WNBA

WNBA's All-Decade Team

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.

Players selected

First team

Player	Position	Team(s) played for	College 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-present)	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-present)	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	None	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-present)	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-present)	University of Southern California	2004 gold 2008 gold	1997, 1998 1999, 2000	ASG MVP: 2000	Starter: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Reserve: 2006

Honorable mention

Player	Position	Team(s) played for	College 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 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.
Due to the 2008 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.