Becoming a top scorer in professional basketball isn’t just about having a good shooting arm. You have to outsmart defenders who know your every move and consistently perform under pressure. Here are ten players who have risen above the rest, point after point, to become the all-time top scorers in WNBA history.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury guard, stands atop the WNBA’s all-time scoring list with 10,592 points and a 19.1 point-per-game average running across her 20-year career. She has won the WNBA Championships three times and is a five-time WNBA top scorer. Taurasi secured the WNBA all-time highest scorer position in June 2017.
Tina Charles
With 7,637 points, Tina Charles ranks second on the all-time scoring list. Her regular season career scoring average as of July was 17.9 points per game. Charles’ most prolific scoring season occurred in 2016 when she averaged 21.5 points per game while playing for the New York Liberty.
Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson, who retired in 2013, finished her career with 7,488 points, ranking third on the all-time scoring list. Over her 17-year tenure in the league, she maintained a career average of 15.1 points per game. Her highest-scoring season was in 2004, with 20.0 points per game.
Dewanna Bonner
As of the 2024 season, Dewanna Bonner has accumulated 7,442 points, placing her 4th on the all-time scoring list. Bonner’s regular-season career scoring average as of July was 15.0 points per game. In the 2012 season, playing for the Phoenix Mercury, Bonner recorded her highest scoring average of 20.6 points per game.
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings retired in 2016 with 7,380 points, ranking fifth on the all-time scoring list as of 2024. Catchings maintained a career average of 16.1 points per game over her 15 WNBA seasons. She is a 10-time WNBA All-Star and achieved her highest scoring average of 19.7 points per game in 2003.
Candice Dupree
Over her 15-year WNBA career, which spanned from 2006 to 2020, Candice Dupree accumulated 6,896 points. As of the end of her career, she was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and the 2014 WNBA champion. Dupree maintained a career scoring average of 14.4 points per game, with a 2007 best-season average of 16.5.
Cappie Pondexter
This player left her mark on WNBA history by lighting up scoreboards across the league. When Pondexter hung up her sneakers in 2018, she had 6,811 points, placing her 7th on this all-time scoring list. She was a two-time WNBA champion with a 16.4 points per game average over her career.
Sue Bird
In the assembly of WNBA greats, Sue Bird’s name stands tall. As the guard’s 19-year career ended, her point total stood at an impressive 6,803, good for 8th place on this all-time scoring list. She won the WNBA Championship four times and maintained a steady 11.7 points per game average.
Candace Parker
Dominating the hardwood since her debut, Candace Parker has been a scoring force to be reckoned with. By the end of her career, Parker had 6,574 points, claiming the 9th spot on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. Her career average was 16.0 points per game, underscoring her offensive dominance.
Katie Smith
Last but certainly not least, Katie Smith’s scoring exploits deserve special mention. When she bid farewell to professional basketball in 2013, Smith had amassed 6,452 points, which ranked her 3rd all-time. In 2001, she set a WNBA single-season record, averaging 23.1 points per game.