Snubs, underrated players and future greats
ESPN breaks down who missed its all-time WNBA top-30 list — from Penny Taylor to DeWanna Bonner — and which young stars could crack a future ranking.
ESPN has revealed its ranking of the 30 greatest players in WNBA history as the league winds down its 30th season — and the debate over who missed the cut is already raging.
In a companion piece by Michael Voepel, ESPN details the biggest snubs. Among retired players, the most notable omission is three-time champion Penny Taylor, the only member of ESPN's all-time Top 25 to be left off this time. The 6-foot-1 forward posted career averages of 13 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3 assists over 13 seasons, and she has long been celebrated as one of the league's most underrated winners.
Only six active players made the top 30 — A'ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas and Chelsea Gray — alongside Nneka Ogwumike, who retired at the end of this season. The closest near-miss among current players is DeWanna Bonner, the Atlanta Dream veteran finishing her 17th season while playing in the WNBA Finals. Guards Courtney Vandersloot and Jackie Young, plus Minnesota's Napheesa Collier, also earned strong consideration from voters.
Looking to the future, ESPN identifies the young stars most likely to appear on the next such list: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the top two picks of the 2024 draft who are now facing off in the Finals, plus Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles, the league's last two Rookies of the Year. Clark, limited to 13 games in her second season by injury, remains the brightest of the rising talents.
The ranking exercise, Voepel writes, is never perfect — but few topics spark more passion among WNBA fans than all-time lists.
Source: ESPN — Top Headlines — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.