As part of the league's year-long 25th anniversary celebration, the WNBA on Sunday released "The W25", a list of the 25 best players in league history. From a local perspective there are six former UConn Huskies on the list: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi.
But we're going to take it a step further. We have the baseline of 25 players from which to choose... can we whittle that down to just five?
5) Sheryl Swoopes: An icon from the original years in the league, Swoopes' numbers have been surpassed - she sits 24th all-time in points and fifth in steals - but her impact can't be overstated. Already 26 when the league started in 1997, Swoopes stepped in just six weeks after giving birth to help lead the Houston Comets to the league's inaugural championship, the first of four straight titles Houston would win from 1997-2000.
One of the great two-way players of all-time, Swoopes was a three-time MVP who won more Defensive Player of the Year awards (three) than scoring titles (two). Her 2000 season is legendary as she led the league in scoring and steals, took home MVP and Defensive PoY honors and won a fourth straight championship.
4) Lauren Jackson: The best international player in women's basketball history, the Australian came to the WNBA in 2001 and almost immediately took the league by storm (pun intended). Over the next dozen years with Seattle she'd win three MVP awards (2003, 2007 & 2010), be a first-team all-league player seven times, win three scoring titles, a Defensive Player of the Year honor, a rebounding title and three championships. She's among the Class of 2021 inductees to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
3) Tamika Catchings: The only player in WNBA history to be top-five all-time in both points and rebounding, Catchings' best quality came on defense, where she might be the greatest player who ever lived. A five-time Defensive Player of the Year, Catchings led the league in steals an unprecedented eight times and is miles ahead of anyone else in swipes - consider that Catchings had 1,074 steals in her career... and no one else in league history has more than 764.
Now add all of her offensive brilliance into the fold, her seven All-WNBA First Team seasons, the 2011 MVP award and her 2012 Finals MVP honor and you have a basketball legend.
2) Lisa Leslie: Another early legend whose numbers have since been surpassed, there was no bigger name than Leslie in the early-to-mid 2000s in women's basketball. When she retired in 2009 she was the WNBA's all-time record holder in points and rebounds, won three MVP awards and a pair of Finals MVPs in the Sparks' run of back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. And while it pales in comparison to all of her other achievements, the eight-time All-WNBA First Teamer was also, of course, the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game in 2002.
1) Diana Taurasi: The GOAT is the GOAT for a reason. Still going strong at age 39, Taurasi only has one MVP (2009) compared to the others on this list, but it's no matter. The greatest scorer in league history, Taurasi holds not only the career points record, but each of the top two single-season points records, has just under 300 more three-pointers than the next closest player and she's fifth all-time in assists. The three-time champion has been an all-league first team performer a record 10 times, and she leads the world in attitude and swagger.
Just missed the cut: Sue Bird, Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Ticha Penicheiro, Tina Thompson, Teresa Weatherspoon