@Alexander The Great
Have you wondered how WNBA players would answer certain questions when assured anonymity? The Athletic WNBA team went to work to answer that question, talking to nearly two-thirds of the league’s players (including representatives from all 12 teams) to gauge the pulse on a wide range of topics.
What some of these one-on-one conversations revealed may surprise you. We’ve learned just how missed Diana Taurasi was this year (or was she?), how confident the players are in WNBA leadership with CBA negotiations ongoing, and why California, Florida and Canada are the top picks for possible league expansion. And that’s just a snapshot.
Not every player answered every question, especially on the more controversial topics, so those who did had a greater effect on the results. That said, we received enough participation coast-to-coast to give you a thorough and transparent lens into WNBA life.
1. Who is the best player of all-time?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (34.8% of the vote)
Runners-up: Cynthia Cooper (10.9%), Lisa Leslie (6.5%), Sheryl Swoopes (6.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Tamika Catchings, Tina Thompson, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Maya Moore, Becky Hammon, Swin Cash, Elena Delle Donne, Lauren Jackson
In their own words:
“But there’s so many great players, I don’t even know. It’s a hard one.”
“Kobe. Period.”
2. Who is the best dressed in the game?
Top result: Tamera Young, Aces (23.1%)
Runner-up: Erica Wheeler (7.7%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Crystal Langhorne, Liz Cambage, Isabelle Harrison, Diamond DeShields, Courtney Williams, Kalani Brown, Essence Carson, Lexie Brown, Monique Billings, Kayla McBride, Riquna Williams, Chloe Jackson, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Danielle Robinson
In their own words:
“Team other than us … Chicago. They’ve got some fly people on that team.”
“I don’t know, but Sue (Bird)’s been killing the game lately with her outfits on the sideline.”
3. If you are building a roster from scratch, who are you picking first?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (14.5%)
Runners-up: Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart (13.2% each)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Nneka Ogwumike, Courtney Vandersloot, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Arike Ogunbowale, Napheesa Collier
In their own words:
“Basically everyone who’s hurt!”
On Nneka Ogwumike:
“I always respected the athlete that she was, but (also) the leader that she is and the competitor. I admire her game and I think she’s going to bring a lot to a team just because of the type of person and leader she is.”
On Chelsea Gray:
“The way she can ball out and pass the ball. I’d love to play with her one day.”
4. Who is the most overrated player?
Top result: Candace Parker, Sparks (20.5%)
Runners-up: Kelsey Plum (12.8%), Kia Nurse (10.3%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Liz Cambage, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Arike Ogunbowale
In their own words:
“I mean, there’s plenty of them. I don’t know, there’s plenty of them.”
“I’m going to go with myself. I’m not going to say anyone else.”
“(Laughs) I think everyone in this league is pretty good.”
“I wouldn’t say there’s anybody that gets too much love that doesn’t deserve it.”
“No. It’s too negative.”
“Bruh.”
5. Who is the most underrated player?
Top results: Dearica Hamby, Aces; Cheyenne Parker, Sky; Courtney Williams, Sun; Chelsea Gray, Sparks; Emma Meesseman, Mystics; Leilani Mitchell, Mercury (6.2% each)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Natasha Howard, Danielle Robinson, Riquna Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Courtney Vandersloot, Allisha Gray, Sami Whitcomb, Erica Wheeler, Jasmine Thomas, Kristi Toliver, Ariel Atkins, Tiffany Mitchell
In their own words:
“I don’t want to say no names, but … Cheyenne Parker.”
“There’s too many.”
6. Which player talks the most trash?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (34.7%)
Runner-up: Liz Cambage (15.3%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Alex Bentley, Brittney Griner, Seimone Augustus, Odyssey Sims, Courtney Williams, Alyssa Thomas, Candace Parker, Shavonte Zellous, Renee Montgomery, Betnijah Laney
In their own words:
On Diana Taurasi:
“Please, nobody comes close.”
On Liz Cambage:
“Not to me, though. I like her.”
On others:
“Who needs to shut up is Odyssey Sims.”
“It’s gotta be somebody from Dallas. It has to be somebody from Dallas.”
“I don’t really hear nobody talking. I just know some people play dirty. Not too much talking.”
7. What is the biggest issue facing the league at the moment?
Top result: Salaries (45%)
Runner-up: Marketing/exposure (22.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Travel, refereeing, respect, attendance, resources/conditions, collective bargaining agreement
In their own words:
On salaries:
“I feel like they’re kind of ignoring it.”
“The fact that we don’t get the same percentage of our revenue.”
On marketing:
“It’s not like, ‘Oh we want $100 million contracts.’ We understand as of right now, that is not the case. We’re just asking for more equality with marketing and advertising and seeing the game grow from there.”
“Lack of exposure, due to sexism which is a societal problem. I think the WNBA is so niche. It’s not marketed enough. You have to seek our schedule, you can’t buy merchandise. You can find Hawks stuff, Bears stuff, White Sox, Cubs, not one Chicago Sky shirt.”
“Getting people to understand how dope we are.”
On refereeing:
“Just consistency in it. If y’all going to be bad, be consistently bad. If you’re going to be good, be consistently good. We’re all human, but the consistency in refereeing this year is, oof. All I can say.”
“It’s really suppressing our talent and they look after their favorite players. We talk about equality with this league and the way it’s refereed doesn’t show that at all.”
On travel:
“I know a lot of people say pay, but I’m tired of these (commercial) flights.”
On attendance:
“Getting people in the stands, getting fans. Getting them not only to stay, but to see a freaking game. Because the experience I’ve had, people usually come back after they’ve been to one game, because they enjoy it.”
8. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least, 5 the most), is the league doing enough to address the top issues?
Average answer: 2.4
Median: 2.5
Mode: 2
In their own words:
“They’re trying.”
“I think some cities do a good job, but others don’t.”
“They are trying to take steps toward improving certain problems, but not all of them.”
“I know Terri (Jackson, WNBPA executive director) is working very hard.”
“I know the WNBPA is doing as much as they can to continue to push the league to do more. I always think that the league can do more.”
“They’re not addressing it. They keep saying we’re losing money but they won’t show us where the money’s going. They won’t show us how we’re losing money.”
“Not well enough because it’s not going up! They keep having the discussion with the pay overseas, but over there it’s not a problem, and here it is. For sure, they’re not doing good. It’s not fast enough.”
“The players are addressing it, but the league isn’t.”
9. Is the WNBA ready for expansion?
Yes: 75%
No: 21%
Don’t know: 4%
In their own words:
“We’ve been ready.”
“Not until every team is prospering.”
“For the fans, yes. Business model, no.”
“Not with the way we travel.”
“It is ready for expansion because so many good players don’t make a team that should.”
“I feel like half of the teams have their shyt together, but the other half doesn’t. So those teams need to get their shyt together before the league expands.”
10. If so, which city would you like to see get a team?
Top result: Miami (20.8%)
Runners-up: Bay Area (18.8%), Toronto (13.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Charlotte, Portland, Tennessee, Oakland, Carolina, Houston, Boston, Milwaukee, Orlando, New Jersey
In their own words:
“Any major women’s college town.”
“We need a (southern) team, because like Atlanta is the only team with a eight-state radius between other teams.”
“If I had two to pick, I would say Golden State or Portland. Just because they have such great fan bases basketball-wise that I think it would trickle down easily to the WNBA.”
“I think if we have more teams, then you could have more players, you could have a bigger fan base. That’s a problem right now for players, we don’t have enough space or enough rosters.”
On Oakland:
“I grew up watching the A’s, the Warriors, the Raiders, and now they’re all leaving. It would be nice to have a WNBA team.”
On Houston:
“I always thought it was really unfortunate that a team that won four championships back-to-back dissolved.”
11. If salaries were higher, would you still play overseas in the offseason?
Yes: 21%
No: 63%
Depends: 16%
In their own words:
“They’ve got to be a lot higher. Where they’re at now, just a little bit higher makes no difference compared to what we make overseas. It’s got to be sufficiently higher — four, five, six times more than it is now. Then I’ll consider it.”
“I’m a single mother. I need to do both.”
“That’s the only reason I go overseas. I can’t wait until the salaries are higher so I can stay over here.”
“$350K-plus would make me be OK with staying home.”
“Me, personally, yes. Because they’re not going to match my overseas paycheck.”
“Hell no. Quote me on that. Hell no.”
What some of these one-on-one conversations revealed may surprise you. We’ve learned just how missed Diana Taurasi was this year (or was she?), how confident the players are in WNBA leadership with CBA negotiations ongoing, and why California, Florida and Canada are the top picks for possible league expansion. And that’s just a snapshot.
Not every player answered every question, especially on the more controversial topics, so those who did had a greater effect on the results. That said, we received enough participation coast-to-coast to give you a thorough and transparent lens into WNBA life.
1. Who is the best player of all-time?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (34.8% of the vote)
Runners-up: Cynthia Cooper (10.9%), Lisa Leslie (6.5%), Sheryl Swoopes (6.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Tamika Catchings, Tina Thompson, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Maya Moore, Becky Hammon, Swin Cash, Elena Delle Donne, Lauren Jackson
In their own words:
“But there’s so many great players, I don’t even know. It’s a hard one.”
“Kobe. Period.”
2. Who is the best dressed in the game?
Top result: Tamera Young, Aces (23.1%)
Runner-up: Erica Wheeler (7.7%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Crystal Langhorne, Liz Cambage, Isabelle Harrison, Diamond DeShields, Courtney Williams, Kalani Brown, Essence Carson, Lexie Brown, Monique Billings, Kayla McBride, Riquna Williams, Chloe Jackson, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Danielle Robinson
In their own words:
“Team other than us … Chicago. They’ve got some fly people on that team.”
“I don’t know, but Sue (Bird)’s been killing the game lately with her outfits on the sideline.”
3. If you are building a roster from scratch, who are you picking first?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (14.5%)
Runners-up: Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart (13.2% each)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Nneka Ogwumike, Courtney Vandersloot, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Arike Ogunbowale, Napheesa Collier
In their own words:
“Basically everyone who’s hurt!”
On Nneka Ogwumike:
“I always respected the athlete that she was, but (also) the leader that she is and the competitor. I admire her game and I think she’s going to bring a lot to a team just because of the type of person and leader she is.”
On Chelsea Gray:
“The way she can ball out and pass the ball. I’d love to play with her one day.”
4. Who is the most overrated player?
Top result: Candace Parker, Sparks (20.5%)
Runners-up: Kelsey Plum (12.8%), Kia Nurse (10.3%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Liz Cambage, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Arike Ogunbowale
In their own words:
“I mean, there’s plenty of them. I don’t know, there’s plenty of them.”
“I’m going to go with myself. I’m not going to say anyone else.”
“(Laughs) I think everyone in this league is pretty good.”
“I wouldn’t say there’s anybody that gets too much love that doesn’t deserve it.”
“No. It’s too negative.”
“Bruh.”
5. Who is the most underrated player?
Top results: Dearica Hamby, Aces; Cheyenne Parker, Sky; Courtney Williams, Sun; Chelsea Gray, Sparks; Emma Meesseman, Mystics; Leilani Mitchell, Mercury (6.2% each)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Natasha Howard, Danielle Robinson, Riquna Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Courtney Vandersloot, Allisha Gray, Sami Whitcomb, Erica Wheeler, Jasmine Thomas, Kristi Toliver, Ariel Atkins, Tiffany Mitchell
In their own words:
“I don’t want to say no names, but … Cheyenne Parker.”
“There’s too many.”
6. Which player talks the most trash?
Top result: Diana Taurasi, Mercury (34.7%)
Runner-up: Liz Cambage (15.3%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Alex Bentley, Brittney Griner, Seimone Augustus, Odyssey Sims, Courtney Williams, Alyssa Thomas, Candace Parker, Shavonte Zellous, Renee Montgomery, Betnijah Laney
In their own words:
On Diana Taurasi:
“Please, nobody comes close.”
On Liz Cambage:
“Not to me, though. I like her.”
On others:
“Who needs to shut up is Odyssey Sims.”
“It’s gotta be somebody from Dallas. It has to be somebody from Dallas.”
“I don’t really hear nobody talking. I just know some people play dirty. Not too much talking.”
7. What is the biggest issue facing the league at the moment?
Top result: Salaries (45%)
Runner-up: Marketing/exposure (22.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Travel, refereeing, respect, attendance, resources/conditions, collective bargaining agreement
In their own words:
On salaries:
“I feel like they’re kind of ignoring it.”
“The fact that we don’t get the same percentage of our revenue.”
On marketing:
“It’s not like, ‘Oh we want $100 million contracts.’ We understand as of right now, that is not the case. We’re just asking for more equality with marketing and advertising and seeing the game grow from there.”
“Lack of exposure, due to sexism which is a societal problem. I think the WNBA is so niche. It’s not marketed enough. You have to seek our schedule, you can’t buy merchandise. You can find Hawks stuff, Bears stuff, White Sox, Cubs, not one Chicago Sky shirt.”
“Getting people to understand how dope we are.”
On refereeing:
“Just consistency in it. If y’all going to be bad, be consistently bad. If you’re going to be good, be consistently good. We’re all human, but the consistency in refereeing this year is, oof. All I can say.”
“It’s really suppressing our talent and they look after their favorite players. We talk about equality with this league and the way it’s refereed doesn’t show that at all.”
On travel:
“I know a lot of people say pay, but I’m tired of these (commercial) flights.”
On attendance:
“Getting people in the stands, getting fans. Getting them not only to stay, but to see a freaking game. Because the experience I’ve had, people usually come back after they’ve been to one game, because they enjoy it.”
8. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least, 5 the most), is the league doing enough to address the top issues?
Average answer: 2.4
Median: 2.5
Mode: 2
In their own words:
“They’re trying.”
“I think some cities do a good job, but others don’t.”
“They are trying to take steps toward improving certain problems, but not all of them.”
“I know Terri (Jackson, WNBPA executive director) is working very hard.”
“I know the WNBPA is doing as much as they can to continue to push the league to do more. I always think that the league can do more.”
“They’re not addressing it. They keep saying we’re losing money but they won’t show us where the money’s going. They won’t show us how we’re losing money.”
“Not well enough because it’s not going up! They keep having the discussion with the pay overseas, but over there it’s not a problem, and here it is. For sure, they’re not doing good. It’s not fast enough.”
“The players are addressing it, but the league isn’t.”
9. Is the WNBA ready for expansion?
Yes: 75%
No: 21%
Don’t know: 4%
In their own words:
“We’ve been ready.”
“Not until every team is prospering.”
“For the fans, yes. Business model, no.”
“Not with the way we travel.”
“It is ready for expansion because so many good players don’t make a team that should.”
“I feel like half of the teams have their shyt together, but the other half doesn’t. So those teams need to get their shyt together before the league expands.”
10. If so, which city would you like to see get a team?
Top result: Miami (20.8%)
Runners-up: Bay Area (18.8%), Toronto (13.5%)
Also receiving multiple votes (in descending order): Charlotte, Portland, Tennessee, Oakland, Carolina, Houston, Boston, Milwaukee, Orlando, New Jersey
In their own words:
“Any major women’s college town.”
“We need a (southern) team, because like Atlanta is the only team with a eight-state radius between other teams.”
“If I had two to pick, I would say Golden State or Portland. Just because they have such great fan bases basketball-wise that I think it would trickle down easily to the WNBA.”
“I think if we have more teams, then you could have more players, you could have a bigger fan base. That’s a problem right now for players, we don’t have enough space or enough rosters.”
On Oakland:
“I grew up watching the A’s, the Warriors, the Raiders, and now they’re all leaving. It would be nice to have a WNBA team.”
On Houston:
“I always thought it was really unfortunate that a team that won four championships back-to-back dissolved.”
11. If salaries were higher, would you still play overseas in the offseason?
Yes: 21%
No: 63%
Depends: 16%
In their own words:
“They’ve got to be a lot higher. Where they’re at now, just a little bit higher makes no difference compared to what we make overseas. It’s got to be sufficiently higher — four, five, six times more than it is now. Then I’ll consider it.”
“I’m a single mother. I need to do both.”
“That’s the only reason I go overseas. I can’t wait until the salaries are higher so I can stay over here.”
“$350K-plus would make me be OK with staying home.”
“Me, personally, yes. Because they’re not going to match my overseas paycheck.”
“Hell no. Quote me on that. Hell no.”