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 won Olympic gold medals with Team USA, and eight won league championships, including three—Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, 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 announced. 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.
Players selected
edit| ^ | Denotes player who was still active in the WNBA at this time |
| ~ | Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
All-Decade Team
edit- Note: all information only pertains to the first ten seasons of the league's existence.
| Player | Nationality | Position | Team(s) played for | College(s) attended | Olympic medals |
League titles | League awards | All-Star Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sue Bird^ |  United States |
PG | Seattle Storm (2002–2022) | Connecticut | 2004 gold | 2004 | None | 2002–2006 |
| Tamika Catchings^ | United States |
SF | Indiana Fever (2002–2016) | Tennessee | 2004 gold | None | DPOY (2005, 2006) ROY (2002) |
2002–2006 |
| Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | United States |
SG | Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2003) | USC | 1988 gold 1992 bronze |
1997–2000 | MVP (1997, 1998) Finals MVP (1997–2000) |
1999, 2000, 2003 |
| Yolanda Griffith^ | United States |
C | Sacramento Monarchs (1999–2007) Seattle Storm (2008) Indiana Fever (2009) |
Florida Atlantic | 2000 gold 2004 gold |
2005 | MVP (1999) DPOY (1999) |
1999–2001, 2003–2006 |
| Lauren Jackson^ |  Australia |
C | Seattle Storm (2001–2012) | N/A | 2000 silver 2004 silver |
2004 | MVP (2003) | 2001–2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Lisa Leslie^ | United States |
C | Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009) | USC | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
2001, 2002 | MVP (2001, 2004) DPOY (2004) Finals MVP (2001, 2002) ASG MVP (1999, 2001, 2002) |
1999–2006 |
| Katie Smith^ | United States |
SF | Minnesota Lynx (1999–2005) Detroit Shock (2006–2009) Washington Mystics (2010) Seattle Storm (2011-2012) New York Liberty (2013) |
Ohio State | 2000 gold 2004 gold |
2006 | None | 2000–2006 |
| Dawn Staley^ | United States |
PG | Charlotte Sting (1999–2005) Houston Comets (2005–2006) |
Virginia | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
None | KPSA (1999, 2006) | 2002–2006 |
| Sheryl Swoopes^ | United States |
F | Houston Comets (1997–2007) Seattle Storm (2008) Tulsa Shock (2011) |
Texas Tech | 1996 gold 2000 gold 2004 gold |
1997–2000 | MVP (2000, 2002, 2005) DPOY (2000, 2002, 2003) ASG MVP (2005) |
1999, 2000, 2002–2006 |
| Tina Thompson^ | United States |
F | Houston Comets (1997–2008) Los Angeles Sparks (2009-2011) Seattle Storm (2012-2013) |
USC | 2004 gold | 1997–2000 | ASG MVP (2000) | 1999–2004, 2006 |
Honorable mention
edit| Player | Nationality | Position | Team(s) played for | College(s) attended | Olympic medals |
League titles | League awards | All-Star Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthie Bolton | United States |
SG | Sacramento Monarchs (1997–2004) | Auburn | 1996 gold 2000 gold |
None | None | 1999, 2001 |
| Chamique Holdsclaw^ | United States |
F | Washington Mystics (1999–2004) Los Angeles Sparks (2005–2007) Atlanta Dream (2009) San Antonio Silver Stars (2010) |
Tennessee | 2000 gold | None | ROY (1999) | 1999–2003, 2005 |
| Ticha Penicheiro^ |  Portugal |
PG | Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009) Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011) Chicago Sky (2012) |
Old Dominion | None | 2005 | None | 1999–2002 |
| Diana Taurasi^ | United States |
SG | Phoenix Mercury (2004–) | Connecticut | 2004 gold | None | ROY (2004) | 2004–2006 |
| Teresa Weatherspoon | United States |
PG | New York Liberty (1997–2003) Los Angeles Sparks (2004) |
Louisiana Tech | 1988 gold 1992 bronze |
None | DPOY (1997, 1998) | 1999–2003 |
- 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. Appearances in the 2004 game are still considered All-Star appearances.
- 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 reserves who started in place of other injured players are nevertheless considered to have been reserves.
Other finalists
edit|
|
1 Retired at time of All-Decade Team announcement.