The 10 Best Basketball Players Of All Time
Cheryl Miller
Most may know Cheryl Miller for her sideline reporting role on TNT and others may know her as the sister of Hall of Fame guard Reggie Miller. What you should know is that she may be the greatest women’s basketball player ever and more than ever on the Olympic stage. Miller led the US to the gold medal in the 1984 Olympic games. She was the leading scorer with 16 points in the gold medal game beating South Korea 85 to 55.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi is as elite a basketball as they come. She’s not only a three-time WNBA champion but also a four-time gold medal winner as well. She’s started every game since the 2008 Olympics increasing her scoring average in each of the 3 tournaments with 10.9 PPG, 12.4 PPG, and 15.6 PPG.
Maya Moore
Maya Moore has been a force outside of the court through her efforts for justice system reform. She’s actually taken two years away from basketball and skipped the next Olympic games to do so. Before this courageous move, she actually was on pace to be one of the greatest to ever dribble a ball. She is a two-time gold medalist. In the 2016 Olympics, she started all 8 games and averaged 12 points and 34 total assists.
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings is the WNBA all-time playoff points, rebounds, and steals leader. She also has had great Olympic success earning 4 gold medals in her career. Her most notable Olympic performance was her first Olympic games where she averaged seven points, six rebounds, and 22 total steals.
Sue Bird
Sue Bird is the WNBA all-time leader in assists and currently has 4 Olympic gold medals and is planning on going for her fifth in 2021. Bird has started every Olympic tournament since the 2008 games. In the 2008 Olympics, she led the team in steals with 14 total. She led the team in the last two Olympic games in assists with 36 in 2012 and 31 in 2016.
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Candace Parker
Candace Parker was the WNBA rookie of the year and WNBA MVP in the same season. That same year she was also on the 2008 Olympic team that won gold and she averaged 9.4 points off the bench. She went on to win another gold medal in 2012 when she led the team in rebounding and blocking shots.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie was the face of women’s basketball for over a decade. Most famously dunking in a WNBA game. Leslie is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist in her career and is the second women’s basketball player to reach the achievement. She set the single-game scoring record against Japan in 1996 with 36 points. She led the team in scoring in the 2004 Olympic games and that year became the all-time leader in scoring, rebounding, and blocks in US Olympic competition.
Teresa Edwards
Teresa Edwards is a five-time Olympic medalist, 4 times she won the gold. She is the first American woman to win 4 gold medals in basketball. She was also the youngest gold medalist in women’s basketball age 20 in 1984 and the oldest gold medalist in women’s basketball age 36 in 2000.
Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley was an excellent player, but she’s also a great coach. As a player, she has three Olympic gold medals and in the 2004 Olympic games she was named 2004 USA Basketball Female Athlete Of The Year for her performance. She has also served as an assistant coach in the 2008 and 2016 Olympic games. In 2017, she was named the head coach of the US national team
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes is a hall of famer and 4 time WNBA champion. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Swoopes is one of ten women’s basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, and a WNBA title. She was a key contributor to the 1996 olympic gold medal run.
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