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

Honorable mention

*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.

Other finalists

*Janeth Arcain
*Swin Cash
*Tamecka Dixon
*Jennifer Gillom¹
*Becky Hammon
*Shannon Johnson
*Vickie Johnson
*Rebecca Lobo¹
*Mwadi Mabika
*Taj McWilliams-Franklin
*DeLisha Milton-Jones
*Deanna Nolan
*Nykesha Sales
*Andrea Stinson
*Natalie Williams¹

¹ Retired at time of All-Decade Team announcement.

External links

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