View source for WNBA All-Decade Team

{{WNBA Awards}}
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 [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic]] [[gold medal]]s with [[United States women's national basketball team|Team USA]], and eight won [[WNBA Finals|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 WNBA season|2000]] to become [[head coach]] of the [[Phoenix Mercury]], played four games during the [[2003 WNBA season|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 [[WNBA draft|drafted]] in [[1997 WNBA Draft|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==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="background-color:#CFECEC; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:6em"|^
|Denotes player who was still active in the WNBA at time of award
|-
| style="background-color:#FFE6BD; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:6em"|~
|Inducted into the [[Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]]
|-
| style="background-color:#FFFF99; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:6em"| 
|Inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]]
|}

===All-Decade Team===
*''Note: all information only pertains to the first ten seasons of the league's existence.''

{| class="wikitable"
! width=120|Player
! width=100|Nationality
! width=40|Position
! width=220|Team(s) played for
! width=140|College(s) attended
! width=80|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic]] <br> medals
! width=80|[[WNBA Finals|League titles]]
! width=210|League awards
! width=100|[[Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game|All-Star Games]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Sue Bird]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Point guard|PG]] || [[Seattle Storm]] (2002–2022) || [[Connecticut Huskies women's basketball|Connecticut]] || [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[2004 WNBA Finals|2004]] || None || 2002–2006 
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Tamika Catchings]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Small forward|SF]] || [[Indiana Fever]] (2002–2016) ||[[Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball|Tennessee]] || [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || None || [[WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|DPOY]] (2005, 2006) <br> [[WNBA Rookie of the Year Award|ROY]] (2002) || 2002–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Cynthia Cooper-Dyke]] || {{USA}} || [[Shooting guard|SG]] || [[Houston Comets]] (1997–2000, 2003) || [[USC Trojans|USC]] || [[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] bronze || [[1997 WNBA Championship|1997]]–[[2000 WNBA Championship|2000]] || [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (1997, 1998) <br> [[WNBA Finals MVP Award|Finals MVP]] (1997–2000) || 1999, 2000, 2003 
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Yolanda Griffith]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Center (basketball)|C]] || [[Sacramento Monarchs]] (1999–2007) <br> [[Seattle Storm]] (2008) <br> [[Indiana Fever]] (2009) || [[Florida Atlantic Owls|Florida Atlantic]] || [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[2005 WNBA Finals|2005]] || [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (1999)<br>[[WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|DPOY]] (1999) || 1999–2001, 2003–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Lauren Jackson]]^  || {{AUS}}|| [[Center (basketball)|C]] || [[Seattle Storm]] (2001–2012) || N/A || [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] silver <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] silver || [[2004 WNBA Finals|2004]] || [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (2003) || 2001–2003, 2005, 2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Lisa Leslie]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Center (basketball)|C]] || [[Los Angeles Sparks]] (1997–2009) || [[USC Trojans|USC]] || [[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[2001 WNBA Finals|2001]], [[2002 WNBA Finals|2002]] || [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (2001, 2004) <br> [[WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|DPOY]] (2004) <br> [[WNBA Finals MVP|Finals MVP]] (2001, 2002) <br> [[WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award|ASG MVP]] (1999, 2001, 2002) || 1999–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Katie Smith]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Small forward|SF]] || [[Minnesota Lynx]] (1999–2005) <br> [[Detroit Shock]] (2006–2009) <br> [[Washington Mystics]] (2010) <br> [[Seattle Storm]] (2011-2012) <br> [[New York Liberty]] (2013) || [[Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball|Ohio State]] || [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[2006 WNBA Finals|2006]] || None || 2000–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Dawn Staley]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Point guard|PG]] || [[Charlotte Sting]] (1999–2005) <br> [[Houston Comets]] (2005–2006) || [[Virginia Cavaliers|Virginia]] || [[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || None || [[Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award|KPSA]] (1999, 2006) || 2002–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Sheryl Swoopes]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || [[Houston Comets]] (1997–2007) <br> [[Seattle Storm]] (2008) <br> [[Tulsa Shock]] (2011) || [[Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball|Texas Tech]] || [[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[1997 WNBA Championship|1997]]–[[2000 WNBA Championship|2000]] || [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] (2000, 2002, 2005) <br> [[WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|DPOY]] (2000, 2002, 2003) <br> [[WNBA All-Star Game MVP|ASG MVP]] (2005) || 1999, 2000, 2002–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Tina Thompson]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || [[Houston Comets]] (1997–2008) <br> [[Los Angeles Sparks]] (2009-2011) <br> [[Seattle Storm]] (2012-2013) || [[USC Trojans|USC]] || [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || [[1997 WNBA Championship|1997]]–[[2000 WNBA Championship|2000]] || [[WNBA All-Star Game MVP|ASG MVP]] (2000) || 1999–2004, 2006
|}

===Honorable mention===
{| class="wikitable"
! width=120|Player
! width=100|Nationality
! width=40|Position
! width=220|Team(s) played for
! width=140|College(s) attended
! width=80|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic]] <br> medals
! width=80|[[WNBA Finals|League titles]]
! width=210|League awards
! width=100|[[Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game|All-Star Games]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFE6BD" |[[Ruthie Bolton]] || {{USA}} || [[Shooting guard|SG]] || [[Sacramento Monarchs]] (1997–2004) || [[Auburn Tigers women's basketball|Auburn]] || [[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold || None || None || 1999, 2001
|-
| bgcolor="#FFE6BD" |[[Chamique Holdsclaw]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || [[Washington Mystics]] (1999–2004) <br> [[Los Angeles Sparks]] (2005–2007) <br> [[Atlanta Dream]] (2009) <br> [[San Antonio Silver Stars]] (2010) || [[Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball|Tennessee]] || [[Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] gold || None || [[WNBA Rookie of the Year Award|ROY]] (1999) || 1999–2003, 2005
|-
| bgcolor="#FFE6BD" |[[Ticha Penicheiro]]^ || {{PRT}} || [[Point guard|PG]] || [[Sacramento Monarchs]] (1998–2009) <br> [[Los Angeles Sparks]] (2010–2011) <br> [[Chicago Sky]] (2012) || [[Old Dominion Lady Monarchs basketball|Old Dominion]] || None || [[2005 WNBA Finals|2005]] || None || 1999–2002
|-
| bgcolor="#CFECEC" |[[Diana Taurasi]]^ || {{USA}} || [[Shooting guard|SG]] || [[Phoenix Mercury]] (2004–) || [[Connecticut Huskies women's basketball|Connecticut]] || [[Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] gold || None || [[WNBA Rookie of the Year Award|ROY]] (2004) || 2004–2006
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" |[[Teresa Weatherspoon]] || {{USA}} || [[Point guard|PG]] || [[New York Liberty]] (1997–2003) <br> [[Los Angeles Sparks]] (2004) || [[Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball|Louisiana Tech]] || [[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]] gold <br> [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] bronze || None || [[WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|DPOY]] (1997, 1998) || 1999–2003
|}

*Each woman, save [[Lauren Jackson]] ([[Australia women's national basketball team|Australia]]), won her Olympic medal(s) competing for the [[United States women's national basketball team|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==
{{col-begin|width=80%}}
{{col-break|width=175}}
*[[Janeth Arcain]]
*[[Swin Cash]]
*[[Tamecka Dixon]]
*[[Jennifer Gillom]]<sup>1</sup>
*[[Becky Hammon]]
{{col-break|width=175}}
*[[Shannon Johnson (basketball)|Shannon Johnson]]
*[[Vickie Johnson]]
*[[Rebecca Lobo]]<sup>1</sup>
*[[Mwadi Mabika]]
*[[Taj McWilliams-Franklin]]
{{col-break|width=175}}
*[[DeLisha Milton-Jones]]
*[[Deanna Nolan]]
*[[Nykesha Sales]]
*[[Andrea Stinson]]
*[[Natalie Williams]]<sup>1</sup>
{{col-end}}

<sup>1</sup> Retired at time of All-Decade Team announcement.

== References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.wnba.com/news/alldecaderelease_060613.html All-Decade Team announcement from the WNBA]

{{WNBA All-Decade Team}}

[[Category:2006 WNBA season|A]]
[[Category:Lists of Women's National Basketball Association players|All-Decade Team]]