All-Decade Team announcement. [edit] External links |
