WNBA's All-Decade Team
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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 seven 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), 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, were among eight players to have played for only one team each during their careers.
Contents |
[edit] Players selected
[edit] First team
| Player | Position primarily played | Team(s) played for | College attended | Olympic medals won [1] | League championships won | League award(s) won | All-Star Game(s) participated in [2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sue Bird | Point guard | Seattle Storm (2002-present[3]) | University of Connecticut | 2004 gold medal | 2004 | None | As a starter[4]: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Tamika Catchings | Power forward | Indiana Fever (2002-present) | University of Tennessee | 2004 gold | None | 2005 Defensive Player of the Year Award 2002 Rookie of the Year Award |
As a starter: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Cynthia Cooper | Point guard | Houston Comets {1997-2000, 2003) | University of Southern California | 1988 gold | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 | 1997, 1998, 2000 Most Valuable Player Awards 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Finals Most Valuable Player Awards |
As a starter: 1999, 2000, 2003 |
| Yolanda Griffith | Center | Sacramento Monarchs (1999-present) | Palm Beach Junior College Florida Atlantic University |
2000 gold 2004 gold |
2005 | 1999 Most Valuable Player Award 1999 Defensive Player of the Year Award |
As a starter: 2001, 2005, 2006 As a reserve: 1999, 2000, 2003 |
| Lauren Jackson | Power forward | Seattle Storm (2001-present) | Australian Institute of Sport | 2000 silver medal 2004 silver |
2004 | 2003 Most Valuable Player Award | As a starter: 2005, 2006 As a reserve: 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| Lisa Leslie | Center | Los Angeles Sparks (1997-present) | University of Southern California | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
2001, 2002 | 2001, 2004 Most Valuable Player Awards 2004 Defensive Player of the Year Awards 2001, 2002 Finals Most Valuable Player Awards 1999, 2001, 2002 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards |
As a starter: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 As a reserve: 2001, 2005, 2006 |
| Katie Smith | Shooting guard | Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005) Detroit Shock (2005-present) |
The Ohio State University | 2000 gold 2004 gold |
None | None | As a reserve: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Dawn Staley | Point guard | Charlotte Sting (1999-2005) Houston Comets (2005-present) |
University of Virginia | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
None | 1999 Sportsmanship Award | As a starter: 2002, 2003, 2006 As a reserve: 2005 |
| Sheryl Swoopes | Small forward | Houston Comets (1997-present) | Texas Tech University | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 | 2000, 2002, 2005 Most Valuable Player Awards 2000, 2002, 2003 Defensive Player of the Year Awards 2005 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award |
As a starter: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Tina Thompson | Power forward | Houston Comets (1997-present) | University of Southern California | 2004 gold | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 | 2000 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award | As a starter: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 As a reserve: 2006 |
[edit] Honorable mention
[edit] Other finalists
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[edit] References
- ^ a b Each woman, save Lauren Jackson (Australia), won her Olympic medal(s) competing for the United States.
- ^ a b The WNBA All-Star Game was first contested during the 1999 season and has been played 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.
- ^ a b Players for whom a career-ending date of present is given were active in the WNBA upon the league's June 13, 2006 announcement of the All-Decade Team.
- ^ a b Players who were voted to start 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.
