WNBA 30th Anniversary: Top Moments in League History (Part 2)
As the WNBA approaches the All-Star Game as part of its 30th anniversary season, we look back at the past three decades of women's basketball in the league to determine the top moments that made the league what it is today.
RotoWire established a eight-person panel for the project that features Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic, along with RotoWire contributors Jacqui Kouassi, Jared Kimble, Jojo Kremer, Thomas Leary, Jason Shebilske, Joe Mayo and Kirien Sprecher Katzmarek.
Each contributor participated in a survey that included over 50 defining moments in WNBA history. The contributors compared moments head-to-head, judging each on several categories, including:
- Competitive Impact (on-court influence)
- Business Impact (including attendance, sponsorship and TV deals)
- Cultural Impact (encompassing media, fashion, politics and social causes)
- Labor/Structural Impact (highlighting impacts of the CBA, business model of the league and player empowerment)
The contributors were free to weigh each category as they saw fit, and the survey resulted in a personal top 30 for each contributor. The final standings were compiled using a Borda count method and reflect the aggregate score across all ballots.
The full rankings will be released in the weeks leading up to WNBA All-Star 2026. After last week's reveal of Part 1 of the Top 30 Moments in WNBA History, the series continues with the next 10 moments listed below:
20. Diana Taurasi Drafted First Overall
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 72 Points | 5/7 |
After the league's initial set of superstars that included Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Lisa Leslie, Taurasi's selection at No. 1 overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft helped usher in a new era of players. Taurasi won Rookie of the Year in 2004 and went on to have among the most decorated careers in league history, winning an MVP award in 2009, three championships, two Finals MVPs and 11 All-Star selections, while she still stands as the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.
19. 
Minnesota Lynx Appear in Six of Seven WNBA Finals
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-2017 | 74 Points | 4/7 |
As noted in last week's Minnesota Lynx history article, the franchise experienced its fair share of growing pains across its first decade in the WNBA. However, head coach Cheryl Reeve took over in 2010 and helped lead the Lynx to one of the most dominant stretches in league history. While the Lynx didn't win back-to-back titles during this stretch, they took home four championships and established themselves as the gold standard for success and stability.
18. The Wubble in Bradenton
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 79 Points | 4/7 |
After the 2020 WNBA season was initially postponed, the league resumed play in Bradenton, Florida in late July with an abbreviated season. Families and a caregiver were allowed in the "wubble" with each player, but the players who opted into the season spent several weeks away from loved ones. The players also came together to advocate for social justice, including wearing t-shirts supporting Rev. Raphael Warnock in his U.S. Senate race in Georgia against Kelly Loeffler, the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, who criticized the league's advocacy for the Black Lives Matter movement.
17. 
Las Vegas Aces and 
New York Liberty Modern Dynasty Battle
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 Points | 5/7 |
In the years following the league's COVID-shortened season in 2020, several WNBA franchises managed to put together superteams that consisted of several superstars. The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty led the charge, as New York acquired Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones to play alongside Sabrina Ionescu and compete against the Aces' A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. The two franchises have combined to win each of the last four WNBA titles and remain among the league's contending teams.
16. Sheryl Swoopes Signs with the Houston Comets
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 83 Points | 5/7 |
The Houston Comets served as the league's first dynasty by winning the first four championships in WNBA history, and that success was put into motion by agreeing to terms with Swoopes as the league's first signing. In addition to her four titles, Swoopes was a three-time MVP, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time scoring champion across her 12 seasons in which she played in the league.
15. Lisa Leslie Records the League's First-Ever Dunk
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 87 Points | 6/7 |
Leslie was drafted by the Sparks ahead of the WNBA's inaugural season, and she immediately blossomed into one of the league's early stars. After winning her first MVP award in 2001, Leslie became the first player to dunk in a regular-season game in 2002 during a July 30 matchup against the Miami Sol. She remains one of eight players in league history to dunk in a game, and she went on to win three MVPs and two Finals MVPs during her 12 active seasons in the WNBA.
14. League Survives First Major Contraction Without Folding
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 87 Points | 6/7 |
The WNBA began with eight teams during the 1997 season and had expanded to 16 franchises by the start of the 2000 campaign. However, the league began to take on a new identity shortly after, as the Miami Sol and Portland Fire ceased operations following the 2002 season, while the Orlando Miracle became the Connecticut Sun and the Utah Starzz became the San Antonio Silver Stars. The Cleveland Rockers folded a year later, but the league remained viable, unlike the ABL, a separate women's basketball league that abruptly suspended operations in 1998 before many players joined the WNBA.
13. Houston Comets Win Four Consecutive Titles
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-2000 | 92 Points | 4/7 |
Led by Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson, the Houston Comets served as the WNBA's first dynasty by winning the first four titles in league history. While several teams experienced growing pains early in their existence, the Comets had winning seasons in each of the league's first seven seasons and established themselves as the early standard for success.
12. New CBA Ratified
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 95 Points | 5/7 |
The WNBPA has made significant strides toward quality-of-life improvement for the league's players in recent years, and one of the group's major wins came when a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified ahead of the 2020 season. The new agreement featured salaries that nearly tripled for the league's top players while improving travel standards, and it helped establish the groundwork for the league's most recent CBA that was agreed to ahead of the 2026 season.
11. Cynthia Cooper Wins First of Four Finals MVPs
| Year | Panel Score | Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 97 Points | 6/7 |
Cooper took home the league's first two MVP awards, and her first season was highlighted by a league-high 22.2 points per game. During the 1997 WNBA Finals -- a one-game format to determine the league's champion -- Cooper maintained her regular-season success by recording 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block while playing all 40 minutes. The Finals evolved into a three-game in subsequent seasons, but Cooper maintained her dominance by winning Finals MVP in each of the Comets' four title runs.
