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WNBA Women's National Basketball Association

Best of the Best: WNBA to Honor 20 Greatest Players of All Time

June 16, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK - In celebration of its landmark 20th season, the WNBA will honor the 20 greatest and most influential players in its history and announced today the 60 official nominees for the WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon.

The WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon will be unveiled on ESPN's SportsCenter: Face-to-Face with Hannah Storm during the 10 a.m. ET hour on June 21. That date was chosen to honor the date of the league's inaugural regular-season game in 1997. ESPN Networks will promote the list throughout the day on various programs, including during ESPN's noon ET SportsCenter: Coast-to-Coast with a Cari Champion interview with four-time WNBA champion Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, as well as ESPN2's telecast of the Phoenix Mercury vs. Dallas Wings game at 8 p.m. ET.

The 60 nominees were selected based on factors like on-court performance and ability, leadership and sportsmanship, as well as contributions to team success. In addition, all players must have been a member of a WNBA team for two seasons and met three of the following seven criteria: the winner of a major individual award; a selection to either the All-WNBA First Team or All-WNBA Second Team; a selection to either the WNBA All-Defensive First Team or WNBA All-Defensive Second Team; a selection to the WNBA All-Star Game; a member of a WNBA Championship team; a current ranking among the top 30 career leaders in at least one major statistical category; and a selection to either the WNBA's All-Decade Team (voted on in 2006) or the WNBA's Top 15 Players (voted on in 2011).

"Together with our partners Verizon and ESPN, we are delighted to recognize the very best in women's professional basketball as part of the WNBA's 20th season celebration," said WNBA President Lisa Borders. "The women of our league have played a major role in growing basketball around the world and are examples of the dreams that can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. To honor this league's 'best of the best' is certainly fitting on June 21, a truly historic day for the WNBA and the game."

Voting for the league's WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon will be conducted by a 15-member committee composed of women's basketball pioneers Carol Blazejowski and Ann Meyers Drysdale; current and former WNBA head coaches Van Chancellor, Michael Cooper, Anne Donovan and Cheryl Reeve; and media members Doris Burke, Doug Feinberg, Mel Greenberg, Melanie Jackson, Howard Megdal, LaChina Robinson, Michelle Smith, Mechelle Voepel and Pam Ward.

Below are the 60 official nominees for the league's WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon:

Janeth Arcain

Betty Lennox

Seimone Augustus

Lisa Leslie

Sue Bird

Mwadi Mabika

Alana Beard

Angel McCoughtry

Ruthie Bolton

Taj McWilliams-Franklin

DeWanna Bonner

DeLisha Milton-Jones

Rebekkah Brunson

Maya Moore

Swin Cash

Deanna Nolan

Tamika Catchings

Nneka Ogwumike

Tina Charles

Wendy Palmer

Cynthia Cooper

Candace Parker

Erika de Souza

Ticha Penicheiro

Elena Delle Donne

Plenette Pierson

Skylar Diggins

Cappie Pondexter

Tamecka Dixon

Nicole Powell

Katie Douglas

Ruth Riley

Candice Dupree

Danielle Robinson

Margo Dydek

Nykesha Sales

Cheryl Ford

Katie Smith

Sylvia Fowles

Tangela Smith

Yolanda Griffith

Dawn Staley

Brittney Griner

Sheryl Swoopes

Jennifer Gillom

Diana Taurasi

Becky Hammon

Penny Taylor

Chamique Holdsclaw

Nikki Teasley

Lauren Jackson

Tina Thompson

Shannon Johnson

Teresa Weatherspoon

Vickie Johnson

Natalie Williams

Crystal Langhorne

Lindsay Whalen

Kara Lawson

Sophia Young-Malcolm

Earlier this year, the league tipped off its new campaign, "Watch Me Work," that highlights the legacy of the WNBA and its inspiring current and former players. As an extension of this campaign, the WNBA Top 20@20 presented by Verizon platform will unveil 20 vignettes honoring each individual player. The vignettes will debut on WNBA.com after the formal announcement and also air during WNBA games on ESPN2 throughout the season.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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